Land of Oz

Not Me

Fredrick News-Post:

"I was set up in the worst way," Biggs said of one witness who came forward, a co-defendant in another case.

Key pieces of evidence recovered by the Thurmont Police Department during a search of Biggs' residence more than two months after the crime included the two ski masks worn by the robbers, surveillance equipment including footage of the holdup and a cell phone taken from one of the Blockbuster employees.

Biggs is an admitted cocaine and heroin addict convicted of 10 felonies and 13 misdemeanors in the past. On Monday, he acknowledged his lengthy criminal history, but denied any involvement in the 10:45 p.m. robbery Dec. 18, 2005, at the business at 224 N. Church St.

There were two people who robbed the BlockBuster store at gunpoint tying the employees up with duct tape after the theft. The judge, by the way, sentenced Biggs to 25 years saying, "The evidence was very strong, ... You have a terrible record." Can anyone think of a better justification for the "three strikes and your life" sentencing program. This guy is working on multiple innings, let alone strikes. Why on earth is the hood still running around after 10 felony convictions (I'm sure there were some he wasn't convicted off). How long before he kills someone? Wasn't 23 arrests enough to put this guy away for good? Think of the poor kids in BlockBuster - it's just lucky they weren't shot.

On a whole different topic - well, not wholly different, we really need to get our crimes in order here. Why on earth does smoking some dope or charging for sex get you slammed into the slammer when there's people out there using guns and duct tape to get what they want? No doubt Biggs was stealing to pay for his habit. You can't tell me it would be worse if he could go down to the local government's Human Services office or whatever and buy some "safe" coke for a government controlled price. The twenties prohibition led to organized crime taking control of whole cities over booze, and now the new prohibition is letting it happen all over again.