This is an interesting assimilation. One pool of thought is for punishment as he has been caught trying to do something thats not legal. The other pool of thought seems more merciful, based on his past. So this gets me wondering. What is the motive behind punishment? Is punishment just a function of a crime, without taking into consideration the nature and state of the victim. If a person has a formula that cures poverty (hypothetical of course) and he/she is on a death row. Should there be another standards to judge that situation? The protagonist here is a PhD candidate. Do you think its fair to put him in the same criteria as the person whose picture has been posted (I dont know his education or professional background, but he seems to be a repeat offender)? Law in fact should be blind, but do you think its fair for the society to lock up someone who can be contributing a lot? Just mere questions...