Well, given the value of the stolen goods in question ( http://www.theeagle.com/landandlivestockpost/in-today-s-mark... seems to indicate that a year ago, two thousand dollars was reasonable if historically high), a reasonable penalty would be restitution and depending on history perhaps a suspended sentence with compulsory community service, or failing that a few months in prison. Although it would have to be one of those prisons you only get in foreign countries where the aim is to make everyone better off by turning criminals into lawful, valuable citizens :(
Ten years is just plain fucking stupid, and costs the state an absolute fortune.
>> Ten years is just plain fucking stupid, and costs the state an absolute fortune.
Maybe to you. But to other cattle ranchers, if this guy is free and running stealing cattle all the time, it looks like a pretty good idea to keep in in a cage for 10 years.
Why should the law favor cattle ranchers (who can cheaply protect their property by branding) over other owners of property worth low thousands of dollars?
Theft of up to $20,000, assuming no priors, is limited to a penalty of 2 years (I've elided a bunch of details, click through to read them, skim for the relevant portions, but I'm pretty sure stealing $10,000 cash would result in a prison sentence of 2 years...).
Maybe because it's harder for cattle ranchers to actually protect their property.
It's not like cows are locked up and alarmed like televisions in a store. Possibly the extra penalty is supposed to act as extra deterrent where enforcement is less feasible. (Well.. either that or some sort of rural vote skew or good-ole boy thing... I wouldn't rule anything out.)
Ten years is just plain fucking stupid, and costs the state an absolute fortune.