In the state of Ohio, getting charged with assault from something like a bar fight can land you in jail for up to 180 days. This isn't a felony charge, so it's got to be less than a year locked up, but six months is a pretty hefty sentence.
Sure, most people get less than that, particularly for a first offense, but the penalty exists because lawmakers figured it was warranted.
Yet a fight is something many of us have engaged in at some time or another, generally when we were younger--though some do fight for fun and profit, but that fighting typically has rules and the only penalty is losing.
Now, another crime is dealing firearms without a license. Sometimes, people cross a line that they didn't know existed, but far more often people accused of this knew exactly what they were doing.
Back in June, six men were convicted of arming numerous felons.
One of those men, 21-year-old Jadden Bedell, got a whole day in jail.
A Cleveland man who helped illegally bring more than 100 guns to northern Ohio was sentenced Tuesday to one day in jail.
Jadden Bedell, 21, is one of six men charged in the scheme that brought dozens of guns to felons, some of whom used them in shootings. He previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to deal firearms without a license.
U.S. District Judge Michael Watson sentenced Bedell on Tuesday in Columbus to three years on probation and to pay a $1,000 fine.
Bedell is the last to be sentenced in the case that involved two central Ohio men who bought the guns legally, then turned around and sold them illegally to Bedell and two other gun traffickers from Cleveland and one from Rochester, New York. The sales took place in early 2022.
In total, 114 firearms were trafficked and quite a number of them apparently turned up at crime scenes. This is someone who took part in a scheme meant to arm felons who couldn't get guns lawfully.
This bothers me because these are the crime statistics used to justify taking our right to keep and bear arms away. These aren't lawful gun sales, but we're blamed for the actions of criminals.
So why did Bedell get just a day in jail? I mean, three years probation isn't nothing, but this was a serious offense. One day in jail seems light.
Well, it's because of pity, apparently.
Bedell faced significant obstacles in his life, both prosecutors and his defense attorney wrote in pre-hearing arguments.
He was consistently bullied in school over his learning disabilities and had been taken advantage of by so-called friends. Once he was robbed at gunpoint by a member of the Heartless Felons who pretended to befriend him.
I. Don't. Care.
I was bullied in school and I have learning disabilities. At no point would that justify me arming over 100 felons in violation of federal law.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Bedell had a rough life. I'm sure he had obstacles I can't even imagine. So did a lot of other people, though, and they're not committing felonies, either.
What's done is done, unfortunately, and I doubt we'll see any real justice in this case.
What I don't want to hear is anyone involved in this sentencing saying jack squat about gun control going forward. They had a chance to punish a convicted gun trafficker and they leveled the proverbial slap on the wrist. A light slap at that.
Guns aren't the issue and never have been, but criminals are the problem. Them getting a pass because they had a tough life doesn't make a lick of sense, especially when you're seeing people use the actions of criminals to regulate the behavior of the law-abiding.
To say I'm disgusted is an understatement.
