Another example American social injustice, Stewart or La Cloche

Posted: 3/4/05 at 9:43pm

This is the kind of situation that is truly upsetting. Celebrity criminals are deified, but honest repentance is continually punished.



He Did Time, So He's Unfit to Do Hair
By CLYDE HABERMAN
The New York Times

Published: March 4, 2005


"AS someone who has done time himself, Marc La Cloche is happy for Martha Stewart.

She has managed to turn life in federal prison into a nifty career move. Her company's stock is soaring, and she has plans for not one but two television shows. It almost makes you wonder why the Enron types are fighting so hard to stay out of jail.

Brava Martha, Mr. La Cloche says. He only wishes that New York State would let him put his own prison experience to decent use. "I wish her the best," he said of Ms. Stewart. "But I think the best is going to come anyway because she's financially sound. She has avenues that one coming from my situation won't have."

That's for sure. The avenues open to Mr. La Cloche, 39 and living in the Bronx, might best be described with Joseph Heller's memorable phrase Catch-22.

Mr. La Cloche served 11 years in New York prisons for first-degree robbery. While behind bars, he turned his life around. He learned a trade, barbering. He even had the image of a barber's clippers and comb tattooed on his right arm.

In 2000, as he prepared to be freed, he applied for a required state license. He was denied it. But that decision was reversed when reviewed by a hearing officer. For a while after his release, Mr. La Cloche worked in a Midtown barber shop.

That job did not last long.

New York's secretary of state, who has jurisdiction in these matters, appealed the granting of the license and won. Mr. La Cloche's "criminal history," an administrative law judge ruled, "indicates a lack of good moral character and trustworthiness required for licensure..."

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Did His Time, So He's Unfit To Do Hair Updated On: 3/4/05 at 09:43 PM

[luvliza89]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 9:54pm

If someone is making an honest attempt to turn thier lives around then they should be rewarded, not rejected. Esp since he was in jail for robbery, I don't see why a barber would be a profession that would tempt him to break the law again. I doubt he's going to clip someone's hair and run out the door with it. GET IT?! CLIP HAIR?! HAHAHAHAHA-ok I'll walk away now.