Beloved teacher sentenced to 26 years for what, exactly?

Alleged to have asked two boys to "stick their hands in his pockets in search of a wallet," 29-year-old Shane Vicars, with no criminal history, but surrounded by a crowd of supporters and dozens of letters of support, was sentenced to 26 years for "child molestation."

Deputy District Attorney Shauna Franklin, however, redefined the alleged pocket-search as "substantial sexual conduct" -- and Judge Emily E. Vasquez more than agreed.

According to the Sacramento Bee, "a large crowd" packed a Sacramento courtroom on Friday to support Shane Adair Vicars, who they refused to believe was guilty of allegations from an angry family that Vicars "took little boys in the Sierra Oaks after-school program to secluded spots on campus, gave them candy and had them stick their hands in his pockets in search of a wallet that he said got stuck." Nonetheless, while "defense attorney Shannon Baker sought probation and a county jail term that would have had him released" Judge Vasquez apparently thought her 26-year sentence was lenient (rather than the max term of 32 years), and that she'd settled on her lenient sentence  "because of Vicars' previous standing as a productive citizen and because of his lack of a prior criminal record."

Proof, again, that Sacramento County DAs and Judges are absolutely batshit crazy where child molestation cases are concerned. Note that the man who murdered his mother via 70+ stab wounds, sentenced just last week, will likely be eligible for parole before Vicars.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/07/5714540/crowd-supports-ex-teacher-at-his.html#storylink=cpy

Read more at the Bee.

Man murders his mother with 70+ stab wounds, is sentenced to 16 years to life

Judge John P. Winn imposed the term on Angelo Wright, who inflicted over 70 "sharp force" injuries on his mother, "who had told a friend she suspected her son of stealing jewelry from her and that she intended to question him about it."

Woman receives 10 years for murder of another woman on "drug-troubled Loucreta Drive"

A South Sacramento woman gets 10 years for the fatal shooting of a 38-year-old woman. Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Grippi calls plea bargain on the manslaughter count a "reasonable resolution of the case"--perhaps because it occurred on what SacBee calls "drug-troubled Loucreta Drive."