A 35 year old American, we'll call him Joe, has worked hard since he was 18 years old. Up until a year ago, he made a good living as a journeyman plumber.
Joe has a wife and two children. Since the children are not in school as yet, Joe's wife only works part time at a preschool. Her earnings are small, and she doesn't get health insurance.
A year ago, Joe fell while at home and ruptured a disk. He tried physical therapy, but to no avail. He needs an operation to fix the problem. The projected cost is $150,000. Since Joe spent his savings on a down payment and closing costs for his house, he didn't have much left in the bank, and that has been eaten up buying food while he was out of work.
Since Joe has been laid up, he couldn't work and so lost his job. With his job, went his health insurance. Meanwhile, the house he and his wife bought back in '08 for $250,000 with 10% down is now worth $125,000.
Since Joe doesn't have a job, he has not been making the mortgage payments, and so has lost his house and is living in his brother in law's trailer.
The brother in law has also lost his job, and really needs to rent out the trailer.
Until he gets the operation, Joe can't go back to work.
Meanwhile, his former employer has gone out of business due to the lack of new building. There are many out of work plumbers where Joe lives.
Joe is about to run out of unemployment benefits.
Here's the question: Joe needs to spend some time in jail in order to get his health issue taken care of, then needs to be on probation so that he can have some help finding a new job.
While Joe is in jail, the state welfare system will take care of the rent and food for his family, but they will miss him and want him back as soon as possible.
What sort of crime should Joe commit? He doesn't want to be in jail any longer than necessary, so it needs to be a crime that is serious enough to carry a prison sentence and probation, but not one so serious as to require him to be in jail for too long.
If you were Joe, what crime would you commit?
Joe has a wife and two children. Since the children are not in school as yet, Joe's wife only works part time at a preschool. Her earnings are small, and she doesn't get health insurance.
A year ago, Joe fell while at home and ruptured a disk. He tried physical therapy, but to no avail. He needs an operation to fix the problem. The projected cost is $150,000. Since Joe spent his savings on a down payment and closing costs for his house, he didn't have much left in the bank, and that has been eaten up buying food while he was out of work.
Since Joe has been laid up, he couldn't work and so lost his job. With his job, went his health insurance. Meanwhile, the house he and his wife bought back in '08 for $250,000 with 10% down is now worth $125,000.
Since Joe doesn't have a job, he has not been making the mortgage payments, and so has lost his house and is living in his brother in law's trailer.
The brother in law has also lost his job, and really needs to rent out the trailer.
Until he gets the operation, Joe can't go back to work.
Meanwhile, his former employer has gone out of business due to the lack of new building. There are many out of work plumbers where Joe lives.
Joe is about to run out of unemployment benefits.
Here's the question: Joe needs to spend some time in jail in order to get his health issue taken care of, then needs to be on probation so that he can have some help finding a new job.
While Joe is in jail, the state welfare system will take care of the rent and food for his family, but they will miss him and want him back as soon as possible.
What sort of crime should Joe commit? He doesn't want to be in jail any longer than necessary, so it needs to be a crime that is serious enough to carry a prison sentence and probation, but not one so serious as to require him to be in jail for too long.
If you were Joe, what crime would you commit?
