Kevin Mitchell will serve 180 days in jail and four years of supervised probation after being sentenced by 1st District Court Judge Fred Gibler on six counts of petit theft relating to the operation of his now-closed Coeur d’Alene coin shop. (Coeur d'Alene Press photo: Shawn Gust)

The criminal laws do not protect Idaho citizens against all unethical and dishonest conduct. The recent CoiNuts cases in my office in Kootenai County highlight these frustrating limits. Kevin and Sarah Mitchell, the perpetrators, issued post-dated checks that bounced, and took money from people with the promise of getting them gold, silver and coins to be delivered at a later date. Those promises were far too often not fulfilled. However, under Idaho law, not all bad checks can be criminally prosecuted and not all unfulfilled promises can lead to a successful conviction/Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.

Question: Do you consider the sentences handed down in the CoiNuts misdemeanor theft case to be appropriate?