Woman gets no jail time for GR arson (Burns house with kids inside)

MLive.com ^ | February 26, 2008 | Chronicle News Service

[MaryFromMichigan]

She torched her home with her family inside to get the insurance money, avoid foreclosure and be with a new boyfriend, authorities said.
But that was not enough to make Sheryl Christman see any jail time for the potential 20-year felony.

[MaryFromMichigan]

Just a couple items from the article-

"A thousand hours of community service is a lot of community service," the judge said.

No one made a victim's impact statement, and Christman remains married.

This same judge recently sentenced an officer, also convicted of arson, to five to 20 years in prison. The judge cited the officer's "betrayal of trust."

[wideawake]

So apolice officer, who set his house on fire with no one inside in order to steal money from an insurance company for his family, gets hard time.

A civilian, who set her house on fire with people inside in order to steal money from an insurance company to bankroll her adulterous affair, gets community service.

I hope all the FReepers who routinely assert that police get slapped on the wrist while civilians get the book thrown at them look at this case.

Anti-police leftists don't just post on FR - they also sit on the bench.

[Bulldawg Fan]

Bingo, but the anti police crowd on Free Republic will chuckle over the outcome of this case vs the outcome of the cop case.

[TNCMAXQ]

Next time she’ll probably kill someone. Then people will ask “why did the system fail?!”

[JOAT]

Sheesh. That’s why it’s called a legal system and should NEVER be referred to as a ‘justice’ system.

[Shigarian]

The police officer was a man. This arsonist is a woman. Sadly, that probably explains the difference in sentencing right there. Women love to complain about the “pay gap”, but the “punishment gap” in their favor is never mentioned.

[Catholic Canadian]

Whenever a woman commits a violent crime in Canada, it is generally chalked up to postpartum depression or pms and all is fine. Women don’t commit violent crimes in Canada without good reason you know.

[misterrob]

There are some folks who are anti-police and then there are some who just don’t like the cops that abuse the rights of citizens. We wouldn’t need cops if people just followed the damned rules of society.

[gridlock]

The house was four days from foreclosure and Christman said she had tried to file for bankruptcy. She had a plan for the insurance money but her boyfriend, wearing a wire, busted her while working with the authorities.

If you are going to do something this stupid, don't compound the stupidity by talking to somebody else about it!

[wideawake]

What's particularly disgusting about it is that this woman obviously intended to murder her husband and children so she could run away with her boyfriend.

There is no point in setting a fire that only damages, not destroys, one's home - the insurance proceeds are smaller and have to be used to repair the home, otherwise the township will condemn the property.

She obviously was trying to murder her family and premeditatedly so.

[JOAT]

Bingo, but the anti police crowd on Free Republic will chuckle over the outcome of this case vs the outcome of the cop case.

Quite possibly the most ridiculous post I've seen on FR in years.

People who fear police abuse don't 'chuckle' when injustice occurs, quite the opposite.

That is the very reason they are motivated to criticize police power abuse in the first place.

[gridlock]

I am all for punishing all lawbreakers, whether or not they are police officers. How’s that!

I will say, however, that police officers have a greater duty to follow the law since they are sworn to do so.

[TYVets]

I am glad it was not a Hate Crime.

[MaryFromMichigan]

Next time she’ll probably kill someone. Then people will ask “why did the system fail?!”

Gotta pray for the safety of these kids.
Since the Dad is, at the moment, anyway, standing by her, I would think the kids are still staying at home with her.

Can't imagine how scared and confused they must be.

[pandoraou812]

Very true. However I am glad she was so stupid at least she was caught. Too bad there was such a stupid judge in this case. She deserves to go to jail for long time & work out her issues behind bars.

[thulldud]

She had a plan for the insurance money but her boyfriend, wearing a wire, busted her while working with the authorities.

Did this boyfriend understand that what she would do to her family, she would someday do to him?

It appears that he did.

[Rick.Donaldson]

Bingo, but the anti police crowd on Free Republic will chuckle over the outcome of this case vs the outcome of the cop case.

You're full of $h!t too.

There is not an "anti-police" crowd here. There people who are opposed to law enforcement being anything other than what they are, CITIZENS. They have no special rights.

On the other hand, this woman should go to jail if she did that like any arsonist, and if anyone was injured or killed then worse charges.

[laotzu]

the anti police crowd on Free Republic will chuckle

Yeah, fellow Americans suck...and Freepers are the worst.

I'm just glad there is someone pleasant enough to say it.

[wideawake]

Yeah, fellow Americans suck...and Freepers are the worst.

Americans are the best people in the world, and FReepers are some of the best Americans.

There is unfortunately a certain group of FReepers, small but vocal, who have a very twisted notion of what America and conservatism are supposed to be about.

These bad apples do not spoil the whole barrel. But they do their best.

[laotzu]

It wasn’t really necessary of me to add a sarcasm tag, was it?