# Brian Mitchell sentenced to life in prison! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 26, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-mitchell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/583229 "2011-05-26T00:51:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-mitchell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/583229/1 "2011-05-26T00:51:23Z")
[Story here](http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705373319/Mitchell-sentenced-to-life-behind-bars-for-kidnapping-Elizabeth-Smart.html). > [@](#): > > SALT LAKE CITY — Brian David Mitchell will live out the remainder of his days behind bars. > > U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball sentenced Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper and tormentor to life in federal prison Wednesday. A jury convicted Mitchell last December of abducting Smart early in 2002 when she was 14 and taking her across state lines for the purpose of having sex. > > “Today is the ending of a very long chapter and the beginning of a very beautiful chapter for me,” Smart said following the sentencing. “I am so thrilled with the results that came out today, the life sentence. I couldn’t be happier.” > > Smart spoke directly to Mitchell during the hearing for the first time since being held captive for nine months eight years ago. > > “I don’t have very much say to you. I know exactly what you did, and I know that you know what you did was wrong and you did it with a full knowledge of that,” she said. > > “I want you to know that I have a wonderful life now. No matter what you do, you will never affect me again. You took away nine months of my life that can never be returned. But I know that in this life or the next you will be held responsible for what you have done, and I hope you’re ready for that when it comes.” Much more at the link. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-mitchell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/583229/2 "2011-05-26T02:09:50Z")
I have to admire Elizabeth Smart for the way she handled herself throughout this thing. I hope in actual life she is as strong and stable as she appears on TV. She’s exceptional in that regard. I hope she is able to get past this and do whatever she wants in life ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-mitchell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/583229/3 "2011-05-26T02:20:45Z")
I did learn something today, that Federal charges of life in prison mean life in prison without parole. [comments about revenge redacted] ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-mitchell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/583229/4 "2011-05-26T02:35:49Z")
It’s not long enough. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-mitchell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/583229/5 "2011-05-26T03:35:31Z")
US Federal prisons do not have parole but they still have remissions. The law applies to those convicted after 1987. Those convicted before still may apply for parole. But there are different ways of getting out early such as reduction for good behaviour and supervised release and probation. (Supervised release is basically probation for those who were in jail. Probation is instead of jail) ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-mitchell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/583229/6 "2011-05-26T13:25:20Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > US Federal prisons do not have parole but they still have remissions. > > The law applies to those convicted after 1987. Those convicted before still may apply for parole. > > But there are different ways of getting out early such as reduction for good behaviour and supervised release and probation. (Supervised release is basically probation for those who were in jail. Probation is instead of jail) I have a funny feeling that Ms. Smart is going to appear at any future hearing considering supervised release for Mr. Mitchell and share her feelings and experience there… and I have a funny feeling that she will be highly effective in that role. Good for her. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-mitchell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/583229/7 "2011-05-26T13:35:37Z")
Funny I was thinking this was about [Brian Mitchell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Mitchell_(American_football)) and I was like, “Wouldn’t I have heard about this before just now?” ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-mitchell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/583229/8 "2011-05-26T14:12:45Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > It’s not long enough. I know of one way they can shorten it. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-mitchell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/583229/9 "2011-05-26T14:17:03Z")
This question may be in incredibly poor taste but I will ask anyway. Why does Elizabeth Smart speak with such an odd accent. She sounds a little English or Irish in parts of her interview. Is there a reason for that? [http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/nation/elizabeth-smart-looks-to-beautiful-future-video-1496601.html](http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/nation/elizabeth-smart-looks-to-beautiful-future-video-1496601.html) ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-mitchell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/583229/10 "2011-05-26T15:50:47Z")
I believe that she’s living (or has lived) in France for some time - maybe the last 3-4 years? Certainly not enough time to pick up an accent, but if she speaks French exclusively there, I can easily see that coloring her English back home. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-mitchell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/583229/11 "2011-05-26T15:52:37Z")
Oop. Wikipedia says that her mission was to Paris, but after that ended in 2011, she returned to Utah and may start law school sometime. So she lived there for a couple of years (2009 - 2011), but isn’t there now. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-mitchell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/583229/12 "2011-05-26T17:19:34Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > This question may be in incredibly poor taste but I will ask anyway. Why does Elizabeth Smart speak with such an odd accent. She sounds a little English or Irish in parts of her interview. Is there a reason for that? > > [http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/nation/elizabeth-smart-looks-to-beautiful-future-video-1496601.html](http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/nation/elizabeth-smart-looks-to-beautiful-future-video-1496601.html) That is what is referred to as the “mormon accent.” You hear that way of speaking in the “mormon corridor,” also known as a wide swath of the country from Idaho through Utah and into Arizona. Or in any LDS church, anywhere, wherever a Utah mormon has landed. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-mitchell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/583229/13 "2011-05-26T22:57:42Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Funny I was thinking this was about [Brian Mitchell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Mitchell_(American_football)) and I was like, “Wouldn’t I have heard about this before just now?” My first thought was: I know [he’s kind of a douche](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Mitchell_%28gamer%29), what what did he do to warrant prison?