RSS | 
Twitter
| 
Be a fan!
Woman jailed over smoking at high school
Samone Hall, 19, of 518 Summit Ave., Monessen, was arrested on a warrant Wednesday for failing to pay a $25 fine for smoking at Ringgold High School, court records show.
District Judge Mark Wilson sentenced her to four days in Washington County Jail for possessing tobacco on school property and nonpayment of the fine and court costs.
Ringgold’s director of security, Ottie Caruso, cited Hall Sept. 23, 2008, after catching her smoking outside the high school gymnasium, the citation indicates. She was a senior at the time and living in Donora.
Rate This Story:
1 the lowest - 5 the highest
Current rating:
Steve Toprani? : 11/19/2009
Seriously? Come on Steve Toprani. This is ridiculous. Where is the common sense?
Can't find real criminals! : 11/19/2009
I guess if they can't track down and catch a "real" criminal, they should lock up someone for doing something that last time I checked was still LEGAL! She was 19, an adult, old enough to vote, buy cigarettes, join the military, everything but drink alcohol. So lets lock her up and have the taxpayers pay for 4 days incarceration because she did not respond to a $25 fine! Where is the sense in that???
i love it : 11/19/2009
good maybe it will teach the younger generation their are consquences and wont get babied so much.. its her fault for not paying.. shes an adult good for her.
What? : 11/19/2009
What is rediculous about it? A young "adult" having to pay the price for breaking the law? I say good job! Teach the young people a lesson!
A joke : 11/19/2009
Are you kidding? The drug dealers and DUI get ARD and smokers get jail? Better change addictions, you can skip bail, not show up for court, drive drunk, over and over, and you'll get ARD. But don't smoke! What a joke the law is in this county! How should any of us feel safe when the people that can truly hurt/kill us are on the street, but we're safe from this girl!
RU KIDDING ME!!!! : 11/19/2009
People committing crimes with CRIMINAL INTENT sometimes get sentences of community service. 10 hours of community service would have even seemed on the harsh side let alone 4 days in the slammer.
Good Going Judge ! : 11/19/2009
Hey Mrs... Mr Toprani was not involved in the hearing "O" bright one. It was a local hearing at the District Justice office. The subject failed to pay the $25.00 and a warrant was issued. Obviously they were picked up some time later for the active warrant and the MDJ put her butt in jail.
A MOM : 11/19/2009
Are you serious! Putting her in there with hard core, cracked out criminals! Come on. Make her do community service or work at a shelter. Something that matters. She didn't pay a $25 fine, but it cost us how much to keep her in there for four days!!
ridiculous : 11/19/2009
is how a $25 smoking fine earns you 4 days in jail but for a DUI it's one night.
Cost : 11/19/2009
is approx $60 a day for housing a county inmate. $240 for the taxpayers. Yeah community service would have been the way to go.
Judge was right : 11/19/2009
Kids being what they are today.. and I know from experience what they are today.. the best way to address this problem was done. The message to the kids (and parents) is now clear. Smoke on any school property (includes bus stop areas) and you get fined $25. Fail to pay the fine and you get four days in the slammer. For those who disagree just drive any schoolbus for a few years for a real eye opener.
smoking....... : 11/19/2009
NOT paying a fine gets you 4 days in jail.....though I do agree community service would have been better. Maybe she could have picked up the garbage and cigarette butts from the side of the road.
Yeah, : 11/19/2009
Good that she was arrested for not paying a fine. I think the community service would be better though because of the cost. Make her raise money for charity or something. The Mrs., You really need to pay attention and actually read! It said nothing of Toprani in there.
Get a clue, people : 11/19/2009
This criminal was originally sentenced to pay a fine for her law breaking actions. When she broke that law (pay the fine), she's now going to jail. Good news.
i'll help : 11/19/2009
can i pay the $25 fine for this poor girl and have her released? this is total b.s.. it prob cost $30-40 to have the sherif transport her to the jail.
Jailed for not "Paying Fine" : 11/19/2009
She was NOT jailed for smoking!, She WAS jailed for not paying the fine. I think the headline is very misleading.
Good Job! : 11/19/2009
As usual, we get a headline, a few sentences, and that's it. The DJ used his judgement based on what he knows about this case. We don't know how many times she was given the opportunity to pay or what other cases she has pending before the court. Learn the facts before rushing to judgement. The date of the offense was 9/23/08 and she never paid her fine!?!?!?!?
O well : 11/20/2009
i guess this "young adult" learned that when you get a citation you should pay it and also she could have made payments but instead chose to go to jail instead!
more foolishness : 11/20/2009
just another abuse of power by little tin gods and their kangaroo courts.
Then make her pay more : 11/20/2009
$240 for taxpayers? I would have made her pay that PLUS the $25. That would make it a $265 cigarette. And hopefully, a lesson learned.
what a joke!! : 11/20/2009
lets lock up a 19 yr old girl for smoking,and not waste our time looking for any real felons,drug dealers,pedophiles,career criminals.way to go washington county..you never let us down ur there to protect and serve,and keep us safe..thanks.lol...hahahahaha
What a society : 11/20/2009
I'm not a smoker, but this is nuts, we need to wake up and use common sense, she is NOT a criminal, the legal age to buy tobacco is 18 and we the taxpayers own the schools and they have become prison like with all there rules, you can vote at age 18, go to war, but don't smoke or you'll go to jail. WOW!!!
What is the issue here? : 11/20/2009
District Judge Mark Wilson, Are you racist? I wonder if they would lock up a white person for smoking?
Racist ? : 11/20/2009
Why does RACE have to enter into this. Oh, that's right, just like the Prez, anytime you don't agree with someone just say their racist. I get so sick of people accusing everyone that doesn't agree with them as being RACIST. The funny thing is usually the ones saying this are the real racist.
: 11/21/2009
Four days in jail for $25 thats crazy
No wonder : 11/22/2009
This is a good example why they have to move inmates out of state cause the jails are so over populated. I think washington county should be investigated cause they just throw anyone in jail for anything. The are getting carried away with their authority. There is so many in the jail that not need to be there.
GOOD NEWS! : 11/23/2009
This adult got exactly what she deserved. She broke the law by smoking in a no-smoking zone then did not pay the fine. This girl thinks rules do not apply to her. Well, it is about time that she learns that if you break a rule you pay the consequence. They should have kept her in jail longer.
Community Service : 11/24/2009
would have been the right idea and correction. NonViolents need to be working off their conviction - prisons provide long-term solutions for the prision industry and labor union.
u people : 11/24/2009
thoes of u that have never been i jail. i hope u one day have to spend even one day in jail. one day feels like a year. i think the judges that order these sentances shoul spend a few days in that place. then i bet they dont give long senteces for victimless crimes
JAIL : 11/24/2009
By reading these comments I think so many more of these people an others should be in jail or try to inforce the law in this city .
young adults : 11/25/2009
These young adults think they can do what they want when they want. Do you think this is the first time she has done something like this. If a judge told me to pay a fine I sure would pay it. She took a chance and now she knows not to do it again. I hope she learned from her mistake.
TOO BAD : 11/25/2009
This is in response to u people: I ahve never been to jail because I have not broke the law and never will. My parents raised me well, and I respect authority and the law. The judges should not have to spend one day in jail. It is simple: Follow the rules of society and you won't end up in jail. If you break the law you shp\ould pay the price, even if it is a victimless crime. I do not have any sympathy for YOU PEOPLE who go through life doing whatever you want to do without any regard to authority. Obviously, YOU PEOPLE who end up in jail have no respect for yourself or anybody else. Follow the rules, you won't go to jail; not even for one day.
to bad : 11/27/2009
first of all TO BAD you are a vary ignorent person. you dont know what kind of people are getting these stupid fines. have you herd of cops that abuse their authority and are bad cops wit bad attiuds. and for you to say people that are inj jail or get fines have no respect for themselfs or others. you must live under a rock. or maby your parents wh raised you so well shelterd you from the outside world.get real. i am a fine member of my comunity.and respect myself and others. own my own my own home car. and have a fine family and a well paying job and so does my wife so that makes you a vary ignorent person. get a life
Re TOO Bad : 11/27/2009
One day you may make A simple mistake and end up there yourself, I was thrown in Jail because The state cut the budget and eliminated my job ,therefore I was $80 short on A child support payment, These Judges Should spend A day or two there More often than not the punishment does not fit the crime. I had A choice feed my child or pay the &80 dollars so I guess I was Jailed for feeding my Child!
Washpa will never change : 11/29/2009
Washpa has always had a problem - its backwoods, authority hungry, power abusing "officials". Hey folks, remember sneaking a smoke in the school bathrooms? cutting school and getting caught? "protesting" the cafeteria food? Well, nowadays, all those infractions lead to JAIL. Our society has gone INSANE! I hope someone starts getting their common sense back ASAP, or soon, it will be against the law to just be alive. I hope the young lady survives her 4 days in jail. And, I'm SO glad I moved away from Washpa!
Community Service : 12/9/2009
Yes yes, putting her in jail is great and all, but why not put her to community service picking up cigarettes, the exact things that got her there in the first place.
