dirty pharmacist courtney wants sentence cut
Just so you know, I’m doing this post solely to provoke a reaction from my parents. My stepdad is a well-known pharmacist here in Lawrence, and my mom once worked for the very same organization that he does. This story is probably one of three things on Earth that leaves him sputtering with anger.
Remember Robert Courtney, the Kansas City pharmacist and Kansas native convicted of defrauding thousands of customers by diluting their prescriptions and pocketing the savings. By doing so, he stole over $19 million — and got 30 years in prison. His Wikipedia entry says that 17 cancer patients died as a result of diluted chemotherapy drugs.
Courtney thinks that his sentence should be cut by eight months due to “good behavior”. If you were a judge, would you be inclined to give Robert Courtney credit for “good behavior”?
Neil on 
01.12.2007 @ 23:30
Hmm. The word “penitentiary” implies that its occupants are or are on the way to becoming “penitent.” I think, given the tone of his request, that he regards his sentence as an inconvenience rather than as appropriate punishment for his crimes. Most murders are crimes fueled by emotion; Courtney literally and figuratively calculated what he did, and for years and years and years. The news story reveals he’s still calculating. So, no. A little contrition would be a good thing to conjure up next time.