Feel any safer? I sure as shit don't.
While hardened murderers go free, federal authorities have caught a woman who escaped from prison over 30 years ago while doing time for a drug offense she was only marginally involved in. After being convicted of the 1975 incident in Michigan, she was sentenced to 10 to 20 years - but busted out in 1976. Now she's been captured in California - and believe it or not, they're now making her serve the rest of her sentence.
What?!?!?!
First, the crime she was charged with was a frame-up by police to begin with. Further, her involvement in it was minimal: She just happened to be in the same car as a friend who was involved in a drug deal. Not only that, but others who were convicted of the same type of offense were getting only probation. The woman hasn't been in trouble at all in the 32 years since her escape.
What purpose does it serve to make someone serve another 9 to 19 years for minor involvement in a nonviolent offense from 1975? How much of 1975 can you even remember even if you were around? Think for a moment: 1975 was a damn long time ago! That was so long ago that at least one member of Congress wasn't even born until then.
America must not have any real crime at all if the Bush regime is worried about a minor drug incident from 33 years ago. What? It does? Then how about going after real criminals instead?
Given the circumstances, I don't see how any reasonable person could think it's a good idea to make the escaped woman serve the rest of her sentence. But I'm sure someone will come here babbling about how we must be soft-on-crime hippies and talking about "prima facie" like they did on the old blog when I criticized the anti-pseudoephedrine law. Wingnuts support the failed War on Drugs to medicate their appetite for vengeance (though it never cures it). Vengeance against what, I don't know, but it's vengeance against something.
(Source: http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-53/120948445529860.xml&storylist=newsmichigan)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Woman caught for drug offense from 33 years ago
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The woman was raised by religious fanatics, which probably contributed to her initial drug use in the first place.
ReplyDeleteThey also need to investigate what the age of majority in MI was at the time. She was only 19 when she was first arrested..a few states didn't lower the age of majority from 21 to 18 until after 1975. If she was not legally an adult, how can they give her adult time??
I agree with you that it's 18 everywhere and "the law can't make it higher"..but i'm just saying..if the state insisted it was 21, they can't have it both ways.