Pick Your Poison: Prison Or Packers? (Wizbang)

A Judge's sentence offers a "get out of jail free card" to a Wisconsin woman convicted of theft. Of course there's a catch...

A judge ordered an Appleton, Wisconsin woman convicted of theft to decide whether to spend 90 days in jail or donate her family's Packers tickets next season to charity.

Sharon Rosenthal, 59, of Appleton, was sentenced last week in Winnebago County Circuit Court. The criminal complaint states that Rosenthal had taken money totaling more than $3,000 from labor union accounts before leaving the organization's membership. The check transactions were later discovered. She withdrew money from the union in order to help pay household bills, the complaint says.

While Rosenthal told police financial hardship was an issue, she and her husband managed to maintain the cost of four tickets to the Packers' three-game Gold season-ticket package. Rosenthal argued that the tickets were her husband's rather than hers. Judge Scott Woldt nonetheless offered her the choice to either serve the jail time or donate the 12 tickets for the upcoming season to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Stay tuned for her decision...

Update (4/27 - 7PM): Sean Hackbarth says a Milwaukee news radio station is reporting Sharon Rosenthal is giving up the Packers tickets.

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Comments (20)

How come some people can't ... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by Jim | April 26, 2005 2:08 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Jim:

How come some people can't tell the difference between luxuries and neccessities?

I know that when I was sick and we had money problems, we didn't go out spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on luxuries....

Posted on April 26, 2005 14:08

If you think that's bad, ch... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by Raina | April 26, 2005 2:30 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Raina:

If you think that's bad, check out this website of a panhander where you can go to pay off her overdue direct TV bill.

Posted on April 26, 2005 14:30

Packers eh. Should be locke... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by Rob Hackney | April 26, 2005 2:37 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Rob Hackney:

Packers eh. Should be locked up just for her POOR TASTE.

Posted on April 26, 2005 14:37

How does contributing the t... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by dodgeman | April 26, 2005 2:51 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

dodgeman:

How does contributing the tickets to a charity reimburse the accounts she stole from? I'm of the opinion that if a thief is convicted, part of the sentence should be restitution.

I know that leads to a paupers prison scenario, but as a card-carrying republican I firmly believe that's where paupers belong. Now excuse me while I go look up pauper in the dictionary.

Posted on April 26, 2005 14:51

Hey! Packers tickets are a ... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by wyguy | April 26, 2005 2:53 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

wyguy:

Hey! Packers tickets are a necessity! Food, clothing and shelter are not!

Posted on April 26, 2005 14:53

What makes anyone think the... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by Timmer | April 26, 2005 3:08 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Timmer:

What makes anyone think the husband is going to give up his seat? None of you have family in Wisconsin do you?

Posted on April 26, 2005 15:08

He doesn't have to give up ... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by McGehee | April 26, 2005 3:25 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

McGehee:

He doesn't have to give up his seat. He'll just have to find a way to sneak into the stadium without a ticket.

Posted on April 26, 2005 15:25

My bet: The husband will ha... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by slim999 | April 26, 2005 3:30 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

slim999:

My bet: The husband will have her in that jail quicker'd you can say: "Wide right, on 3. BREAK."

Posted on April 26, 2005 15:30

dodgemanThe story ... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by Darleen | April 26, 2005 3:33 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Darleen:

dodgeman

The story isn't clear, but I believe the tickets in lieu of jail time is only part of the sentence. Restitution is usually a separate term. It's similar to people doing X-hours of community service in lieu of jail and they still have their fine, probation and any restitution.

I have to give kudos to the judge, this is the sting that will drive home embezzling for "necessities" actually is gonna cost you what you hold dear.

Posted on April 26, 2005 15:33

Packers tickets are necessi... (Below threshold)

10. Posted by flaime | April 26, 2005 3:34 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

flaime:

Packers tickets are necessities! If you live in Green Bay, anyway.

Posted on April 26, 2005 15:34

Prison or Packers: The form... (Below threshold)

11. Posted by Scott Ferguson | April 26, 2005 3:41 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Scott Ferguson:

Prison or Packers: The former leads to the latter.

Judge: "Thirty days, or thirty dollars."
Bum: "Your honor, I'll take the thirty dollars!"

Posted on April 26, 2005 15:41

Prison, definitely. I'd tak... (Below threshold)

12. Posted by Rodney Dill | April 26, 2005 4:03 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Rodney Dill:

Prison, definitely. I'd take 30+ years to get season tickets back again. Last season they had a piece on someone that had just gotten season tickets, that had been added to the list in 1970.

Posted on April 26, 2005 16:03

I think the judge let her o... (Below threshold)

13. Posted by wavemaker | April 26, 2005 5:09 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

wavemaker:

I think the judge let her off easy! She stole workers' money for crissakes! It's a serious federal offense to steal union dues money.

Is this one of the "grave instances of judicial activism" I've been hearing about?

Posted on April 26, 2005 17:09

As a former Wisconsite, I <... (Below threshold)

14. Posted by TallDave | April 26, 2005 5:45 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

TallDave:

As a former Wisconsite, I guarantee she is going to jail.

Posted on April 26, 2005 17:45

She better make up her mind... (Below threshold)

15. Posted by Sean Hackbarth | April 26, 2005 11:05 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Sean Hackbarth:

She better make up her mind soon. Training camp isn't that far away.

Posted on April 26, 2005 23:05

She would have to pry those... (Below threshold)

16. Posted by McCain | April 26, 2005 11:33 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

McCain:

She would have to pry those tickets from her husband's cold dead hands. What red-blooded American male could pass up getting away from the wife, hanging out with a buddy, drinking for hours, and cursing all game without fear of scolding? Sure, dinner would be a problem, but that's why they invented pizza. And since she can watch on TV from jail, it's a total win-win for all concerned parties.

Posted on April 26, 2005 23:33

can you imagine? all this f... (Below threshold)

17. Posted by fatman | April 27, 2005 3:39 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

fatman:

can you imagine? all this fuss over Packers tickets.

now, if they were Steelers tickets...

Posted on April 27, 2005 03:39

She stole from the union...... (Below threshold)

18. Posted by Jim in Texas | April 27, 2005 10:23 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Jim in Texas:

She stole from the union....I can't seem to get beyond that concept. She stole from the union.

Isn't that like stealing silverware from the Titanic??

Posted on April 27, 2005 10:23

Depends -- before it sank, ... (Below threshold)

19. Posted by McGehee | April 27, 2005 12:13 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Depends -- before it sank, or after?

Posted on April 27, 2005 12:13

The Titanic SANK!??!? THAT ... (Below threshold)

20. Posted by Jim in Texas | April 27, 2005 1:13 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

The Titanic SANK!??!? THAT explains why my Grandmother's first fiancee never showed up for the wedding.

I gotta get a radio or newspaper subscription or something.

Posted on April 27, 2005 13:13

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