ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 1/6/2010
Posts: 4,761
|
Stranger gave man he met in court $983, avoids Felony charge
Quote:
|
Kindness of a stranger: Man gave young dad he met in courtroom $983 so he could avoid becoming a felon after overhearing he could not afford to pay the fine
|
Quote:
Castor Conley, 27, pleaded guilty to a felony for buying a stolen truck last year that he then sold to another man, who sold it for parts
The deputy DA agreed to classify his charge as a misdemeanor if he paid the trucks' owner $983 - but he could not come up with the money
As attorneys and a judge discussed his case in court in Portland, Oregon last week, another lawyer, Colin M. Murphy, overheard them talking
He said he knew how much a felony could affect future job and housing prospects so he told them he'd pay the money
Conley, who had never met the attorney, became emotional at the offer
|
Castor Conley, left with his wife, was ordered to pay $983 to the owner of a stolen truck in order to avoid a felony but could not pay up.
An attorney, Colin M. Murphy, right, overheard and offered the money
Quote:
A generous attorney who overheard how a defendant could not afford restitution in his theft case has given the young father $983 so he avoids becoming a felon.
Colin M. Murphy was sitting in Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland, Oregon last Thursday as he waited for his case, when he heard lawyers and the judge discussing Castor Conley's predicament.
Conley, a 27-year-old married father of a 17-month-old girl, paid $150 to $200 for a stolen Nissan truck last year and then sold it for $275 to another buyer, who in turn sold its parts, authorities said.
The defendant, who had one other conviction for a fourth-degree assault in 2011, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, but the deputy district attorney agreed for it to be classified as a misdemeanor if he paid $983 to the owner of the truck,
|
Quote:
The vehicle's owner, Shawn Stratton, also lost camping equipment that was inside the car, as well as hundreds of dollars to cover his insurance deductible.
But Conley said he was unable to pay the money.
|
Quote:
Failing to pay the sum meant that the plea deal would fall through and he would be convicted of a felony.
Murphy, who has never met Conley before, said he knows how much a felony can affect employment and housing prospects. He said he felt the court simply wanted to compensate the truck's original owner while not overly penalizing the defendant.
|
Arrested: Conley admitted to buying a stolen truck for $150-$200 and then selling it for $275 last year
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz3N1XZRXlL
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
 So many times Lawyers get so much bad reputation and hate! Good job!
|
|
|
|
what about the victim? 
The money was directed to the wrong person.
I mean, if you had no other way to pay off court fines in time and some rich, white lawyer offered to do it himself you would reject his offer? It's better than being charged as a felon and having your life effectively ruined from here on out. Especially over a case as stupid and pointless as this.
