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Novelist Gets Six Months in Jail for Stealing Books

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Times Staff Writer

Gustav (Gus) Hasford, a novelist and screenwriter who was nominated for an Academy Award last year, was sentenced to six months in jail and five years of probation Wednesday for stealing almost 800 books from nine libraries.

Hasford, co-writer of the screenplay for the movie, “Full Metal Jacket,” was taken into custody immediately and was led from the San Luis Obispo County Superior courtroom in handcuffs.

He had been charged with grand theft but in December Hasford negotiated a plea with the prosecutor to possession of stolen property. Hasford originally was charged with stealing more than 1,000 books--worth about $20,000--from 63 libraries. Among the books discovered were several rare 19th-Century volumes from a library in London.

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In addition to the jail time, Superior Court Judge Warren Conklin also fined Hasford $1,100 and ordered him to pay shipping costs for the return of 748 books to the nine libraries throughout the country and to one individual.

Conklin agreed with the prosecutor’s recommendation of a six-month jail term for Hasford.

“If Hasford had stolen hundreds of wheelbarrows, he would get a stiff sentence,” Conklin said, “and he should get a stiff sentence for stealing the books.”

But Hasford’s attorney, Orlan Donley, said the six-month sentence was unfair.

“Hasford has been an outstanding citizen all his life and this one crime was an aberration,” Donley said in a telephone interview afterward. “It’s very unusual for somebody like this to get so much jail time. I thought it was uncalled for.”

San Luis Obispo County Deputy Dist. Atty. Teresa Estrada-Mullaney, who prosecuted the case, said Hasford’s sentence would serve as a lesson that stealing library books is a serious offense.

Hasford’s library collection was discovered in March, 1988, when campus police at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, looking for library books Hasford had checked out at the campus and had not returned, searched his rented storage locker and found about 10,000 books.

Hasford, who lives in San Clemente, won critical acclaim for his first novel, “The Short-Timers,” based on his experience as a combat correspondent with the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive of 1968. Stanley Kubrick purchased the rights to the book, and Hasford shares screenwriting credit on “Full Metal Jacket” with Kubrick and Michael Herr. The writers were nominated, but did not win, an Academy Award for the screenplay. Hasford recently completed a sequel to “The Short-Timers” entitled “The Phantom Blooper,” that will be released in the spring.

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During the first few court hearings, Hasford did not appear to be disturbed by the charges and frequently joked with reporters. After one court hearing, he claimed that he was innocent and added: “In the immortal words of Richard Nixon: ‘I am not a crook.’ ” After another court hearing he quipped to reporters: “I’ve got a quote for you. I’ve seen Elvis. I’ve talked to Elvis. Elvis is alive.”

But Wednesday, after the sentencing, Hasford was in a grim mood, according to his attorney.

“Gus was shocked,” Donley said. “He’s an easygoing guy, but the sentence shook him up pretty bad.”

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