Got a real bargain.

The "bargain" scenario is clear. The Doser finds it odd that, though all people associated with law enforcement know it, very little is done about it. This is it: a citizen has a possession or possessions taken from him against his will. The usual methods are: theft, burglary or robbery. Oftentimes, the thief, burglar or robber doesn't have a personal use for the items so he must turn for cash to a person referred to in the criminal law as "receiver of stolen property." Once in a blue moon, the "receiver" is a Dickens-type Fagan who is in the business of buying stolen goods. Ordinarily, however, the "receiver" is a citizen who "gets a good deal" on the items. That person is willing to take the item with no real questions asked. But, he has several bits of question-raising information. He pays much less than he knows the item is worth. He doesn't know much, or anything, about the seller. He does know, as is common, that the seller does not have an established place of business. Multnomah County Judge Frank Bearden tried three young men, recently, found them guilty of "receiving stolen property" and slapped them on the wrists. This scenario will continue because such leniency is very common, indeed. The theme of the scenario is one "honest" citizen gets a "bargain" at the expense of another.