If Johnny Cash shot a man in Reno, Nev., "just to watch him die" why was he incarcerated in San Quentin prison in California?

He never "shot a man in Reno" nor was he incarcerated in San Quentin or any other prison. Although Cash carefully cultivated a romantic outlaw image, he never served a prison sentence. Despite landing in jail seven times for misdemeanors, each stay lasted only a single night. His most infamous run-in with the law occurred while on tour in 1965, when he was arrested October 4 by a narcotics squad in El Paso, Texas. The officers suspected he was smuggling heroin from Mexico, but found instead 688 Dexedrine capsules and 475 Equanil tablets that the singer had hidden inside his guitar case. Because the pills were prescription drugs rather than illegal narcotics, he received a suspended sentence.

The singer was in Folsom Prison. San Quentin is in Marin County, not the same place. Maybe he shot more than one man, and it was catchier and more familiar to sing about Reno instead of National City or Tarzana.

Depends on the nature of the crime. If it was a felony (in that it violated federal law) then he could be sentenced to any federal penitentiary in the US regardless of where the crime was committed. If he violated state law, then he would be sentenced to a state prison--and so, to your point, would not have been sent to California unless Nevada and California have some sort of prisoner-swapping deal. It actually is not very uncommon--in New England, for example, many states allow people on probation or parole to serve their time in neighboring states.

Johnny Cash, despite his "outlaw" image, never served any prison time in any State. He had a few overnight stays in jails or sheriffs stations for things like possession or drunk and disorderly.

His songs were just that - songs. You don't need to have actually shot someone to write a song saying you did.

Richard

Richard

Johnny Cash did not really shoot a man in Reno. But he did get caught with prescription drugs that were not his. He was in prison for about 1 year.

Because its a song written by somebody who wasn't concerned about making a legally accurate story because it wasn't a true story.

He's also not in San Quentin, he's in Folsom. Still a CA State prison, but not the same.

REALLY? It was JUST a song. The only time Johnny Cash was in prison was to sing to the inmates. But then I feel you already knew this.

Maybe it's slang for Moreno Valley??

Cash was never incarcerated. The worse thing he did was cause a forest fire when his truck engine ignited.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Cash