Sad news - that was a great show about sturdy mountain folks. Truer Americans than big city slickers. Many of whom are tax cheats, but write tax laws/collect other people's taxes.

Sutton was only 60 when HC shot their movie, but hard life made him more haggard than his age would warrant. My he rest in peace.

I find it hard to see the old guy as the type of threat to society who needs to be incarcerated.

The obvious answer: He was a threat, not to society but to the system. Dare the law and it will come get you. Since the law is often an ass and knows it, it must reassure itself by force.

How is it that people in government get away with not paying taxes but always come after everybody else?

Excise taxes have become a legislative method of violating the Constitution's prohibition of bills of attainder. Anyone who resists them has my approval

What's sad is that this kind of traditional folk craft should be protected, subsidized, and encouraged -- not have its own dysfunctional law enforcement agency entering its second century of battling Demon Rum.

His mistake was going public. If you're doing it illegally, SHUT UP and STAY DOWN!!

Update to my point above (H/T Reason Hit&Run)

Quote the judge:

A probationary sentence would do absolutely nothing to deter you from further crimes. To do so would send a message that this court will tolerate repeated violations of the law. To do so would promote disrespect for the law.

Your moonshining is a violation of the law...

[N]ot only are you not remorseful for your criminal conduct, you seem to be proud of it.

QED. Statements devoid of any humanity. In the best fascist tradition of subjugating the individual to the system. I use these sometimes overused phrases deliberately. They fit this situation. Like any leniency would have unleashed a torrent of anarchic lawbreaking threatening the complete breakdown of of law and order.

Shame on you judge Sutton! I hope you sleep well in the knowledge of having driven an old man to his death. This was foreseeable, not an "unintended consequence". Shame on you!

This was his fifth arrest and he was not making moonshine for personal consumption as his final arrest found 1,700 gallons of mooonshine and three stills. I would be outraged if he had a still in his garage and made moonshine for personal consumption, but he was clearly operating on a wholesale level and was apparently ignoring all of the laws associated with running a business. Those laws may be dumb but they're what we have and if someone flagrantly and publicly violates the law repeatedly, they're going to eventually get in trouble. At some point after one of his previous four arrests, he could have arranged to get whatever licenses he needed. Surely with his popularity, he could have scraped together the money. I'll bet he could have found somoene to do the paperwork for him.

"Basically, making liquor without a license is a tax violation. "

Eric, I believe that moonshine makers versus the government go all the way back the the Whiskey Rebellion of the late 1700's.

Regarding bootlegging and sticking it to the man, a listen to Steve Earle's song "Copperhead Road" is in order.

Bolie, what's your take on Tim Geithner's tax cheating, considering your statement regarding violating the law and getting punished?

I think it's pretty sleazy to have a bunch of tax cheats in the government (though Geithner's may have been a mistake as opposed to intentional - not that he should be excused any more than anyone else would be). But the fact that Geithner got away with his tax non-payment doesn't mean that everyone else should, too. A society won't function if people only obey the laws they feel like obeying. We should obey the law unless it is truly, strongly immoral and we should first try to change laws we don't like before violating them. Also, if you choose to violate a law that you don't like, you have to accept the penalty and be willing to be an example. "I don't agree with that law" is not a defense, nor should it be.

I think popcorn sutton gives true meaning to what a mountain legend truley is he a great and wonderful person sure he made liquor but that was what he knew and i bet the liquor they got didn't get poured out on the groud anyway the JUDGE and the REVS probably took some home with them for ther big partys. Mrs Sutton my heart goes out to you and your family we will miss him a good friend in Georgia. Terry W.

I think popcorn sutton gives true meaning to what a mountain legend truley is he a great and wonderful person sure he made liquor but that was what he knew and i bet the liquor they got didn't get poured out on the groud anyway the JUDGE and the REVS probably took some home with them for ther big partys. Mrs Sutton my heart goes out to you and your family we will miss him a good friend in Georgia. Terry W.