I love all the mitigating factors the attorney mentions, however, no one is above the law. Should he get a reduced sentence, based on a clerical error, given that he has been productive in society? I'm leaning that way. Given that he lied to his wife about his background prior to marriage is a strike against rehabilitation. 13 years reduced to 3 years would be fair, IMO. If you really want a kick, look up the Texas death penalty scheme on being a future danger to society.

@abisho1: I fail to understand how the clerical error or him being productive in society gives him the right to serve a reduced sentence or none at all . I thought we were all suppose to be productive & I don't think anyone else is getting any rewards for doing so . I think people that go out & murder people are productive. They have jobs & they pay taxes . When this guy was sentenced I don't think if he had a job or went to church was ever given consideration . He was standing in this court room for armed robbery. He broke the law & it was determined that he go to prison for 13 yrs .

Considering that HE has known the entire time that he had a conviction & sentence hanging over him; He surely suspected all along that it might catch up to him. The is no doubt in my mind that he will serve only a very small fraction of the sentence and could most likely petition the court for a reduced sentence successfully - but considering all - I don't feel sorry for him.

After 13 years this guy managed to rehabilitate himself?He committed a crime- Armed Robbery(with a weapon)
He didn't necessarily learn to the tell the truth. Hey, Mr. Court, you forgot to sentence me!
He learned to blend in with society to avoid being caught. I am not sure if that is called rehab.
He lied to his wife. He was a convicted felon, mentoring kids(have a job with kids) So if someone committed murder and the clerk made an error....should we let that person go, too. As long as he/she doesn't get in trouble again.If he was really rehabilitated, then he would have gone to the court and informed them of the mistake. Con-artist is what we use to call them.

This man has been his own probation officer and has done a pretty good job, imo. He did not skip out or assume a new identity - he was available to be picked up and taken to prison as far as I am aware anyway. And he became a productive citizen. I won't feel sorry for him if he has to go to prison but I don't think he is a threat to society. I am more about protecting society and redemption than punishment.

The man, his attorney as well as the bonding entity were all party to this appeal to the conviction. At some point each of them became aware that the process had stalled. While the State of Missouri has primary responsibility for allowing this to fall through the cracks, these others are not without fault. We have a convicted armed robber who has appealed his conviction. Allow this appeal to move through the legal system and let the evidence determine what should transpire.

@Undecided: It comes down to is it fair. How will other cases be treated going forward. This should not be a case on rehabilitation. But he committed a crime and was sentenced. He was not waiting for a sentence. He knew he would need to serve the sentence. How do we know the clerk wasn't in on it? JMO, a real honest man would have come forward. That is how we would know he has been rehabilitated.

I don't know what I think. I see it both ways.

@757beach: I do not disagree, Beach. I allowed myself the luxury of ignoring the legalities and just stating my opinion. I honestly don't know if I would have turned myself in if I were in that situation.

@757beach: I think you said it much better then I did & I feel the same way . And of course he was living a ( LIE ) each & every day .

I say give him credit for his good behavior and just make him speak to prisoners and troubled youth about turning his life around. This man never got in trouble with the law since, started a successful business, and was an active member in his community. Does anyone here think he would be able to accomplish these things if he was just getting out of a 13 year prison sentence? Most probably he would be living off of the government and back to the criminal life he knew before going in. Then he just end up like all the other repeat offenders returning to jail.

@daddyo9:
THat is the code of the street daddy. You have to start your own business because you can't pass a background check. He knew that.

@757beach: I figured that was why he went that route. He also could have returned to crime instead which probably would have been easier but he didn't. I'm just saying that there can't be very many people who go to jail and turn their life around as well as he did. Is it fair. No. But prison is also suppose to be about rehabilitation which doesn't seem to need.

@757beach: Gerald Treace says & I quote justice is what the jury says it is . I have not read his case but we have laws & I believe they must be upheld . If a jury or judge finds a person guilty their is a price to be paid & I'd be pretty **** off if he had a gun in my face , & the court slapped his hand . To threaten a life & then just have to do some community work ? To me that says what he did was not bad . What if he pointed the gun at a 2 yr old child would that deserve prison time ? For me a life is a life & he threatened a life , now that is not a nice guy in my book .

Who said the justice system is uniformly fair?I believe the drunk driving rich kid 'serving time' in a posh 'rehab' center after running over and killing people on the side of the road will be a huge threat to public safety when he is released from his current residence. Money gets you off in many cases - at least temporarily.