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Prosecutor says gunman's 10 years in prison reflects real world
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Joseph Patrick Lamoureux
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
When Fifth District Judge Robert Lane announced the maximum sentence Tuesday of nearly 10 years for troubled Iraq War veteran Joseph Patrick Lamoureux, he was implying that in the real world of today's overcrowded prisons, minimum sentences turn out to be the maximums that many felons serve.
That's according to Nye County Chief Prosecutor Kirk Vitto who sought and was granted consecutive maximum terms for Lamoureux who agreed to plea guilty to two felonies -- battery and assault with a deadly weapon -- and a gross misdemeanor of discharging a weapon during a Sept. 19, 2008, shooting spree at Terrible's Lakeside RV Park in Pahrump that wounded sheriff's Deputy Eric Murphy.
"The judge was explaining that even if given the maximum of 22 years, he would probably serve substantially less based upon the information he has received from NDOC (Nevada Department of Corrections)," Vitto wrote in an e-mail Wednesday.
At the end of Lamoureux's sentencing hearing, the judge said, "If I were to give him 9½ years, the maximum sentence he could receive today, he will probably serve about six of it? Five and a half, six years. Minus the three years credit for time served, he could be getting out in 3½ years hypothetically, three to 3½ years if he gets the maximum sentence today.
"And that's not bad for shooting a cop and almost killing him and shooting at a bunch of other people. So even the maximum sentence that Mr. Vitto is arguing for today, may not necessarily be what some people in this courtroom think is just for what he did."
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Either you are ok with the risk of being a victim and not sending them to prison or paying to keep them locked up. Prison is not a deterrent to criminal activity it is a place to keep them until they are released to back to society. Most first time felony convictions do not end up going to prison. A majority of the time it is after their 3rd or 4th felony. At least he is going to prison and when he is out after serving 1/2 of his sentence he will be older and might decide that it is not worth it. Lamoureux thank you for your service however shoot a cop you should go to prison.
Doesn't matter that he's a Vet, so am I. He's violent and CANNOT BE REFORMED. Anyone with the mindset that it's OK to physically harm another CANNOT BE FREE AMONGST US, EVER.