Judge lets victims take from burglars' homes

Since his election to the criminal court in 1990, Joe B. Brown has built a reputation as a tough, street-wise judge willing to try new ways to sentence criminals. He has ordered several burglars to open their homes to former victims. With deputies in tow, they can take what they want, up to a limit set by Brown that approximates the value of what they lost.

'He learns what a good citizen feels like, worrying whether he's going to come home and find all his stuff stuff there,' said the judge.

One victim made several visits before he was satisfied: 'The first day he didn't find anything, but the second time he came back, he bagged a colour television and a stereo-component set.'

Criticism has come from Scott Wallace of the National Association of Criminal Defence Laywers who argues that it may be difficult to tell if items seized by a victim really belong to the burglar.

However, Robert Jones, assistant administrator of the Shelby County public defender's office, is in favour of the judge's approach: 'He's being very creative. A lot of things that have been done in the past aren't working, so somebody needs to be creative.'