Thursday, June 22, 2006

People v. Misa (Cal. Ct. App. - June 21, 2006)

Vince Misa hits Kevin Hoock -- hard -- once with a golf club, striking his head (apparently because Hoock had allegedly stolen some of Misa's property after using methamphetamine with him). After Hoock falls to the ground, Misa softly pokes Hoock with the golf club several times, screaming things like "You don't steal from me or my old lady." And doesn't call 911 because he's worried -- entirely accurately -- that he'll get in trouble if he does. Around four or five hours later, after Misa leaves, Hoock eventually gets taken to the hospital.

That's the crime. For which Misa gets convicted of torture under Section 206 of the Penal Code. And, on that basis, sentenced to life in prison. A sentence which was then doubled under the Three Strikes Law. (So I guess Misa has to spend two lives in prison. Talk about bad karma.)

Justice McIntyre affirms. It's torture, he says. Torture. Not a result you'd necessarily intuit, eh?