Current Events > Virginia jury convicted 19-year-old maid for stealing. Then they paid her fine.

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.thestar.com/amp/news/world/2017/12/16/a-virginia-jury-convicted-a-19-year-old-maid-for-stealing-then-they-paid-her-fine.html

The trial seemed utterly ordinary. A 19-year-old maid swiped a womans three rings worth at least $5,000 (U.S.) from a house she was cleaning in Fairfax City, Va., but later returned them after police questioned her. She was charged with felony grand larceny.

What the jury did was extraordinary. They felt bad for the young woman, pregnant with her second child, and agreed that she had made a dumb, youthful mistake. Reluctantly, they convicted her of the felony. But the fine they imposed was her daily pay as a maid, $60. And then they took up a collection and gave her the money to pay the fine.

The general sentiment was she was a victim, too, said the jury foreman, Jeffery Memmott. Two of the women [jurors] were crying because of how bad they felt. One lady pulled out a $20 bill, and just about everybody chipped in. Memmott then contacted the public defender in the case and went to the home of Sandra Mendez Ortega. He gave her the jurys collection, which totalled $80.

The victim was pissed, to say the least.

Although she was not pleased when the jury returned from their deliberations with only a $60 fine for the felony conviction, crime victim Lisa Copeland was appalled when she learned that the jury had also paid the fine.

I just pray that theyre never in my shoes, Copeland said. She said Mendez Ortega never accepted responsibility for the theft. If she had accepted accountability, I would be OK with all of this. The fact that she wont accept accountability makes it wrong.

Copeland said Mendez Ortega told a series of lies from the start and then unfurled a tragic life story that persuaded the jury to impose the $60 fine. I was outraged, Copeland said. I was just flabbergasted. I didnt think $60 equated to the crime at all. She did not know that the jury had taken up a collection for Mendez Ortega until she was contacted by a reporter.

What does CE think?
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F*** that lady and her husband. What scum.
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19 years old and she has 2 kids already? She sounds dumb as fuck.
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The girl is 19 and a convicted felon. That's punishment enough.

eh...she got her rings back. her being a 19yr old felon with 2 kids is a punishment in itself lol
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She didn't like they took pity on her
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As long as they tell her not to do it again
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She returned the rings. I don't see what's so bad about this. That woman is being a total bitch.
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I'd side with the plaintiff if she didn't get her shit back. But she did so I'm not getting why she's so butthurt. She's never seeing that maid again anyways.
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Didn't read the full article, but considering the woman has the name "Lisa Copeland" and the maid has the blatantly Hispanic name "Mendez Ortega" I'm going to assume this is just typical middle-class American racism at work.
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gmanthebest posted...

She said Mendez Ortega never accepted responsibility for the theft. If she had accepted accountability, I would be OK with all of this. The fact that she wont accept accountability makes it wrong.

Uh...didn't she return the shit she stole?
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Angry person posted...

If she had accepted accountability, I would be OK with all of this. The fact that she wont accept accountability makes it wrong.

Seriously? According to the article the maid willingly turned herself in and returned the rings. After being let go by the police. How is that not accept accountability?

Bump
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nice story I guess, lady sounds like a royal bitch tho
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Can someone explain to me why they know she's an illegal immigrant and rather than deport her they pay her court fine?
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DK9292 posted...

Didn't read the full article, but considering the woman has the name "Lisa Copeland" and the maid has the blatantly Hispanic name "Mendez Ortega" I'm going to assume this is just typical middle-class American racism at work.

So the woman is racist because the maid stole from her?

Shut the fuck up with you're victim blaming bullshit.
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ChromaticAngel posted...

She returned the rings. I don't see what's so bad about this. That woman is being a total bitch.

I mean, I don't like that people are viewing the thief as a victim...I was poor, never stole anything. So are others...necessity doesn't negate the law if we are to have a functioning justice system.

But what other punishment could really be imposed? Jail time? Maybe...But paying the fine for her doesn't seem like a good idea because that's how you learn. It was only $60...at least let her learn a lesson?

If it were me and she returned the rings, I'd just drop the charges in all likelihood, but that doesn't mean NOT dropping charges isn't valid.

ghettoraider81 posted...

DK9292 posted...

Didn't read the full article, but considering the woman has the name "Lisa Copeland" and the maid has the blatantly Hispanic name "Mendez Ortega" I'm going to assume this is just typical middle-class American racism at work.

So the woman is racist because the maid stole from her?

Shut the fuck up with you're victim blaming bullshit.

No, the woman is racist for not accepting the jury's conviction.

Try again, Felicia.
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DK9292 posted...

No, the woman is racist for not accepting the jury's conviction.

She's an illegal immigrant do you think she gives a fuck about a felony?
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I have zero sympathy for gutter trash like the cleaning girl.
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Wishy posted...

DK9292 posted...

No, the woman is racist for not accepting the jury's conviction.

She's an illegal immigrant do you think she gives a fuck about a felony?

Where does it say she is illegal

I bet she's a hoe.
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Teddytalks posted...

Wishy posted...

DK9292 posted...

No, the woman is racist for not accepting the jury's conviction.

She's an illegal immigrant do you think she gives a fuck about a felony?

Where does it say she is illegal

I think he's being facetiously racist since I accused the woman of racism.
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Teddytalks posted...

Where does it say she is illegal

In the article it says:

The jury also was not told that Mendez Ortega apparently is not in the country legally

After Mendez Ortega was arrested, she spent eight days in jail until she was released on $1,000 bond. The jury was not told that. The jury also was not told that Mendez Ortega apparently is not in the country legally

Read the fucking article instead of insulting people.
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Wishy posted...

After Mendez Ortega was arrested, she spent eight days in jail until she was released on $1,000 bond. The jury was not told that. The jury also was not told that Mendez Ortega apparently is not in the country legally

Read the fucking article instead of insulting people.

He won't do that, would rather be edgy.
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ghettoraider81 posted...

Win, lose, or tie Oakland Raiders til I die!

Amen my brother. Amen.
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I don't want the kids to get screwed, but I do think this behavior should result in some actual jail time.
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The Copelands sound like assholes especially the woman

Wishy posted...

After Mendez Ortega was arrested, she spent eight days in jail until she was released on $1,000 bond. The jury was not told that. The jury also was not told that Mendez Ortega apparently is not in the country legally

Read the fucking article instead of insulting people.

The jury didn't know contour question of why would they pay the fine instead of deporting her, which the jury wouldn't have the power to do, makes no sense. Plus arent the Copelands guilty of hiring an illegal immigrant?

The girl is 19, and now has a criminal record. It won't get any easier for her from here, so imposing anything beyond her means is just punitive. Hopefully she learns the right lessons from this.
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gp1829 posted...

The jury didn't know contour question of why would they pay the fine instead of deporting her, which the jury wouldn't have the power to do, makes no sense. Plus arent the Copelands guilty of hiring an illegal immigrant?

So then ICE grabs her. Not sure why everyone just basically looked at each other confused, it's a pretty simple solution. And no, you don't check the citizenship of people you pay for odd jobs.

Alucard188 posted...

The girl is 19, and now has a criminal record. It won't get any easier for her from here, so imposing anything beyond her means is just punitive. Hopefully she learns the right lessons from this.

She has NO record, she's "undocumented" as they like to say now.
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Latino privileged

jk
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Should buy her some condoms
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DK9292 posted...

Teddytalks posted...

Wishy posted...

DK9292 posted...

No, the woman is racist for not accepting the jury's conviction.

She's an illegal immigrant do you think she gives a fuck about a felony?

Where does it say she is illegal

I think he's being facetiously racist since I accused the woman of racism.

Way to not read the article.
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Wishy posted...

So then ICE grabs her. Not sure why everyone just basically looked at each other confused, it's a pretty simple solution

...do you actually think courts have the legal authority to stop a case to call ICE and let that be the punishment?

I know you probably don't give a shit but undocumented immigrants or illegal or whatever you want to call them, they still have rights. Likewise a courts authority only stretches so far.
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That women thinks a person who stole from her and who's in the country illegally in the first place should be punished? What a bitch!
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yeah, anyone attacking the victim who was stolen from is gutter trash. the thief should be deported provided she is illegal
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The Great Muta 22 posted...

...do you actually think courts have the legal authority to stop a case to call ICE and let that be the punishment?

I know you probably don't give a shit but undocumented immigrants or illegal or whatever you want to call them, they still have rights. Likewise a courts authority only stretches so far.

No, they can book her as a felon, deport her, and then she can have fun trying to legally immigrate as a felon of a country she isn't even a citizen of.

Or just border jump again.
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Wishy posted...

No, they can book her as a felon, deport her

State courts can't deport people.

ChromaticAngel posted...

She returned the rings. I don't see what's so bad about this.

After the police got involved.
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CarlGrimes posted...

After the police got involved.

Not sure why you think that matters.

JE19426 posted...

State courts can't deport people.

Oh really I thought the judge personally escorted them across the border. My bad.
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Wishy posted...

Oh really I thought the judge personally escorted them across the border. My bad.

No worries, I'm glad I could set you right.

JE19426 posted...

CarlGrimes posted...

After the police got involved.

Not sure why you think that matters.

Because she only did the right thing because the police became involved in the matter, not because she had some change of heart.
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CarlGrimes posted...

Because she only did the right thing because the police became involved in the matter

Source please.

JE19426 posted...

CarlGrimes posted...

Because she only did the right thing because the police became involved in the matter

Source please.

gmanthebest posted...

but later returned them after police questioned her.

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CarlGrimes posted...

JE19426 posted...

CarlGrimes posted...

Because she only did the right thing because the police became involved in the matter

Source please.

gmanthebest posted...

but later returned them after police questioned her.

So you don't actually have a source and are making it up.