What is Digg?108 Comments
- catmistake, on 10/12/2007, -5/+225Who says there is no honor among thieves?
- tonicboy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+143The burglar obtained the evidence illegally, but the police did not. They were merely given probable cause (in the form of the video tape) to obtain a search warrant. The warrant was then used to legally search the man's home to obtain real evidence. Law is law, but the police are on the correct side of the law here.
- tjmasco, on 10/12/2007, -3/+125Next time someone says two wrongs don't make a right I'm linking this...
- Jacob, on 10/12/2007, -1/+87yeah and I guess you watching saw 3 is punishment enough for your crime of stealing it... god what an awful movie.
- Braxo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+87Doesn't suck so much being a thief in jail, but a child molester/porn collector, much much worse.
- MarkCiccone, on 10/12/2007, -4/+58That's so awesome, theifs like that make my day.
Now if only the guys who stole my gold bracelet my (now deceased) grandma got me in Italy, my guitar, computer, N64 and 20 games and all the other crap they took would return it, I'd be a happy man. - GraceMolloy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+48Even criminals hate people who hurt children.
They have scrupals - lhnz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+41What's that meant to mean?
Both should go to prison. - sfacets, on 10/12/2007, -2/+41Yup, just goes to show that some crimes are worse than others. (goes off and downloads Saw3)
- TuxedoMax, on 10/12/2007, -0/+29Let's hope they don't end up sharing a cell.
awkward! - DooDooFace, on 10/12/2007, -1/+27Actually no, because it's not a word.
- b3mus3d, on 10/12/2007, -1/+26neithernet-
Yeah, because I'm sure everyone who steals does it just to piss people off.
There would be no logical reason to call the police to tip them off about someone you'd just stolen from, unless you were incredibly cocky or, in this case, there was a strong moral reason to. - donatj, on 10/12/2007, -32/+55I could see this though being abused, police paying theives to break into peoples houses, with the promise of not getting caught.
- elrechazao, on 10/12/2007, -3/+26Illegal search and seizure jurisprudence restricts government action, not private action. The evidence can't be suppressed as an unreasonable search and seizure, because the government didn't do it in this case.
Theoretically cops could (probably have in the past) pay criminals to go obtain evidence, but any links like that will eventually be exposed and then the criminal is an agent of the state, and the evidence could be suppressed. - movienut, on 10/12/2007, -2/+24USA! USA!
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/16021108.htm
14-year sentence for Los Gatos burglar who helped put child molester in prison
By Sean Webby
Mercury News
Matthew Hahn, the Los Gatos repeat burglar who helped put a child molester in prison, was sentenced this afternoon to 14 years in prison for a residential burglary.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office had originally sought life in prison against Hahn, who already had a string of felony home burglary convictions.
But prosecutors agreed to the reduced plea bargained sentence after international public outcry and his lawyer pleaded that Hahn's role in the catching and prosecuting John Robertson Aitken was so compelling that he deserved a lighter punishment.
In May, Aitken pleaded no contest to molestation charges and received a 30-year prison sentence.
more info
http://www.community-newspapers.com/archives/lgwt/20060517/news1.shtml - afterpartyboy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+23@neithernet
c'mon yo, i'm sure there are criminals out there that draw the line somewhere. - snowbooch, on 10/12/2007, -1/+18or by just saying they received a tip, but honestly i think the majority of law enforcement are honorable (or at least as honorable as the general population).
but whatever, this guy deserved it - flatspoon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17Either way, they're both wrong... and should both face the judicial system.
- Sassanix, on 10/12/2007, -8/+23hahaha, our thief's have moral value you know ;)
- manchld, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14If the other prisoners find out you're a child molester in jail, you're pretty much their bitch.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+18As much as I hate pedophiles and child pornography lovers... I think the guy should be let go and the evidence be thrown out.
Think of it... if we are going to allow evidence used against people that is found illegally, then what is to stop hired-thieves from breaking in to find evidence to hand over to police that don't want warrants?
Then again, I guess warrants are so 1990's - typo180, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10@nerditup
I think the end of that line is actually "you're my only friend, Abu" - Zinite, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Different guy.
FTA: William Mitchell, who pleaded guilty earlier this year in Red Deer provincial court, was charged in October 2005 after RCMP, acting on an anonymous tip, searched his home. - detrate, on 10/12/2007, -7/+17Only in Canada...
- JorgeGT, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10troll in the thread......................don't feed him
- halavais, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11No, but it seems to me that the burgler also provided a pretty nice defense. After all, nothing says "reasonable doubt" like an anonymous person who has obviously broken into your house and accessed your computer. I'm not saying that this is a frame-up, but it wouldn't be hard to convince a jury of that, I bet.
- ulmedas, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1114 years seems a bit harsh for burglary... And the prosecutor trying for a life sentence, because the guy stole some electronics and jewelry? While the child molester / kiddie porn viewer gets only double that. So, child molestation and possession of child pornography is only twice as bad a thievery (or not nearly as bad according to the prosecutors request for a life sentence.) Sound reasonable to me.
- ermau, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9@siodine
RTFA, he pleaded guilty. - jpwhitmore, on 10/12/2007, -5/+14I don't know what to think...
- Invid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Illegal search and seizure laws are designed to protect you from the state abusing your rights. Evidence obtained by a third party, illegal or not, has always been fair game.
The police would have obtained a search warrant on the basis of the evidence they recovered from the camera.
I see this was addressed below. Digg needs a delete button. - Mitchum, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6RTFA
- andburn1, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9movienut, we're glad that the guy wasn't smart enough to cover up his porn. You need to not give advice to pedophiles.
- kooft, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Yeah, they ruin lives in completely different manners.
- Spikito, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5@goat, seeing as how the date at the top of the article is Nov 26 2006, no, it wasn't
- jbink303, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@fxmcleod
I have to agree with you. This burglar may have seen something damning on the child-pornographer's computer while visiting him, or something, then decided the guy needed to go down. He then breaks in with a camera and films the child-porn on the guy's computer and sends it to police... I know I would think of doing the same thing if I caught someone with that awful, exploitative stuff.
Two things that really stick out:
1. The guy was a burglar, not a robber. Robbery is stealing stuff, burglary is breaking in... robbery usually follows burglary, but it doesn't seem so in this case.
2. Who brings a camera to break in to a house? Unless you have some weird danger fetish, I'd think you'd want to keep the amount of items that can capture your image down to a minimum if you're performing an illegal act. - jasonvw, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I think the point is, the camera will probably not be admitted into evidence. The camera was only used to get a search warrant. Upon searching the house, then the police collected evidence for the court.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Bwahhahahahaha! Owned by a crook. Very odd front page.
- 4Play, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Thats like those cartoons where these two rivals have to team up to defeat the big bad guy
- babayada, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Oh, and by the way, it's spelled "thief."
T-H-I-E-F
I before E except after C and except those other times, too.
The plural of thief is "thieves." And it's "thieving" and "thievery" when you want to use it in those forms. - fxmcleod, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Well, there is nothing that really says this guy was a theif. He didn't take anything. He might have been doing this just to take mitchell down.
- andburn1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I think that one was about a child molester.
- vanmeir, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I have to digg any story that includes the term "outraged burglar."
- Nocturnal, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Well put it this way, these types of guys are marked as pariahs in prison and they get it real bad. So I am definitely not surprised by this action from another felon. Those guys in prison really hate these types of guys since most of them have wives, gfs, children (son/daughter), nephews and nieces that could have been a victim. They don't play around with these types of guys and they are marked for life in prison.
- VolatileWhimsy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Another pedo down... He'll say hello to bubba while he is in jail..
- ICSU, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4presidence, lol
- Shamonue, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I'm glad this happened to this one guy, but what is to stop the police from "hiring" thieves off
the record just so they can get probable cause to search it legally ? - Tweekster, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5and hopefully the theif gets off with a stiff warning because he came forward atleast knowing what would happen but felt he should anyways
- scooter12, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4your a sick bastard
- tonicboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@Shamonue
"...what is to stop the police from "hiring" thieves off the record just so they can get probable cause to search it legally ?"
Ummm, I'm going to take a wild stab at this one and say... the LAW stops them?! Hiring thieves to break into a house isn't even close to legal. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Although the fact that someone collects child porn is an indication of a disgustingly sick mind, there is a difference between actually molesting a child just as there is a difference between someone who collects war movies and someone who kills people. Pictures do not deserve anywhere near life in prison, but making them might.
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