A woman who killed an 87-year-old Broadway vocal coach by pushing her to the ground in New York City pleaded guilty Wednesday and will be sentenced to eight years in prison, the district attorney said.

Lauren Pazienza, now 28, shoved Barbara Maier Gustern to the ground from behind in the Chelsea neighborhood on March 10, 2022, officials said at the time.

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39 points

Eight years in state prison is an extremely light sentence? I’d hate to know what would be considered severe in your world.

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12 points

I always found the thought alone scary. Imagine losing one year of your life locked up. Everything around you would just ‘move past’ while you’re caged in. Now imagine eight years of your past life and how much happened in that time and what you would have missed.

I don’t think any country should have lifelong (timely unlimited) sentences, they’re incredibly cruel, maybe worse than death.

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12 points

Yeah, I think prison should be reserved for people who are an immediate danger to society. She probably qualifies, but I’d say that any continued imprisonment should be determined by a parole board, including a professional psychologist or something.

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3 points

that’s exactly what i am saying lol.
prison should be used much more conservitavely and be seen as a measure to protect the victim/public, not to punish the perpetrator.

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4 points

We actually did have a ruling like that in Germany, so our highest available punishment, “lifelong” prison sentences aren’t what the name implies. They are long, always more than 15 years and usually above 20, but eventually you get out.

There is another measure available to keep people locked up indefinitely, “Sicherheitsverwahrung”, which keeps getting extended if they are considered to remain a large threat to society. But it’s not supposed to be a punishment, so they get more commodities at least.

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2 points

There is another measure available to keep people locked up indefinitely, “Sicherheitsverwahrung”

Jesus, that word should get locked up indefinitely

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9 points

She gets to have a life after those 8 years. The woman she killed doesnt. Her family never gets to see her again. She’s GONE because of this bitch and there’s no bringing her back.

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17 points

You clearly have no idea what life with a serious criminal record is like if you think she’s going to be able to just pick up where she left off when she gets out (nevermind the lost 8 years).

Don’t get me wrong, what she did was fucked up, but an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, and it sounds like the only sentence you’d have been happy with is more or less life in prison. She didn’t set out to kill this lady, even in the heat of the moment. It’s beyond fucked up to shove an old lady in any case, and every single day of those 8 years is well earned, but I don’t agree that it’s light.

As a society we need to get over this idea that the goal of prison is to punish the perpetrators. The point should be to rehabilitate them so that when they get out they can be decent law abiding, productive members of society. A person rotting in prison for the rest of their life does nothing but waste tax dollars and cause misery. A person rehabilitated can go on to make the world a tiny bit better, and maybe even help someone else from going down the same fucked up path she did.

Its a fact that countries whose prison systems are centered around rehabilitation have lower repeat offender rates

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1 point

Thank you, someone in these comments who’s rational and not just out for blood ffs

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-4 points

Her family is wealthy, she’ll be fine when she gets out. If we were using an eye for an eye she’d be executed.

As for rehabilitation, there are 8 billion people on this planet. We can afford to dump the shitty ones in dark hole for the rest of their lives. There’s more than enough good people that need help and aren’t getting it those resources could go to.

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8 points
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5 points

It would depend on circumstance I suppose. This woman straight up attacked the victim for no reason. That’s good enough for me.

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5 points

And imprisoning someone else for any length of time won’t change that.

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1 point

It will prevent her from ever doing anything like that again and from having a good life like the one she denied the victim and her loved ones.

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2 points

She gets to have a life after those 8 years. The woman she killed doesnt.

Not to defend the crazy spoiled lady, but I don’t think it’s a safe bet that the 87 year old would’ve lived for 8 more years.

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2 points

We’ll never know thanks to the cunt that killed her.

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1 point

She gets to have a life after those 8 years.

Having a life after a criminal conviction in the US is not a thing.

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2 points

I’ve worked with several ex cons. They were doing okay. The last place I worked hired a fucking convicted child molester OF HIS OWN CHILD. If that dude could get a job anyone can.

Her family is well off. She’ll be fine.

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1 point
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