Lawmaker Steals Leather Pants . . .

[classicman]

Brain Tumor May Be Responsible, Lawyer Says

A San Francisco lawmaker pleaded no contest after stealing nearly $2,500 of clothing from an upscale department store and a benign brain tumor may have impaired her judgment, her lawyer says.

Democratic Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi’s lawyer says her medical condition might have played a role in her shoplifting, but her spokesman says she is not using it as an excuse, according to ABC station KGO-TV.

Hayashi, 44, was arrested in October for stealing leather pants and other articles of clothing from Neiman Marcus in Union Square. Prosecutors said before leaving the store, Hayashi took the clothes into a dressing room and stuffed them into an empty shopping bag.

Investigators say store security was tracking Hayashi after a saleswoman told guards she suspected the assemblywoman of stealing a dress the week before.

When Hayashi appeared in San Francisco Superior Court on Friday, the judge reduced the charge from felony grand theft to a misdemeanor at a prosecutor’s request. Hayashi pleaded no contest, and was given three years probation, a fine of $180 and ordered her to keep a distance of 50 feet from Neiman Marcus.

Hayashi’s lawyer, Doug Rappaport, said outside the courtroom that she suffers from a medical condition that experts say may have affected her judgment when she was caught.

“Unfortunately, she’s been diagnosed with a brain tumor, however, fortunately for her, it’s benign and it can be taken care of and addressed with medication which is exactly what’s happening,” he said.

But her spokesman, Singer, sent an email Friday saying Hayashi’s brain tumor “did not play a role in her forgetfulness and distraction in accidentally walking out.”

The district attorney’s office says Hayashi’s medical condition did not have an impact on the judge’s decision.

Regardless of the conflicting statements, the prosecution at the district attorney’s office says the brain tumor had nothing to do with their decision to change the felony to a misdemeanor.

This article left out the fact that if she had been found guilty of a felony, she would have lost her pay but not necessarily her job.
Wait... WHAT???
So our leaders can be guilty of federal crimes and still not lose their jobs? How the heck does that work? Anyone? What a bizarre situation.
ABC

[infinite monkey]

Pants are a federal issue?

Probably only if you take them across state lines, I imagine.

[Lamplighter]

Relax Classic, at least she had the good taste to steal from Nieman Marcus, and leather pants, at that.

The Judge should have imposed a sentence of 1 week store-window dancing set to the tune of "YMCA".

[footfootfoot]

above a certain dollar rate theft becomes a felony.

[infinite monkey]

I didn't realize all felonies were federal offenses. My bad.

I guess keeping dead hobos in my own state isn't going to help me.

Or wait...or not:

The differences between State and Federal criminal cases are not obvious. For example, bank robbery is Federal and drunk driving is State. However, if you get pulled over for drunk driving while on Federal property, it would be a Federal case as opposed to a State case.

Many narcotics cases can also be charged either by State or Federal authorities. For example, if the narcotics are bought and sold in the same state, the case is typically charged by the State. However, if narcotics are bought in one state and sold in another state, this is considered a conspiracy to transport and thus charged as a Federal case.

In most cases, the individual who is arrested will know where their case will be prosecuted. If they are arrested by federal authorities and taken to a federal detention center, the likelihood is that the case will be in federal court. If they are arrested by a local police department and taken to a city or county jail, they will most likely be prosecuted by the state.

Cases Usually Prosecuted in the State Courts:

Murder
Rape / Child molestation
Possession of controlled substances / Under the Influence
Domestic violence / Assault & battery
Robbery / Grand Theft / Shoplifting
Most misdemeanors


Cases Usually Prosecuted in the Federal Courts:

Smuggling controlled substances
Large quantity narcotic conspiracy cases
Bank robbery and bank fraud
Mail fraud / Theft from the mail
Bribery of public officials
Crimes committed on federal land
Crimes committed in one state with flight to another state
Source(s):
Imhoff & Assoc
http://www.federaldefense.com/pages/different.asp

[footfootfoot]

Not a federal issue. I had to actually read the OP...

[classicman]

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

Not a federal issue. I had to actually read the OP...

They way I read it - it was, but then they reduced the charges so it wasn't.
Of course I was reading this VERY LATE last night/early this am/whatever.

[TheMercenary]

She is a practicing politician in California. Of course she is a crook.