Papagni’s Sentence

I am outraged at the 18-month sentence given to vintner Angelo Papagni for selling white Barbera as white Zinfandel (Nov. 17). Just what kind of a country do we live in where cops can beat an unarmed motorist senseless on video and be acquitted? Where thugs can pull a truck driver out of his cab on TV and get their hands slapped? Papagni gets the minimum 18 months for mislabeling wine? He is one of the nicest and hardest working individuals in the wine industry.

While we shouldn’t condone his indiscretion, we have to wonder how heinous his crime was, to be given such a sentence? How can we come up with such laws which mandate this type of punishment for this type of crime? It’s easy to see when you understand the mentality of our bonehead legislators, who are more worried about banning wine than banning assault weapons.

ED MASCIANA

Torrance