Life sentence for robbery with a water pistol

[Neil]

Interesting (& depressing) story from Viva Frei...

[JDP]

What if the water pistol was loaded with nitroglycerin, or lava, or the blood of a Xenomorph? A toy turned into a deadly weapon (and not just for the people it is pointed at)

[Mike70]

Important distinction in the law of most US states. Ohio does not give a rat's ass if something is a toy or not. There are probably folks locked up here on long sentences for using toys. What is important here is the perception of the victim. If you point a toy gun at someone during a robbery and they think it's real, you're hit. If you intimidate someone with a toy gun, you're hit just as if it was a real one. The intentions of the perpetrator don't matter. Victim thought it was real, the perpetrator presented it as a real weapon. Case closed. ZERO discussion.

[Neil]

Important distinction in the law of most US states. Ohio does not give a rat's ass if something is a toy or not. There are probably folks locked up here on long sentences for using toys. What is important here is the perception of the victim. If you point a toy gun at someone during a robbery and they think it's real, you're hit. If you intimidate someone with a toy gun, you're hit just as if it was a real one. The intentions of the perpetrator don't matter. Victim thought it was real, the perpetrator presented it as a real weapon. Case closed. ZERO discussion. Did you actually watch it...? Because if you think a life sentence, with no chance for parole, for $260 dollars stolen at plastic gun point, is sensible, and indeed instead has nothing to do with the damage the individual in question caused the corrupt system, then... ps: People get (a lot) less time for murder (using a real gun).