A LEOPARD CANNOT CHANGE HIS SPOTS

A robber is a robber is a robber, despite a judge’s declaration that he is a ‘good man’

In 2000, Cornelius ‘Mike’ Anderson, upon his conviction of armed robbery, was sentenced to serve 13 years in a Missouri prison. He remained free on bail pending an appeal. When his appeal was rejected, he continued to remain free due to a clerical error. Missouri prison authorities believed he was already in their custody. The error was only discovered when he was scheduled to be released from prison in 2013. On July 25, 2013 U.S. Marshals arrested Anderson at his home.

While he was free, Anderson led an exemplary life, holding down a job, getting married and raising a family. After he was sent to prison, his attorneys appealed, arguing that Anderson had been his own parole officer since his conviction, that he had rehabilitated himself, that the 13-year delay in serving his sentence violated due process and that separating him from his family and the constructive life he made for himself since he was convicted amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.

A judge agreed. On May 5, 2014, Anderson was released from prison with credit for time served. In ordering his release, the judge said “You've been a good father. You've been a good husband. You've been a good taxpaying citizen of the state of Missouri. That leads me to believe that you are a good man and a changed man.” But the judge did not take into account that a leopard cannot change his spots.

On Sunday, Mike was arrested in St. Louis on second-degree robbery charges. The ‘good man’ had grabbed a woman’s purse and briefly dragged her along while trying to pull it from her shoulder.