John Lott's Website: Entrapment?: OK, I confess that I have some sympathy for this clerk

Well, she LOOKED 21 anyway, maybe older, and what's more the clerk at the small store in this Coos County town says he was much distracted by what he called the young lady's scanty attire. So distracted, he said, that he didn't see the "Minor until 2007" stamped on her driver's license. She got the six-pack, and store owner David Cardwell got a $1,320 fine. The clerk had to pay $750.

Cardwell is hollering "Entrapment," "Draconian" and more.

Rather than pay, Cardwell says, he will take the alternative and close the store for a week. He says it doesn't make that much in a week in any case.

His clerk had been stung by an Oregon Liquor Control Commission decoy sent to test for underage sales.

His two clerks will be jobless until June 7.

Cardwell is not denying his employee erred, but says it was hardly fair.

"This young woman was dressed in very provocative clothing more suited for the bedroom," Cardwell said in a letter to the OLCC. "I would not allow my daughter to leave the house dressed in such a way." . . . .

1 Comments:

saturdaynightspecial said...: Yes, it was a severe fine; but I have to wonder about people these days where sting operations are becoming so common place and extensive. Cameras seem to be everywhere; some cameras have highly efficient microphones. I trust no one and I feel like I'm always being watched. Police are trying to move up, many are criminals themselves (many are not) and will violate the Constitution to acquire knowledge to make a bust to get a promotion.

I'm amazed people are still willing to commit crime given the technology to catch criminals. In this case she could have worn a camera that could have filmed the entire event.

When I read about escalating crime in England, a place with thousands of security cameras, I'm amazed.; 6/01/2006 5:58 PM