I recently entered a guilty plea for a client in a jurisdiction approximately 45 miles from Atlanta. The client was charged with the sale of a $20 bag of marijuana (less than an ounce) to an undercover police officer (the entire transaction was visually recorded by a hidden camera). Possession of a $20 amount of marijuana is a misdemeanor punishable by 12 months in prison/on probation. Sale of marijuana of any amount is a felony punishable by 10 years in prison or on probation. The original plea offer by the prosecution was for 5 years probation and 180 days imprisonment in a detention center. The client had no previous conviction and was 21 years old (a high school graduate). After obtaining several character letters (including one from a local city council member), the judge (whom I have known for over 20 years) sentenced the client to 5 years straight probation as a first offender (no record of conviction after the probation is complete). This case was one of many involved in a $20 marijuana purchase price police sting. These cases tied up valuable police and judicial time for a crime that is being de-criminalized throughout the country. These cases were a waste of time and criminal justice resources, but they made fine money for the Criminal Industrial Complex (police, courts and punishment systems). Legal tip Of The Day: Citizens (NAACP,100 Black Men and similar organizations) need to organize court watch programs to insure that real crimes are prosecuted rather than the squandering of time and resources on cases that dont threaten the property and safety of people in the community.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 21:18:28 +0000
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