Ann Arbor teenager must pay more than $19,000 for graffiti
An Ann Arbor teenager will have to pay more than $19,000 in restitution for spray painting properties owned by Republic Parking and an Ann Arbor man, according to a judge’s ruling.
Jacob Saalberg
Courtesy of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office
Jacob Saalberg, who was 17 when charged in March, will do two years of probation and has to pay $19,319.92 in restitution to Rob Cleveland and Republic Parking for vandalizing their properties. He also has to pay $3,105 in court costs and fines, according to Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Archie Brown’s ruling during a sentencing hearing on Wednesday.
Washtenaw County Assistant Prosecutor Dianna Collins said Saalberg was not remorseful for his actions and told investigators he had spray painted the buildings because he thought it would be fun.
“It will be interesting to see how well, or how poorly, he adjusts to probation,” she said.
Saalberg was sentenced under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act for one count of malicious destruction of property worth more than $1,000 but less than $20,000. The Holmes Youthful Trainee Act means the conviction will be erased from his criminal history should he successfully complete probation. He is on track to graduate from high school this year.
Saalberg also was sentenced to two years of probation on two counts of possession of analogues during the sentencing hearing. He was given a 7411 agreement, which means that if he successfully completes probation, there will be no public record of the conviction.
Saalberg chose not to make a statement to Brown before he was sentenced, but his attorney Lynn Dorio said he had offered to clean Cleveland’s building at 220 Felch St. or work for him in order to pay off the restitution, but an agreement could not be reached.
She said Saalberg is indeed remorseful for his crimes and tried to work out an agreement with Cleveland before sentencing because he thought it would be the easiest way to resolve the situation. She said he is a talented artist, but made a young person’s mistake.
“That’s a logical explanation from a teenager, that he thought it was fun,” she said. “If he was a few years older, that would be unacceptable.”
Brown said he and Dorio could have a “long debate” about whether the mind of a 17-year-old could determine if it was right or wrong to vandalize a building.
He told Saalberg that the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act is not an opportunity to be wasted, even saying he had a few reservations about giving Saalberg the chance to erase the conviction from his record. However, he made his thoughts on the incident clear.
“You damaged property, sir,” Brown said.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 8:01 p.m.
A message for the perpetrator: You seem to be saying your actions in this case, or some other, were justifiable some sort of protest. Perhaps you'd care to do the adult thing now and enlighten us with a opinion piece in this publication? I'm guessing they would welcome that. This would be a good way to start your new ways,
Cendra Lynn
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 7:58 p.m.
Much ado about nothing. I enjoy graffiti. Just saw a beautiful example today, but I guess I dare not say where. I'm still hoping the guys with the stencils will come back and put LIONEL on the train trestle over Washington St. Chacon a son gout!
nickcarraweigh
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 7:40 p.m.
Congratulations, thanks to this ludicrous sentence we're all now responsible for this kid for years to come. Fines and costs are about 13 months of full-time employment at $10 an hour, which is a good wage for a 17-year old. Roll in living expenses, like food and taxes, and either paying it off will take years or his parents will foot the bill. Meanwhile, he's unlikely to be removed from probation.
GoNavy
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 5:02 p.m.
Excellent decision by the judge.
Al
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 5:01 p.m.
How is this an appropriate punishment? His parents will end up paying the majority of the fine and he will learn little to nothing about the repercussions of his actions.
harry
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 5:04 p.m.
If it was my kid I wouldn't pay a penny. Get a job start paying it back.
a2susan
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 4:58 p.m.
Over the years I have known many boys ( there are probably girls too, just that I have sons) who have done stupid things and gone on to be perfectly respectable and productive young men. There is just something about those teenage years where the brain is not fully developed and poor judgment is made. Fortunately most grow out of that phase.
LXIX
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 4:56 p.m.
Mom maybe his advisor but where is his male role model called dad? Such a large monetary fine would have been aimed directly at the parents for their errant responsibility. How many here believe that invading Iraq was the "right" thing to do or maybe "wrong" ?. A clear choice more serious than spray paint. So maybe that moral decision -making process is not so clearcut as some here would have it. How "moral" is Republic Parking? It might matter. He should have been force to work-hard to undo his easy to do crime and been forced to take an art class to test that creative impulse.. The judge basically told the young lad not to worry that in this life cold hard cash will solve all of his problems forever. Too bad.
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 7:38 p.m.
"locally inspired protest message" Libspeak. Sounds like something I'd see on a Occupy sign.
Angry Moderate
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 6:08 p.m.
I wasn't aware that he spray painted a protest message against the DDA and Republic Parking. The article that I read just says that he uses drugs and tags his stupid nickname everywhere.
LXIX
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 5:44 p.m.
Some people like to simplify the concept of "right" and "wrong" and then expect that everyone else should be able to come to the same conclusions as they do. Invading someone else's private property and trashing it is clearly a wrong thing to do - right? Like Iraq. Say Republic Parking runs the town through their stooges in the DDA. All of the decisions at City Hall somehow lead back to the company and there was nothing that the poor citizens can legally do to change that without proof.. Would you then cry foul if some young rebel sprayed his locally inspired protest message ? The point is that right or wrong depends alot upon circumstance. Some people think that the letter of the law decides judgement when in fact it is only a guide and the judge (with or without a jury) is the final "judge" in any case outcome. .
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 5:06 p.m.
"How many here believe that invading Iraq was the 'right' thing to do or maybe 'wrong' ?" "How 'moral' is Republic Parking? " Sorry, there are only thumbs-up or thumbs-down buttons, so I had to reply in order to express this: Huh???
grye
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 4:39 p.m.
He thought it would be fun? Would it be fun for him if someone destroys his property? Of course the analogues wouldn't have caused any confusion about what is right and wrong. That would have been the healthy foods like apples and milk that could a person's judgement.
grye
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 4:40 p.m.
Opps, that would be "would cloud" a person's judgement.
Basic Bob
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 4:12 p.m.
We had a similar case, the Washtenaw prosecutor agreed to a fine equal to our insurance deductible, which we received rather quickly. Everyone moved on and the young man is pursuing his dreams without a large debt around his neck. Why such a large fine in this case? It does not serve to teach anything. Is the insurance company lawyer getting a big check?
Brad
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 4:34 p.m.
It isn't a "fine", it's "restitution" which means to "restore". It is to restore the victim (financially) to his pre-graffiti-boy state.
dwcwork
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 4:06 p.m.
So - my question is: When did he do this graffiti? If he didn't know it was wrong, he would have done it during the day. If he thought it was a wrong thing to do, he would have snuck out at night and done it when he figured he wouldn't get caught. So - when was it?
Kitty O'Brien
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:49 p.m.
Would not be surprised if additional civil suits follow. GEXIR appears all over the city. Even etched into at least one of those glass historical markers. Who's paying for that repair?
PhillyCheeseSteak
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 5:43 p.m.
Is GEXIR Jacob Saalberg's tag? I missed that in both annarbor.com articles.
kate tremel
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:21 p.m.
Jacob's actions were very irresponsible and harmful. He knows this and is learning how bad these decisions were. He is a big boy, who is facing some real adult consequences. He did it because he thought it would be fun, thrilling- he wasn't being hateful or malicious he was just being a really dumb kid thinking only of himself in that moment. I don't agree that he is not remorseful for his actions. He is a good kid who has done some bad things. He has babysat for my children a handful of times over the last few years. He is the kind of kid who would draw pictures for hours with my daughter and sit patiently while she gave him different "hairstyles." When we came home, he would always have tidied up the entire kitchen, washing all the dishes from their dinner leaving things in better order than when he had arrived. He told me that his mom told him that if he did a good job then he might me asked to come back to work again. I feel that if he is going to face the challenge of these consequences, he needs some guidance, not another slap in the face like those on this page. I feel like the comments on this forum and the manner in which his case (as a minor) have been reported in the media have become personal and warranted a personal response. This site is not just in your backyard at your neighbors fence, it is a soapbox in the village square. So I want to say that I believe in the idea that it takes a village to raise a child. I have offered him a modest part-time job as my studio assistant.
Jon Wax
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 7:43 p.m.
there are a couple more fellas almost the same age as this kid listed in other stories about crimes. some of em pretty violent. would you say the same thing about them? or only this kid? be honest! Peace
15crown00
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:19 p.m.
the kid did what he did.the judge did what he did.apparently though there was a bigger issue involved.bets are the kid will see the judge again.
TLBeadle
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 2:58 p.m.
For those of you questioning the integrity of the argument that a 17 year old has difficulty making rational, "moral" decisions.....look at some brain development research before you go spouting off. The brain doesn't fully develop (grow-up) until our mid early/mid 20's, hence executive functioning (e.g. impulse control, reasoning) doesn't consistently kick in until then. So it's a fact that 17 year olds do have great difficulty making decisions. Unfortunately with this young man, there seems to have been a pattern that wasn't interrupted. As to the paint cans found in his house...he's actually an incredible artist and, in part, he uses those supplies for his work. He's created some (legal) fabulous murals around town and some of his work has been exhibited in art shows. Sadly, he also created a lot of damage as well.
say it plain
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 4:05 p.m.
@TLBeadle's comments make me wonder when we're going to get to use fMRI scans in court lol. If there are 'on average' distinctions between the brain-functioning of 17 year olds and 18-20 year olds, then surely factors like age-since-puberty-onset might be relevant as well?! Individual differences in impulse control and/or prefrontal cortex activity?! I'm imagining the changed nature of law if we could make such arguments so very confidently as you do about "the fact" that "...17 year olds have great difficulty making decisions". About, you know, covering other people's property with their expressions. If he did it for the 'thrill', one might easily argue from a neurological perspective, then he sure as heck realized at some level that it was "taboo", no?! Whatever....the kid will be having to make it up, and hopefully his alleged art will be good enough to continue with as a career...then this little detour would be a fun party story someday maybe?!
15crown00
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:22 p.m.
there are thousands of 17 year olds world wide who would never actually DO this type of thing.If u look hard enough you can find some research that will support whatever you're trying to prove.
Jim Osborn
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:17 p.m.
It develops even less when bad behavior is tolerated instead of punished. He should have been made to spend each and every weekend cleaning it up. For 2 long years. In winter months, he can help janitors scrub toilets in schools or some other unpleasant task. Don't allow daddy to pay it for him...
Z-man
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:13 p.m.
Yet we allow 18 year olds into the military where they have to make decisions about when to pull the trigger. By TLBeadle's reasoning, we shouldn't be allowing anyone younger than their mid 20s to vote.//
Ryan Martin
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 2:47 p.m.
Better get a paper route!
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 1:50 p.m.
It's a pretty good guess he will be further enabled and the $19K won't come out of his own pocket. After all, if that sort of responsibility was an expectation in his life, he wouldn't be vandalizing and causing thousands of dollars of damage to other people's property. I have a hard time believing responsibility and the difference between right and wrong will be taught to him at this late point in his childhood. But who knows, perhaps there's a chance.
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 2:13 p.m.
Good point.
Billy
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 2:09 p.m.
I don't think it's that late of a point in his childhood. His childhood is on course to last for another 10 years at least...
Billy Bob Schwartz
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 1:48 p.m.
There are darned few 17-year-olds who have a hard time telling right from wrong, esp. where it involves spraying paint all over someone else's stuff. Kindergarten: Jaky! Please don't fingerpaint Bobby! That's not what we do with paint, is it? Fifth Grade: Jacob! Please don't smear ink on the desk. That isn't your property. You need to learn to respect public property. Tenth Grade: Jake! Knock it off! You can't paint your name on the lockers! It's not your property. You will stay after and get it cleaned up. Eleventh Grade: Jacob! You put paint all over other people's property! That's bad, and you will pay! Response: Well, I didn't do anything wrong. I was just having fun. Nobody told me. I am innocent.
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 7:57 p.m.
... if you can get your head around that.
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 7:49 p.m.
Holy cow. We're talking about stupid trashy graffiti, not civil rights. Your rationalization and justification have been expertly formed in the model of true Progressivism, which is not surprising, considering what I know about the environment from which you come.
Balthazar Tarantula
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 7:09 p.m.
that's very amusing, my personal stance on graffiti is that it is a form of self expression, that IS illegal, but not necessarily WRONG in all cases. if you can get your head around that. tell me there's not a gray area when it comes to the law. affirmative action, abortion laws, taxes, are all hot issues and deal with different people's opinions on what's wrong and what's right.
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 1:52 p.m.
I always know a bogus excuse is about to be uttered by one of my kids when they start with, "I was just..."
bunnyabbot
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 1:25 p.m.
I'm glad the victim here did not make an arrangement for the kid to work off the restitution and wants CASH
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 7:44 p.m.
This is amazing. The victim is being criticized by the perpetrator, who is trying to play the victim. I think there's a little confusion here over who made a bad choice and who is the victim. With this frame of mind, the future does not look good.
Balthazar Tarantula
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 7:05 p.m.
cash that he chose to spend on removal when i could have done it myself
DNB
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 1:22 p.m.
The AADL is still promoting their Annual Teen Graffiti Contest. Winner in 2010 ~ 3rd place to Jacob Saalberg Currently on the AADL website: 10th Annual Teen Graffiti Art Exhibit Now through October 31, 2012 -- Malletts Creek Branch: Exhibits The AADL Teen Graffiti Contest is an annual event held during Ann Arbor's summer Art Fairs. Teens gather in the staff parking lot of the Downtown AADL to try their hand at the art of graffiti. Each young artist receives a four-by-four foot board and a variety of colors of spray paint. The end result of the contest is a display of a multitude of styles and levels of talent for the community to enjoy in this brilliant exhibit.
DNB
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 6:48 p.m.
AADL Winner in 2012 ~ 1st place Jacob Saalberg Sorry, I see that this was left off my original post.
barb
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 2:30 p.m.
Surprised lawyer didn't use this as a way to get him off...it wasn't his fault, the library said it was okay...
Billy
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 2:07 p.m.
Wow....just....wow....... They shouldn't be calling it "Graffiti." I mean how close is that to SANCTIONING it for the kids? Geeze.....YOU ARE PRACTICALLY TELLING THEM IT'S OK!!!?!?!???
Brad
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 1:26 p.m.
Yeah, let's spend $65 mil on a new facility to support this type of activity.
Arboriginal
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 1:20 p.m.
Fantastic!!!
Rabbi Robert Levy
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 1 p.m.
Wow, why such nasty anger. The kid did wrong and is being severely punished. Time will now tell where he will go on this world. Bit calling him a dirt bag and "knowing" that he will fail to complete his sentence and grow as a person, is a has commentary on those who avail themselves of this forum.
Skyjockey43
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:58 p.m.
I kinda have a feeling your tune would be a bit different if this kid had spray painted your house repeatedly. And do you really think a fine and probation without a permanent record is serious punishment? What would you classify as a light sentence? A slight ruffling of his hair by the judge?
Jim Osborn
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:12 p.m.
And having our tax dollars both help create it via the Library and then to clean it up and to pay for courts and police. Graffiti is nasty, and usually a good sign of a bad neighborhood. Who wants their home values to fall due to some misguided liberal policy of publicly funded "art".
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 1:54 p.m.
"Wow, why such nasty anger." Could it be because people are sick of their city being polluted by punks with spray cans?
Huron74
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 1:25 p.m.
Accuse the accusers? Blame the victims? What does that say about Robert Levy?
Brad
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 12:53 p.m.
"Brown said he and Dorio could have a "long debate" about whether the mind of a 17-year-old could determine if it was right or wrong to vandalize a building." Yeah, about 10 nanoseconds long. And his attitude tells me that it won't be long before he'll be in court again. And I saw some of his "work" and a "talented artist" he isn't.
Billy
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 12:30 p.m.
"He was given a 7411 agreement, which means that if he successfully completes probation, there will be no public record of the conviction." Well you know....except for all these NEWS STORIES WRITTEN ABOUT HIM THAT YOU CAN FIND BY GOOGLING HIS NAME!!!!
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 2:26 p.m.
That could actually be a benefit to him in the end.
Arboriginal
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 1:21 p.m.
Oh well.
Billy
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 12:28 p.m.
"Holmes Youthful Trainee Act" LOL HYTA!!!!!! You don't give HYTA to un-remorseful perps.....EVER... Does the judge have no clue what the HYTA program is about? The absolute LAST person that should be allowed in that program is an UNREPENTANT CONVICT.
Bubba43
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 12:27 p.m.
hopefully he enjoyed HIS expensive art.
murphthesurf
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 12:24 p.m.
i agree with mike,this kid needs to realize that all of us are responsible for our actions and that when you do wrong your gonna pay the price,not your parents or anyone else! hes 17 not 7! let him make amends to the owners. im assuming hes still in school so make him give up all his free time until he gets it paid off!
4 Fingers
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 12:20 p.m.
Let mommy and daddy pay this kids restitution. If you think they didn't have a clue what he was doing your fooling yourself. When they searched his home they found a closet full of spray cans and other things. And seriously, if your letting your kid stay to all night you gotta wonder what he's doing.
Ricebrnr
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 12:11 p.m.
Congratulations! Not in college yet and already starting with a great deal of debt. That $23.5 k would have been put to better use learning better lessons than this
djacks24
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 6:12 p.m.
$19,000. There goes 4 years of tuition (or 3, 2, 1 years depending on University).
Mike
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 11:59 a.m.
Imposing a fine of $19,000 on a 18 year old with no money might as well be a million dollars. It will never get paid, I have personal experience with trying to collect compensation ffrom dumb kids. This kid should have been made to work every weekend for the duration of his probation and he would be too busy to get in trouble again. Mommy and Daddy will end up paying if they can afford it and the whole family will have to suffer financially for what this kid did. The kid gets off pretty much scott free and learns how to get bailed out instead of manning up and taking personal responsibility for his actions.
anotherannarborite
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 6:28 p.m.
That may be true if his parents behave how you say. When I did something stupid in my teen years, my parents made me get a job and pay back all the resistution from my own work. I was not allowed to do school sports/activities until I paid it off. It took two years of part-time work and summer full time work to pay it off. I thank my parents (now) for sticking to their guns and not bailing me out. I think accurate restitution is absolutely key to this.
Steve
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 11:56 a.m.
I believe that graffiti is a blight that has been tolerated, so it is not discouraged. I lived in Malaysia for a year, so I visited Singapore a couple of times. Amazing! Pristine buildings that people took pride in. Years later, I visited Lisbon, which was once a lovely city, but is now ruined by graffiti. A real shame.
Macabre Sunset
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 5:57 p.m.
That was the most shocking part of my trip to Europe this summer. Graffiti everywhere. Even in the country. The economy may be in the dumper in France and Italy, but the spray-paint manufacturers are making a fortune. I hope there's a mechanism in place to ensure restitution is fully paid. That's a lot of money for just a few hours of "fun." Kids hearing about that is far more effective than probation in preventing vandalism.
Lovaduck
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 4:30 p.m.
And Hitler made the trains run on time!
Skyjockey43
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:53 p.m.
By the way, Singapore has been consistently rated highest quality of life in Asia, And among the top worldwide. Better than the U.S. even.
Skyjockey43
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:46 p.m.
While I may disagree with some of their laws, I couldn't agree more with how they deal with those who violate them. What's the point of having laws If the enforcement is so weak that it poses a negligible deterrent? Capital punishment for small amounts of drugs sounds bad to you? Pick a side. If you think drug use and the associated crime that results from it are bad for society, then you'd have to agree that light punishments do absolutely nothing to make the problem go away. I guarantee if this little brat knew that graffiti carried a minimum ten year sentence, he wouldn't think te idea was "fun". Also, I am so sick and tired of people labeling crimes as a "mistake". This kid knew very well that what he was doing was wrong. He made the DECISION to do it anyway.
clownfish
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 12:59 p.m.
Singapore is basically a dictatorship. Would you suggest we operate under that system? Capital punishment for possession of small quantities of drugs, $500 (per pack) fine for violating smoking laws, Prison if a man kisses another man. Is this really what you would like to see in the Land of the Free?
Mike
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 12:02 p.m.
They get beaten with a cane in some of those countries so graffiti wouldn't be looked at as something "fun"
Silly Sally
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 11:37 a.m.
He should be send around the Ann Arbor Library as an example when they conduct their classes on how to create graffiti. The AADL has been a big promoter of graffiti and part of the problem, using funds that originate from our tax dollars to hold these inspiring classes. Was Mr. Saalberg a graduate?
Balthazar Tarantula
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 6:50 p.m.
i won 3rd place two years ago and 1st place this year, and just to clear things up, the AADL "graffiti" contest had absolutely nothing to do with my interest in graffiti. that was something i saw and pursued on my own with no encouragement from any person or entity.
Ricebrnr
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 2:29 p.m.
Right and the causative link is? So all the others that took those classes and especially those that medalled above Jacob...round them up cause they are all surely delinquents, yes? Perhaps we should go further back and persecute those who introduced little Jacob to crayons first eh? As I said before, better pull those Chemistry and Physics classes out of the schools, who knows how many bombers we've already created?
Brad
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 1:25 p.m.
@rice - check out @DNB's comment below. Looks like he's a former "bronze medalist" in the AADL's competition.
Ricebrnr
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 12:02 p.m.
So you admit you don't know if this guy took any classes from AADL but yet have determined that they are both cause and part of the problem? Please back that claim with some or any specific/citations/references
Silly Sally
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 11:38 a.m.
Oops, "SENT"
Ryan Bowles
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 11:37 a.m.
This person was under 18 when he committed the crime. Why are his name and photo being released?
david Jankowski
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 11:26 a.m.
A teachable moment wasted! The judge should have gone on record as saying that he would allow the boy to work for the city at the waste treatment plant shoveling off crap from treatment pit walls until the restitution was paid off.
vg550
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 11:43 a.m.
I agree 100%
Barzoom
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 11:17 a.m.
He'll be back in court again soon .....He'll be back.
kate tremel
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:04 p.m.
Jacob's actions were very irresponsible and harmful. He knows this and is learning how bad these decisions were. He is a big boy, who is facing some real adult consequences. He did it because he thought it would be fun, thrilling- he wasn't being hateful or malicious he was just being a really dumb kid thinking only of himself in that moment. I don't agree that he is not remorseful for his actions. He is a good kid who has done some bad things. He has babysat for my children a handful of times over the last few years. He is the kind of kid who would draw pictures for hours with my daughter and sit patiently while she gave him different "hairstyles." When we came home, he would always have tidied up the entire kitchen, washing all the dishes from their dinner leaving things in better order than when he had arrived. He told me that his mom told him that if he did a good job then he might me asked to come back to work again. I feel that if he is going to face the challenge of these consequences, he needs some guidance, not another slap in the face like those on this page. I feel like the comments on this forum and the manner in which his case (as a minor) have been reported in the media have become personal and warranted a personal response. This site is not just in your backyard at your neighbors fence, it is a soapbox in the village square. So I want to say that I believe in the idea that it takes a village to raise a child. I have offered him a modest part-time job as my studio assistant.
Justavoice
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 10:57 a.m.
So basically our "mischievous" friend really was in possession of prescription pain killers of some type. The article sounds like he may have a larger problem then spray painting, or at least that's what the article seems to allude to.
Angry Moderate
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 2:03 p.m.
Analogues probably refers to a research chemical, such as 2C-E or a fake marijuana knockoff (e.g., JWH-018). These used to be legal but are now banned as "analogues" of controlled substances.
Foote
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 10:53 a.m.
Analogues are medications that are chemically similar to other drugs, for example Vicodin which is similar to codeine.
Angry Moderate
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:05 p.m.
Vicodin itself is a controlled substance...they mean a chemical that is similar to a controlled substance, but not on the DEA schedules.
Foote
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 10:54 a.m.
http://www.michigancriminaldefenselawyerblog.com/2009/11/possession-of-analogues-in-mic.html
1bit
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 10:46 a.m.
An expensive lesson, but I almost wish the penalty would have been to scrub clean that graffiti and all the other graffiti on the bridges around town.
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 7:42 p.m.
You threw away the right to make a decision that suits you. Your decision was made when you decided to break the law and cause thousands of dollars of damage to somebody else's property. The punishment isn't supposed to be what's most convenient for you. Grow up.
Balthazar Tarantula
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 6:48 p.m.
i was hoping for that too, it would have been the most direct and no hassle punishment and i would have been glad to spend my own money on graffiti remover and a power washer, and put in my own time removing what i did.
A2comments
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 10:43 a.m.
Saalberg also was sentenced to two years of probation on two counts of possession of analogues during the sentencing hearing. Perhaps this should be explained...
dconkey
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 10:43 a.m.
Kyle, Could you give me a little help here, the article states that Saalberg was also in possession of analogues. I think of math formulas when I hear analogues. What am I missing? Than you,
Jon Wax
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 7:33 p.m.
so why not just say "Drugs"? what is with the attempt to misguide the general public here? Peace
Kyle Feldscher
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 5:09 p.m.
dconkey - As I understand it, analouges are defined as designer drugs, such as K2 or spice.
Unusual Suspect
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 1:59 p.m.
Analogues are illegal. That's why I always stick with digitals.
HB11
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 11:43 a.m.
I looked it up. Analogues are drugs that are similar in their effects to other drugs the way vicodin is to coedine, and could possibly be that so-called synthetic pot.