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He picked this instead of jail
By AMANDA TONOLI
atonoli@vindy.com
LIBERTY
Video
Greg Davenport drew a lot of attention with a giant, red-lettered sign he wore on Belmont Avenue Wednesday afternoon.
“I am a thief. I stole from Walmart,” the sign read.
Davenport, 43, of Northview Boulevard, sipped a Starburst Strawberry Freeze from Taco Bell and talked on his cellphone while displaying the punishment for his crime for passersby to see in front of the Liberty Walmart store.
He said he wasn’t embarrassed by this punishment, but he was just trying to get it over with.
“It’s better than being in jail,” Davenport said.
The Liberty man pleaded no contest at his March 9 hearing in Girard Municipal Court on a theft charge for stealing merchandise from Walmart in December. Judge Jeffrey Adler found him guilty.
During Davenport’s sentencing, Judge Adler gave Davenport an option for his punishment – to serve 30 days in jail or to wear the sign in front of the Liberty Walmart for 10 eight-hour days of his choosing.
Davenport chose to wear the sign.
Judge Adler said this punishment will hopefully send a signal to others, as well as to Davenport, that there are consequences to breaking the law.
“Maybe public humiliation will work. Maybe not. All we can do is try,” Judge Adler told The Vindicator.
Davenport said he has been in jail many times for stealing and after this brand of punishment, he is done.
“I can’t even remember [what I stole], it’s been so many months ago,” Davenport said.
Despite the punishment he was undergoing, Davenport appeared in good spirits. He waved at the cars driving past that slowed to read his 2-by-3-foot sign.
When asked what advice he would give to others who think about stealing, he said, “Keep your hands to yourself – that’s it.”
Judge Adler also said this punishment helps save taxpayers money that goes toward jailing offenders.
After his unusual punishment ends, Davenport will be on probation until March 1, 2017, and must pay fines and court costs of $50 per month beginning April 14.