"The average sentence for a first time non-violent drug offender convicted under the federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws...

...is now longer than the average sentence for rape, child molestation, bank robbery and manslaughter."

That's the first line in the closing credits of a really good movie called Snitch which is in Redbox right now.

I started watching that movie but it got so depressing I quit and fed it back into the redbox. Life is getting too depressing without seeing just how far down the hole we are and this movie goes there.

TEOTWAWKI wrote:I started watching that movie but it got so depressing I quit and fed it back into the redbox. Life is getting too depressing without seeing just how far down the hole we are and this movie goes there.

I thought it was an excellent film. The story of it was based loosely on a PBS Frontline episode of a few years ago.

It's just more evidence that we didn't learn a thing from the failure of the last Prohibition. The one now is equally destructive to society.

Bob wrote:...is now longer than the average sentence for rape,  child molestation,  bank robbery and manslaughter."

That's the first line in the closing credits of a really good movie called Snitch which is in Redbox right now.

What is the minimum violation for a drug dealer to become a Federal Case?

As you know, most states, Florida was the first, have Drug Courts which allows simple possession cases and similar cases to avoid a criminal record if the violator complies with the requirements.

As you know, most states, Florida was the first, have Drug Courts which allows simple possession cases and similar cases to avoid a criminal record if the violator complies with the requirements.


You really really really do not know what you are talking about. You imply that every county and every state have drug courts and pretrial diversion programs for small use of drugs. Clueless. An engineering student at a university was caught with 11 prescription pills which he did not have a script, and less than 2.5 grams of pot, and they are going to give this kid a felony for those 11 pills which were in his car. I know the kid. My daughter sees kids getting felony hits every day for victimless non violent crimes which involve personal use of illegal drugs. You live in an Ivory tower.

Don't tell me your controllers are getting that portion of the Oligarchy which has built private prisons to have you speak for them against the end of prohibition 2.......it is an utter failure. The drug war needs to end, and some folks need to get honest jobs.

2seaoat wrote:As you know, most states, Florida was the first, have Drug Courts which allows simple possession cases and similar cases to avoid a criminal record if the violator complies with the requirements.


You really really really do not know what you are talking about.  You imply that every county and every state have drug courts and pretrial diversion programs for small use of drugs.  Clueless.   An engineering student at a university was caught with 11 prescription pills which he did not have a script, and less than 2.5 grams of pot, and they are going to give this kid a felony for those 11 pills which were in his car.   I know the kid.   My daughter sees kids getting felony hits every day for victimless non violent crimes which involve personal use of illegal drugs.  You live in an Ivory tower.

Don't tell me your controllers are getting that portion of the Oligarchy which has built private prisons to have you speak for them against the end of prohibition 2.......it is an utter failure.  The drug war needs to end, and some folks need to get honest jobs.

Actually you are right and I was wrong. I said MOST STATES have Drug Courts. That is not correct. EVERY state now have drug courts. To find fault because EVERY COUNTY doesn't have one is foolish.

If this kid hasn't seen or acknowledged the massive Florida crack down on illegal possession of pain killers, he'd have never made it through engineering school.

The kid had to have done something to get stopped. After getting stopped, the police had to have stopped him because they suspected he had been drinking. If he hadn't been drinking they smelled the marijuana he was smoking. If he was smoking marijuana, they had probable cause to search his car. On top of that he had illegal pain killers in his possession. Really, how bright is this kid?

Probably with a good attorney, he can plead this down to a misdemeanor for $5,000 or $10,000 and MAYBE, just MAYBE he'll have learned his lesson. MAYBE he can go to drug court and quit the stuff.

As for an ivory tower. No, I don't live in one, I've just never smoked marijuana or done any other illegal drugs. Not that I've never been curious, I've just never wanted to risk my future and fail those to whom I have responsibilities.

I feel sorry for the kid, but no one held a gun to his head and told him to do something so stupid.

Probably with a good attorney, he can plead this down to a misdemeanor for $5,000 or $10,000 and MAYBE, just MAYBE he'll have learned his lesson. MAYBE he can go to drug court and quit the stuff.


Sadly, the safety net you think is there is not going to save this kid. Good parents with good jobs, student is a straight a student, the state will not reduce the charges to misdemeanor, and he is going to take a felony hit.....our jails are full of non violent drug offenders......we have a virtual standing army, and Barney Frank is on Bill Mahr last Friday saying we need more police.....Joe biden.....more police......the President....more police, the Republicans historically have been supportive of more police, so as the politicians try to out more police the other side.....lo and behold we are putting A students in the classification of convicted felons....yep....he had the joint and some non scripted drugs......11 pills....a felon......this system is broken.

2seaoat wrote:Probably with a good attorney, he can plead this down to a misdemeanor for $5,000 or $10,000 and MAYBE, just MAYBE he'll have learned his lesson. MAYBE he can go to drug court and quit the stuff.


Sadly, the safety net you think is there is not going to save this kid.  Good parents with good jobs, student is a straight a student, the state will not reduce the charges to misdemeanor, and he is going to take a felony hit.....our jails are full of non violent drug offenders......we have a virtual standing army, and Barney Frank is on Bill Mahr last Friday saying we need more police.....Joe biden.....more police......the President....more police, the Republicans historically have been supportive of more police, so as the politicians try to out more police the other side.....lo and behold we are putting A students in the classification of convicted felons....yep....he had the joint and some non scripted drugs......11 pills....a felon......this system is broken.

More to this than you're telling or than he is telling. Most likely, priors.

More to this than you're telling or than he is telling. Most likely, priors.

Very perceptive. One joint in his car as a junior in high school, the charge was adjudicated in Juvenile Court, he did his community service, and he is now a 19 year old sophomore in College with straight As..........A juvenile record however should not stop a pretrial diversion, or alternative sentencing other than hitting the kid with a felony. Cowboy SA racking up felony convictions, no pretrial diversion, no drug court, just whack and stack kids who experiment with pot and some prescription drugs....I am not making excuses....he should be punished.....but a felony....nope.

2seaoat wrote:More to this than you're telling or than he is telling. Most likely, priors.

Very perceptive.  One joint in his car as a junior in high school, the charge was adjudicated in Juvenile Court, he did his community service, and he is now a 19 year old sophomore in College with straight As..........A juvenile record however should not stop a pretrial diversion, or alternative sentencing other than hitting the kid with a felony.   Cowboy SA racking up felony convictions, no pretrial diversion, no drug court, just whack and stack kids who experiment with pot and some prescription drugs....I am not making excuses....he should be punished.....but a felony....nope.

So he's been a druggie since he was a kid.  His parents ignored the problem and now the kid pays the price.  Sucks to be him.

Call me a cynic but I think there's more to it than that "one joint" as a Jr. in High.

Omigod.  I was just reading a wiki page on the federal drug policy and it jogged my memory on something.  

Secretly, many senior officials of the Reagan administration illegally trained and armed the Nicaraguan Contras, whom were funded by the shipment of large quantities of cocaine into the United States using U.S. government aircraft and U.S. military facilities.[5][6] Funding for the Contras was also obtained through the illegal sale of weaponry to Iran.[7][8] When this practice was discovered and condemned in the media, it was referred to as the Iran–Contra affair.

Don't tell me all this was happening at the same time "mommy" was telling us "just say no".  Did "ronnie" and "ollie" not hear what "mommy" was saying?  And why isn't "ollie" behind bars. lol

Bob wrote:Omigod.  I was just reading a wiki page on the federal drug policy and it jogged my memory on something.  

Secretly, many senior officials of the Reagan administration illegally trained and armed the Nicaraguan Contras, whom were funded by the shipment of large quantities of cocaine into the United States using U.S. government aircraft and U.S. military facilities.[5][6] Funding for the Contras was also obtained through the illegal sale of weaponry to Iran.[7][8] When this practice was discovered and condemned in the media, it was referred to as the Iran–Contra affair.

Don't tell me all this was happening at the same time "mommy" was telling us "just say no".  Did "ronnie" and "ollie" not hear what "mommy" was saying?  And why isn't "ollie" behind bars.  lol

Nope...you're not dreaming, Bob. It's called hypocrisy...Reagan was a master at it.



"Excuse me, Mr. President...your 11:30 photo-op is here...the little girl who sold the most Girl Scout cookies..."          "DAMN".

That's really good parody, tex. I wish lorne michaels and that network had the guts to give the same treatment to obama.

Bob wrote:Omigod.  I was just reading a wiki page on the federal drug policy and it jogged my memory on something.  

Secretly, many senior officials of the Reagan administration illegally trained and armed the Nicaraguan Contras, whom were funded by the shipment of large quantities of cocaine into the United States using U.S. government aircraft and U.S. military facilities.[5][6] Funding for the Contras was also obtained through the illegal sale of weaponry to Iran.[7][8] When this practice was discovered and condemned in the media, it was referred to as the Iran–Contra affair.

Don't tell me all this was happening at the same time "mommy" was telling us "just say no".  Did "ronnie" and "ollie" not hear what "mommy" was saying?  And why isn't "ollie" behind bars.  lol

Strange, most people recalled Iran-Contra because of the growing Benghazi scandal with the dozens of unprotected CIA agents smuggling arms.

As for why he isn't behind bars, perhaps it is because he was granted partial immunity for his testimony before congress and, on his convictions, believe it or not, the ACLU came to his defense.

Just as Lois Lerner should be given full immunity for her testimony before congress so we can get to the bottom of the massive IRS scandal.

If I remember Ollie had the privilege of letting the Osama Bin Laudin Boogeyman out of the bag first. This was a long planned coup d'état to bust the Constitution and lead us into a police/authoritarian/Orwellian nightmare killing the middle class, our factory capability, destroying the family and making us into a 3rd world fiefdom. They done a great job......now we is just.....