First time marijuana seller gets 55 years

[Airhead]

Use a gun in the commission of a crime, go to prison. Seems excessive, but use can be defined as mere posession of a gun without brandisahing...

I tried to feel bad for him, I really did. But- I'd have felt worse if he'd have shot someone, so I guess we'll see Gun Boy in 55 years.

[lazs2]

so... if he wasn't brandishing the weapon then how did they know that he was carrying it on several occassions?

Was the guy a convicted felon and if he was then what was he doing with a bunch of firearms?  

If he was such a nice clean guy then why was he selling ounces and having 3 lbs at home along with all his stolen guns?   How did he obtain the stolen guns?   Can he prove he bought em in good faith?

My take....  I believe that once you have done your time for any crime whatsoever... you should have all your rights restored... including the right to own firearms..  I also believe that pot should not be illegal or... least not a felony.

I know that what I belive is not what matters in this case.   If I were a felon I would know what type of chance carrying a gun is..  Most fellons don't use guns in drug deals or robberies because of this heavy penalty thing...  Is that a good thing?  It is if you don't want armed crooks.... it stops a huge percentage of em in their tracks.

From the sound of pot boy... we are better off getting him off the streets... who does he think he needs protection from?  guys who buy and ounce of pot?    Are pot heads that violent?  Or... is this guy just a total dirt bag who will eventually escalate his brandishing to pistol whipping or shooting?

selling harmless plant parts?   selling a stolen mercedes is then just selling harmless car parts.

lazs

[dedalos]

Originally posted by Suave
I have firearms in my home, none of them are registered as far as I know. Sometimes I even move them around. Should I go to jail for 55 years?
 

The question is, do you know what the penalty is if you get busted.  If you do then fine.  If you don't and you just 'move them around' and you get busted and hit with some unreasonable penalty that you did not bother to find out what it is in advance, don't come crying here.

I have no problems with guns.  I have problems with idiots carring guns because its their right.  Given that there are too many idiots out there, leave them at home, please.

Thank you

[Mini D]

Lazs... read the judge's summary linked at the bottom of page 2.

The person was not a convicted fellon.  This was his first conviction.  He is being treated as a repeat offending fellon on the premise that he sold the drugs to undercover agents on 3 different occassions (1/2 lb each time).  The undercover agents saw a weapon sitting in the car next to him on one purchase, and were shown the ankle holster on the second.  The issues with the guns at home revolve around the storage of 3lbs of pot there (a felony) and a liberal interpretation of "guns in possession while committing a felony".

The judge's summary does a very good job of explaining just what laws and USSC decisions brought about this ruling.  It's a very interesting read.

[AKS\/\/ulfe]

Originally posted by Drunky
Anyone who posted in this thread is an idiot.

Yay!
-SW

[lazs2]

thanks deja...  I guess it is kinda confusing that he is a "repeat" felon even tho he has only one arrest.

he was seen with firearms on two seperate occasions tho while dealing drugs... why is that?   why show the person you are selling pot to that you are armed?

my position remains..... this guy may be a first time offender in the court system but he is probly a bad guy who carries guns while dealing drugs... we used to do that ourselves but.... just the clean guys..  they convicted felons I knew were very careful to not have guns around even tho it was not as serious decades ago as it is now..  

my take is that if you are not in jail then you are a citizen and should have every right any citizen should have....

My take is that simple possesion or sales of drugs should not be a felony in most cases....

My take is that adding penalties to felonies where a gun is INVOLVED is a good thing.    That means that you are using it to threaten or injure in order to commit a felony.

That is not the way our laws are tho so...   I would still rather see pot boy go down than to let a crapload of socipaths run loose with firearms.

lazs

[Mini D]

It has little to do with the sale of drugs persay... as much as it has to do with the act of committing a felony.

I think situations like this hurt the right to self protection arguments.  Much like that guy in boston that was mugged, bought a gun, then went out looking to get mugged again.  The gun becomes less of a right and more of an amplification device.  Protection from self created situations is definately a grey area.

[lazs2]

selling pot is a lot less "grey" than making yourself a mugging target to me.  

I didn't make the drug laws and in most cases don't agree with em but... the dealers are felons... in most cases they live the life of a felon.  If they carry guns then there is probly a problem.

lazs

[Mighty1]

Funny I was thinking the drug laws were to light.

Just for an example my father inlaw was convicted for growing and selling $1 million worth of pot and only got 3 years for it. He  agreed to go to rehab(why do you need rehab if you are in jail?) for 6 months and they knocked a year off his sentence.

Until just a month ago he was Indiana's biggest drug bust for pot. New guy had $1.2 million worth.

[mora]

At the same time a person with two plants in his closet would get a few years too?

[RTSigma]

Good riddance. If you sell drugs on the street then you're probably a waste of life. I've watched my friends change completely by using drugs and I'm surprised no one laughed at this kid for doing it and getting 55 years.

[mora]

He's certainly a waste of life now.

[RTSigma]

I'm sure he'll make a great girlfriend in prison.