3-Strike Stories: Sidney H.
April 7, 1998
Sidney H.
P.O. Box 8503
Coalinga, CA. 93210
My name is Sidney and I am a lifer under the Three Strikes Laws. I received fifty-six
years to life for attempted robbery and evading police. It sounds serious but it is not.
In the robbery, the store clerk lent me $20.00 and said so when he reports the
robbery. We shook hands on the deal and I left the store. I never acted like I had a gun
or threatened to use one. The guy says he was pissed off because he though I would not pay
him. I honestly was supposed to buy drugs for him out of the $20.00.
What is even crazier is the store has a surveillance camera set up to record visually
and audio so the entire transaction was recorded word for word. This tape was all that
they needed to clear me of robbery and its missing. The manager of the 7-11 is the
so-called victim's wife and apparently either
she lost the tape or the sheriff's lost it. It
has been a mystery then and is one now.
They gave me twenty-five to life for robbery and twenty-five to life for evading
police that took up the entire block. I saw a guy personally get one year to sixteen
months for evading police, convictions that extended miles and resulted in major
accidents.
I realize life is not fair and a person must answer for his decisions but this
sentence and shady robbery conviction are a true injustice.
I have a wife of eight years and an 8-year-old daughter who are supporting of me but
deeply scared by our current situation. Our only hope of ever being a family rest on God
and the Three Strikes Law beings amended. We will work hard on this end to cause the
change's necessary for many in my situation to
regain hope.
This ordeal has been a wake up call for many of us. I can guarantee my life of crime
and deception is over for good. Thank you for reading my story and there are thousands
like it untold but when it does get told we appreciate knowing people are listening and
hae true concerns for the not so good people.
Please send questions or comments to facts@mediaone.net.
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reposted without permission of Families to Amend California's 3-Strikes.
Date last modified: 4/10/98.