Black guy carved a 'B' in my face woman gets probation and community service

[bigtree]

AshleyTodd, of College Station, Texas, will enter a probation program for first-time offenders. If she completes the program without incident, her arrest record will be expunged. An Allegheny County judge on Friday also ordered her to perform 50 hours of community service.

She didn't comment as she left the courtroom.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/22/ashley-todd-mccain-volunt_n_206718.html


good times . . .

[CBR]

1. 50 hours?!? That's it -- you can do that in a week.

Lame.

[RB TexLa]

2. Certainly not what she deserved to get

[qazplm]

15. eh

she revealed herself as a nutcase to an entire nation.

Whatever else she got was just going to be gravy anyways.

[RB TexLa]

16. The piece of shit belongs in prison.

[Number23]

22. You're way too harsh!

Now when she actually KILLS someone and blames it on a black person, then and ONLY then will she belong in prison.

Unless of course the person she kills is black, then of course it would have been in self-defense and she'll get 5 months probation. Don't you know that the rules for insane white women are different from everyone else???

[malaise]

46. I think she needs psychiatric help

not prison

[Mrs. Overall]

3. This Ashley Todd?

[RB TexLa]

4. That would be the correct piece of shit

[Hippo_Tron]

7. Seriously it didn't occur to her to just carve an "O"?

You know, that letter that looks the same front and backwards. But I suppose if she was carving letters into her face she wasn't blessed with an over-abundance of brains anyway.

[Mrs. Overall]

13. Thank goodness she didn't think of that--had she been able to pull off her story

it could have caused some devastating reactions in this country and might have had an effect on the outcome of the election.

She really is to be pitied, but she did play with some mighty strong social/political fire.

[Hippo_Tron]

14. I doubt she would've been able to pull it off even if she had carved the O

I'm sure that when the detectives questioned her the story would be different every time because she's too stupid to think up her story in advance and keep it straight other than "a black man carved my face".

The "backwards B" was just a dead giveaway. It did the police's job for them.

[salguine]

70. Why do I suspect that she, alone, would actually be able to make an "O" backwards.

[salguine]

71. Deleted—accidental duplicate

[QueenOfCalifornia]

38. Or maybe an H

because, after all, his middle name is Hussein. :rofl:

[Deja Q]

43. Like this?

:evilgrin:

[QueenOfCalifornia]

54. That'll work.

What are those pictures of?

I know they are goofball but where are they from?

[malaise]

47. Ashley at the 2012 GOP convention

http://www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/2008+Republican+National+Convention+Day+3+0ZmMp-jUOehl.jpg

[JI7]

5. weren't there some media whores involved in reporting this and making up some other shit

i don't just mean reporting what she claimed but they pushed the story even more to try to hurt Obama. and they were never held accountable.

[malaise]

10. Don't expect them to report this either n/t

[jillan]

20. Exactly! The msm only reports on their shiny objects of the day.

Dick Cheney, some beautiful blonde that disappeared, just constant bs.

[spoony]

6. That doesn't send a very strong message to anyone

coming after her who'd want to stir up racial and political tensions by faking crimes. Maybe they took pity on her for being so dumb she didn't know a mirror reverses images.

[RB TexLa]

9. And just think if someone matching the description she gave had shown up on a camera somewhere

near where she said the attack happened, probably 5 to 10 years in prison for them as she laughed.

[Marr]

26. No kidding.

This isn't nearly harsh enough. And you know the little zealot will always have a place in the Conservative political machine after this.

[Mrs. Overall]

11. oops wrong place....

[customerserviceguy]

12. A "strong message" implies that someone will heed it

In this case, she's a pretty sick puppy, and while she really needs a bit of psychological help, she might have some time to think during the community service.

I cannot imagine a sane enough person who would be influenced by a "strong message" to even contemplate something this stupid in the first place.

[malaise]

8. Who could forget that lunatic

young Rushican.
Not even a slap on the hand for her. Ah well!

[Cha]

17. Talk about the punishment not

fitting the crime.

Can you imagine if she had gotten further with her insane accusations?

To me it's like she should have had to plead insantity to get out of a stiff prison sentence for inciting hate riots.

[Hannah Bell]

39. but she didn't get further. i find the penalty reasonable in the light of the lack of

damage to anyone but herself.

besides her pretty obvious non-brightness.

[Raineyb]

44. There is nothing reasonable about this tap on the wrist

This isn't even a slap on the wrist but then she only endangered black men with her lies so why would we need bother to get ourselves overly excited about that huh?

If she were black and pulled this shit her ass would be in prison. So this racist bitch can spend some time there too.

This is bullshit! And I am sick and tired of people bending over backwards to make excuses as to why she's getting the kid glove treatment. The police don't give a damn about your mental state when they arrest you. The mentally ill end up in prison all the time. So what's so special about this chick? Oh that's right she's white. Well there's one thing that isn't going to change any time soon in this country. The criminal justice system will bend over backwards to keep precious white boys and girls out of prison while doing all they can to push black youth into the same prisons. I guess we have to find new slaves for the prison industrial complex somewhere huh? It's a small sacrifice isn't it? Unless of course you're a member of the targeted group. But that's not a problem you have is it?

[Hannah Bell]

55. the police didn't even look for suspects; she was the prime suspect

almost from the beginning.

sorry, i don't think she should have done jail time.

that doesn't mean i think black men should do jail time for doing the same thing.

your logic is: other people receive punishments disproportionate to their offense; she should too.

i don't see how it follows.

[Raineyb]

60. Not other people people of color

White people very rarely get a disproportionate punishment for their offense unless you mean disproportionately low like in this case which I doubt is your point as you don't seem to mind the non punishment being meted out in this case.

My point is our two-tiered justice system constantly and consistently goes out of its way to keep white young people out of jail while doing all it can to make sure that black and brown youth spend a lot of time in it. But when people point out that a punishment being meted out is not in line with what is usually doled out for such offenses it's those who object to the lighter sentence that are considered unreasonable.

You make a lot of excuses for why this chick should get the gold card treatment for basically endangering the lives of any black man who might have had the misfortune to be in the area after her lies got out. But the fact that she's not getting the same sentence a black woman would have gotten in the problem here and clearly it's not one you're interested in addressing. Your argument is basically well they do wrong by black people all the time but they found time to do right by this white girl why are you complaining that she's getting special treatment?

I'm saying it's not reasonable to give one person a lighter sentence when we know damn well that some kind of imprisonment is warranted in this case no matter who the hell does it. Why do you think such a two tiered system is reasonable?

[Hannah Bell]

79. i didn't say a two-tier system is reasonable. that's your projection.

i said, in fact, the opposite.

[Raineyb]

80. You said this tap was a resonable sentence.

A perpetuation of the very system in question.

[Hannah Bell]

82. i think it's a reasonable sentence. for the girl, for a black man (boy) who did the same.

as i said.

giving her a sentence fitting her crime doesn't perpetuate a two tier system of justice. giving a black male a sentence *not* fitting his crime (or lack of crime) does.

[Raineyb]

84. Her sentence does not fit the crime

Score another one for white privilege.

[Name removed]

76. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

78. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[slampoet]

18. I guess next time anyone commits an INTERSTATE HATE CRIME. They will get 50 hours too.

Yet i know someone who got 6 months in jail for stealing scrap aluminum.

[Hepburn]

19. Wow....

...she got off light for making a false police report of an alleged hate crime.

[Bluebear]

21. 'If she completes the program without incident, her arrest record will be expunged.'

Why?

[fishwax]

23. way too lenient. She doesn't deserve to have her record expunged

She deserves to do jail time.

[Bravo Zulu]

24. Pgh. Photographer Attacked After Political Hoaxer Sentenced

A man who accompanied Ashley Todd to court Friday attacked a photographer after she was sentenced.
http://www.wpxi.com/video/19539799/index.html

[mockmonkey]

25. I'm sorry

but that is funny.

[Marr]

27. Perhaps I'm reading too much into that, but you know

what I find sickening there? When the pasty little prick hears an authoritative voice to his right say, "take your hands off him", he immediately complies like a trained dog. When it was just him and one smallish, pudgy man holding a heavy camera, he was all aggression.

I noticed the same thing with that Brian Killmeade video the other day-- when arguing with Jesse Ventura, a large man, his voice went up a couple levels and his entire manner became subservient. When he argued with Janeane Garofalo, he leaned into her space, lowered his voice a pitch or two, and just generally tried to dominate.

These people are such cowards.

[Bravo Zulu]

31. College republicons?

They are ashlys handlers!

[joshcryer]

83. I thought the same thing, that kid (possibly the boyfriend) looked like a deer in headlights.

When that guy said "get your hands off of him" he just shut down.

[depakid]

28. Ah, nothing like that good old America lust for vengence and a pound of flesh

Small wonder you became a nation of torturers.

[Marr]

34. Nothing like that good old sucker attitude.

No wonder we became a nation with political kabuki theater in place of representative government. People are always willing to give 'em one more chance.

I think this girl's sentence was too light, personally-- particularly the part about having her record expunged. What might've happened if a man was picked up in the area matching the description she gave police? This was not some harmless prank. She set out to sow racial hatred and possibly frame someone. Do you think she would've dropped the prank if someone had been arrested?

Do you really think this kind of thing warrants no more than a bit of community service?

[nini]

41. do you really think she's all that bright?

Seriously, I'd say she borders on being mentally challenged.

What she needs is for that community service to be in a black neighborhood where she can get educated regarding her race issues. That would be the most productive thing for her.

[depakid]

62. I'd say it warrants mental health treatment

which is what she got, along with community service.

Sorry, but unlike so many others, I'm not always keen for- or obsessed with getting a pound of flesh out of every who's transgressed, especially based on speculation and "what if's."


.

[tabasco]

36. Yah, false police reports, election fraud in swing state, no big deal.

If we think she should have a police record for this, it means we're torturers.

Stupidest thing I've read on DU so far today!

[Name removed]

64. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Raineyb]

67. No she wasn't. She knew exactly what she was doing.

She knew exactly who she could blame and get the least amount of scrutiny. She's following in the foot steps of Charles Stuart and Susan Smith and I'm not inclined to waste any time worrying about any of them.

[depakid]

68. Please- the girl had mental health issues (and police, prosecuters and the court recognized them)

As they're trained (though not always successful) at doing.

[Raineyb]

72. The only thing wrong with her is that she's a stupid racist bitch.

Last I checked that's not listed under mental disorders. Nor is it an excuse for not being punished if one can assist with one's defense which she was capable of. (Although there was really no defense to assist with as she plead either no contest or guilty)

[depakid]

75. You sound angry and very bitter

perhaps you've reason to be- which is all the more reason that, in any given case, those with grudges ought to keep their noses out of the disposition of cases where those deals come to bear. Fairly simple ethical principle that all to often isn't abided by.

[Raineyb]

77. Yeah I'm pissed. Why wouldn't I when I live in a country where I know I'm not valued

despite the fact that I was born here and I am a citizen.

This case only further proves it once again. I keep expecting things to get better over the years and yet here we are. It would be nice if once people would recognize the disparate treatment instead of wondering why the hell someone might sound pissed even after having explained it more than once (twice, a hundred times.)

But that doesn't change the blatant favoritism being shown to this pathetic excuse for a wretch. And apparently it's not enough to penetrate the shell of white privilege that surrounds the thinking of my fellow countrymen either. But I continue to point it out anyway because maybe just maybe my nieces and nephew won't have to do it because I and people like me pointed it out enough times to make it fucking obvious to even the densest of Americans. It won't win me any popularity contests but then I've long outgrown the pathetic need to be liked by everybody.

But I cannot stay out of things like this because otherwise who the hell is going to point out the wrongness of it while so many are busy patting themselves on the back by the "good" disposition of this case?

[Raineyb]

45. Nothing like that excuse making attitude

It's no wonder so many white youth think they can get away with practically murder. Oh that's right it's because they do.

[depakid]

63. That reflects the usual small minded, fearful and petty attitudes that made American society so ugly

It's also why other nations of the world don't emulate the American system in most any respect.

[Raineyb]

66. I didn't create the racist two tiered system. I just live with its consequences.

And there is no excuse for what she did and she ought to have ended up in jail. If she weren't white that's where she'd end up. In addition very few on this board would be bending over backwards to explain about how the poor put upon liar needs help.

It's the racism that makes society so fucking ugly not the fact that I 1. point it out and 2. hold our system to its own standard.

[depakid]

69. So your soultion to racial disparities is to just evoke excess retribution equally?

Now that's an attractive quality.

And one that's sure to lead to justice and sound public policy.

:eyes:

[Raineyb]

73. And your solution is to continue to allow one group to be privileged at the expense of the other?

So you think it's okay to minimize the damage she did and the threat she posed to any black man who might have been in the area? Is is things like this that show us exactly how not valued black people are in this country. People talk a lot of shit about justice but only seem to see when our justice system is used as a weapon on the few occasions it's seen to be used in such a way towards white people.

That's an equally "attractive" quality.

[depakid]

74. Not my solution at all

Indeed, I've worked for the contrary much of my adult life in one form or another (including considerable time "down in the trenches).

[Stevenmarc]

29. I wouldn't want to have to supervise that much stupid for 50 hours.

[johnfunk]

30. She needed, and likely still needs, psychiatric help

Hope she gets it -- hope the therapist is a compassionate liberal who opens her mind.

[nini]

42. I agree

.

[Spirochete]

32. I pity the community

if this airhead is "serving" it for 50 hours.

[varkam]

33. DAETH PENALTEE!!!one!

Yeesh. Sometimes you folks are too much for me.

[Bluebear]

37. Gee, how so?

[Raineyb]

48. That's a bit of an exaggeration

Wanting her to do the time she rightfully deserves is a far cry from wanting her killed.

[tabasco]

35. Good thing she didn't have any pot.

Or she would have been in real trouble!

Fraudulent electioneering just ain't much of a big deal, I suppose.

She looks the part.

[Catherine Vincent]

40. White privilege. nt

[JonLP24]

49. I'm glad we have a first time offender program that if one co-operates he/she gets their record

expunged. It is a great idea and even if people like her can benefit from it then so be it. It is a great idea and it requires one to co-operate in order to get their record expunged so I support it. She has suffered enough public humilation that jail time can never even accomplish in terms of punishment.

[Starry Messenger]

50. Expunged??

That is seriously wrong. There were several posters here (including me) who documented her history with the College Republicans and showed just how calculated this whole episode was. This slap on the wrist is ridiculous. I'm sure we will all be hearing about Ms. Todd again some day. :(

[Raineyb]

51. A slap would have more sting. This is barely a tap. n/t

[Starry Messenger]

52. I agree.

I was just looking over old posts on DU from that. That whole ratfucking crime was not just a "cry for attention" or whatever the fuck. I agree with what you said upthread about this being too light a sentence and that she would be sitting in jail if she weren't white. I smell bullshit, too. The College Republicans could use a bright light of exposure as well.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7614263#7614325

There is a lot being swept under the carpet here, I think.

[underpants]

58. Have you read "How to Rig an Election" by Allen Raymond?

good book.

Raymond, if you don't know, was one of the two people who went to jail for the 2002 New Hampshire phone jamming operation

In the book Raymond states that Rove has created a culture of extreme behavior in the GOP/RNC. The more extreme the better-it proves loyalty and that is the most important matter to them. Obviously competence is way down the list.

That was the first thing I thought of when this story broke. There were tons of excuses about exhaustion and past mental issues but this stinked of her proving her loyalty and willingness to the extreme.

[Starry Messenger]

61. No, I haven't.

Thank you for the recommendation, it sounds like something I would get a lot out of. :)

[underpants]

65. Great stories *SPOILER*

my assessment is that at the end Raymond comes off as being quite naive. Ambitious yes but he doesn't see the forest for the trees

Funny story about Mitch McConnell and about the thing with the Cuban exiles.
Rove is all through this book ;-)

The story about how Raymond helped win a ceremonial post for someone at the RNC is pretty good too

[yodoobo]

53. She tried to influence an election with racism

Prison time is called for, not 50 hours of baby sitting.

[Judi Lynn]

56. Another look at her story, from a Republican blog at the time:

Obama Fan Attacks and Mutillates McCain Campaign Worker
October 24th, 2008 · 6 Comments · Elections and Campaigns
In an incident which seems like it epitomizes much of the anger and bitterness of this election season, a McCain campaign worker from College Station, Texas who was in Pittsburgh helping to work a phone bank was robbed and then attacked, brutalized, and disfigured in what appears to be a politically motivated hate crime.

According to a report from television station KDKA, on Wednesday night, 20-year-old Ashley Todd was robbed at knifepoint at an ATM near the Republican phone bank where she had been making calls on behalf of the McCain campaign. After taking $60 from her, the robber noticed the McCain bumper sticker on her car and became enraged. The man hit her in the back of the head, knocked her to the ground and began punching and kicking her. He threatened her with the knife at her throat, finally carving a letter “B” in her cheek. During the attack he reportedly shouted “you are one of those McCain people,” making the political motivation of the attack clear. The attacker was described as African-American and about 6′ 4″ tall with a medium build.

Both John McCain and Sarah Palin have called Ms. Todd with their sympathies and support. A spokeswoman for the Obama campaign in Pittsburgh said that they “hope that the person who perpetrated this crime is swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.”

Todd is one of 50 college Republicans working for the McCain campaign and is maintaining a blog of her experiences on the campaign trail. The picture to the right appears to be her based on photos from her blog and shows her with a backwards “B” on her cheek and a black eye. Its provenance is unknown.

In response to claims from pro-Obama bloggers that the story is fabricated and that she mutilated herself, Todd has offered to take a lie-detector test administered by the police. Police will also be viewing ATM video footage to verify her report and attempt to identify the attacker.

http://www.fontcraft.com/rod/?p=615

[underpants]

57. Hell Rorie got 200 hours for stealing a yacht!

:shrug:

[Gwendolyn]

59. Actually, at the same time this loser did her deed, wasn't it the same time that Muslim girl...

...in some Chicago suburb, halted an entire university with her claims that some Nazi group attacked her because she was muslim? Falsely. Which punishment do you want that is amenable to all, and what's so bad about our society that people need to feel like they "belong" to some group?

What do you think the girl who stopped an entire university community with her false racist shit should get? If nothing, then this one, nothing either. I would've hoped for both to be punished, but they get the same!. Nothing.

[BlooInBloo]

81. (shrug) That's what you get when you have the foxes guarding the henhouse...

I'm shocked she got *anything*, frankly.