Not a Good Reason

Jason Battista robbed 15 banks on the east coast, was caught, charged, and convicted of the crimes. When it came time to be sentenced, his attorney argued for less prison time, saying that his client was "traumatized" and "impacted deeply" by the terror attacks on September 11, 2001.

It worked for the 'Blond Bandit', Pamela Kaichen, last year, after she was convicted of bank robbery - she got four years instead of seven.

This time, however, federal prosecutors are using opinions from psychologists who will testify that criminal activity is not a symptom of post traumatic stress.

Copyright © 2005 Bankers' Hotline. Originally appeared in Bankers' Hotline, Vol. 15, No. 7, 7/05