Judge Don Poole's sentencing of Keele Maynor was unjust. What she did was wrong, but 42 months? The courts in this area have a habit of dishing out unfair sentences to African Americans. I'm just gonna lay out three incidents:

1. Lady in Shepherd runs over a child, drags him more than 100 feet, kills him and leaves the scene. The next day she goes to work and cops spot her car. While cops look over her car, she calls someone to pick her up and she leaves through the back door. Race: White and 0 days sentenced.

2. Lady in Red Bank crashes through a fence into a yard and kills a child. Race: White and 0 days sentenced.

3. Ducktown Dodge Fraud case: Both white and sentenced to 24 and 27 months for money amount that was more than 2.5 times Keele Maynor's repayment amount.

Who will hire her so she can pay restitution after time served? She should have gotten probation. Why? So she could see that $300 a month come out of her paycheck before she gets it. That's pain and suffering for you're tail.

Gerald Parham Sr.
Brainerd

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Don Poole is the judge in this case, not the people. You gave us examples of 3 cases. So are you saying that there was only 4 cases tried and Ms. Maynor was the only one punished? I don't think so. There are cases everyday that are tried, and I'm am sure that they are done all fairly case by case. Not race by race.

I wish people would quit pulling the race card out of their hat every time they think something unjust is done. What Ms. Maynard and all of the people that you listed did was wrong. Not a doubt about that, but you should do your homework and look at all cases that these judges see on a day to day basis before you go venting about 3 people walking while 1 gets convicted. I cannot speak on behalf of any of the cases because I was not there for any of them and do not know the circumstances, but I do know that someone is pointing a race finger and there are four more fingers pointing back at you when you do that.

Lisa Pendergraph
Hixson

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Sir, did you know she also has a record of doing this same sort of thing before? She is no saint, you know. She has prior convictions for Food Stamp and Child Care Fraud. That makes her more than just a one time criminal. She was doing what so many people do with our welfare system, scamming it for whatever they can because they feel they "deserve" it. Here's an idea, go work a couple of part time jobs and earn your money.

How the heck did she get a job with the city with a criminal record anyway? The sentence seems fair. She will get out early and start paying her restitution, just like the Ducktown Dodge owner will have to pay over $137,000 back. Life is full of choices. She mad some bad ones, and then decided to bilk her friends and co-workers out of their hard earned money and leave. She defrauded and extorted money from Breast Cancer Charities, churches and High School Booster clubs that raised money for her.

This isn't racism, this is putting a criminal behind bars that just happens to be a repeat offender. Quit crying about racism when she did the crime, now go do the time. When she gets out she can keep her head shaved, that will help her save money on getting her hair done every week. Perhaps some of us don't care where she works when she gets out, should have thought about that before huh?

I bet the city of Chattanooga won't re-hire her now.

Brian Middleton

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The gentleman is absolutely correct. The sentence Ms. Maynor received was not fair – it was not harsh enough. This woman took more than just money from charities and time from her co-workers. She made all of us stop and wonder, “Is this person suffering for real?” She took our trust and our faith in our fellow man -- for attention.

Having worked with many cancer patients I can tell you they don’t want that attention, they want their health back. Many of us willing contribute to co-workers in times of need, but now we will hesitate wondering if we are being taken in by another “Keele Maynor.” Ms Maynor you should be ashamed of yourself.

Jackie Kisting

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Mr. Parham,
You failed to mention that Ms. Maynor had at least two previous felonies along with several other past criminal charges. You also failed to mention that Ms. Maynor demonstrated that she lacks signs of being rehabilitated in that she even continued to lie to the court after pleading guilty. You further failed to point out another major difference in Ms. Maynor's actions vs. the actions of many other offenders: Her fraud was not against a single corporation or person. Ms. Maynor took advantage of multiple people, perhaps hundreds, over several years. Many of these people cared so deeply for Ms. Maynor that they suffered severe stresses in their own personal lives. People like you, who attempt to make everything an issue of race, make me sick.

Jenny Moore

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I wondered how long until someone played the “race” card. I think Judge Poole is really just a heartless, uncaring jerk that hates people that were “abused” as children. And, please, for goodness' sake, don’t let them be black….instance jail sentence.

Yep. I’ll just bet that is exactly what went through his mind before pronouncing sentence.

John Howard
Chattanooga

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I would like to response to Mr Parham's comment, as an African American I stand up for truth and justice regardless of race. And yes, Chattanooga has had its issues with race relations for quite some time; however, what Keele Maynor did was wrong and it did affect a lot of people in various ways. Judge Poole's sentencing decision was not racially motivated. In his defense, he has spared a lot of African Americans from jail time whose crimes warranted jail time.

The fact is, Ms. Maynor did have quite a past criminal history and this recent one warranted some 'seizure.' I am sorry to say.

Mr. Parham, you stated only three criminal incidences/examples where apparently white citizens were not given any jail time. Where were you when black citizens did not get any jail time and should have? I noticed no black citizens in Chattanooga ever complain when a criminally guilty black person does not get any deserved jail time. And who did not give them any jail time, a white judge.

Don't get me wrong, I feel the courts have some improvement to be made when it comes to race preconceptions; however, playing the race card does not accomplish anything nor does it justify any crimes.

Example: recently, an African American individual was caught shoplifting at Hamilton Place Mall. He had the nerve to state that they only watch black people in the stores and not the white people. Maybe so, but did that justify him stealing?

My advice to my race of people: keep fighting for equal justice; however, if you/we believe blacks are targeted more than whites for crime, stop committing it.

James Kirk

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Unfortunately, Mr. Parham has a serious misconception as to the true issues of this case. Race isn't the problem here.

Sadly, there are those that will see everything through the race prism, to the extent of blindness. Not only is this counterproductive, it is foolish.

The issues at hand are blatant violations of law and public trust. Ms. Maynor stole from the taxpayer and stole from local citizens who gave out of the kindness of their hearts. Take note, Mr. Parham, all those who felt the need to give to Ms. Maynor did not see her race, rather they simply perceived a person in need.

Given the conduct of Ms. Maynor, it would not be surprising if some of those who gave think twice about doing so in the future. This is the real tragedy of this case. Every time a case like this arises, the public becomes just a bit more jaded.

Given the damage caused by Ms. Maynor and her utter contempt for her fellow citizens, her sentence seems far too abbreviated.

Kristen Curtis

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As a victim listed in the Keele Maynor indictment, I specifically petitioned the judge in writing at her hearing to give Ms. Maynor actual jail time. I requested jail time because of her prior criminal history; the long period of time the fraud was perpetuated; the hundreds of individuals, organizations, and churches that were defrauded (many of whom did not choose to prosecute); and her chronic inability to be truthful. According to the media, she is expected to be eligible for parole after completing 30% of her sentence. She will most likely serve a little over a year in prison. I believe she needs prison time as a deterrent to future criminal behavior. Prison will change her, or she will be back in prison in a few short years on a new fraud charge.

Mary K. Jones