How to Make a Felon

The Marijuana Policy Project notes that teenagers arrested in Palm Beach County, Florida, for selling small amounts of marijuana, MDMA, or cocaine to undercover agents may face up to 15 years in prison. The government arranged for the sales to be completed within 1,000 feet of school property, making the marijuana sales third-degree felonies (punishable by sentences of up to five years) and the MDMA and cocaine sales second-degree felonies (punishable by sentences of up to 15 years). The local state attorney plans to prosecute all the kids as adults. "It's a crime that doesn't deserve juvenile prosecution," a spokesman explained.

Comments

[Adam]

"It's a crime that doesn't deserve juvenile prosecution,"

..or any prosecution, in fact.

[Mo]

I wonder if the Marion Barry defense will work for these kids?

"The pig set me up!"

[zeroentitlement]

And you can just believe that's the most heinous crime going on at any given moment in Palm Beach County. Small-time weed sales. Yessiree.

[kwais]

There has to be some way to make these city officials accountable for stuff like that.

[kanabiis]

I would like to know the full story on this. Its implied that the officers lured these kids into selling them drugs.

Was that truely the case?

Were these 10 students already the local dealers at this particular school or is this another case of hey bro, you think you could find me a joint? Your under arrest!

If that was the case the parents of these students need to get them a competent attorney, entrapment is still a legal defense. (look for that to change though)

It disturbs me to hear that they specificly used location to agravate the charges. I would imagine the 'undercover' cops were not the typical TV cop, but young females that look 16. Who at that age wouldn't find a hot 16 year old a joint if requested. It seems to be the standard operating procedure for a operation like this. So much its become cliche for TV writers, and we know how they love to steal right from the headlines.

You would think they would try to solve real crimes, but of course, that would require work.

[Mark Draughn]

I don't understand how people can do stuff like that. What kind of person wants to imprison a teenager for 15 years for a victimless crime?

A few months in prison will get someone's attention. Five years in prison is a life-changing event: It derails all your plans for your life, but with persistence and help you can recover.

But fifteen years? Lord, that will ruin a you. Whatever you wanted to do with your life, whoever you wanted to spend it with, who you wanted to be. All gone.

I imagine they won't get the maximum, but that's a scary amount of time to have over your head.

[jc]

What kind of person wants to imprison a teenager for 15 years for a victimless crime?

The kind of person who wants to become a cop, judge, priest, legislator, soldier, school teacher...

[Pavel]

It disturbs me to hear that they specificly used location to agravate the charges.

Depends where they were. The biggest emergent effect of "1000 feet of school or church" type laws is that in many cities, every square inch is 1000 feet within a school or church. So it just targets urban (read: poor, black) locations.

[Isaac Bartram]

There has to be some way to make these city officials accountable for stuff like that.

Actually, kwais, I think this is the sort of thing that guarantees the reelection of officials like this.

[Boomer Bust]

And what gets me is the damn boomer bastards who keep these laws on the books know better cause they all shot up/snorted/smoked when it was their turn.

[Cameron]

There are many things the government does that I dislike, but the drug war seems to have the greatest capacity to be truly appalling. The more I read about the drug war and the more I understand about it, the more it strikes me as being evil. I mean, 15 years?! What kind of asshole legislates that, and what kind of asshole enforces it? Here's hoping they only get 5.

[Isaac Bartram]

Here's hoping they only get 5.

Here's hoping the the case is dismissed because of entrapment and all the cops are disciplined, and these kids get a huge wrongful arrest award.

Hey, as long as we're hoping.... 🙂

[smacky]

What kind of person wants to imprison a teenager for 15 years for a victimless crime?

The kind of person who wants to become a cop, judge, priest, legislator, soldier, school teacher...

Being a teenager is the modern-day equivalent of being a "witch" in Salem.

Not quite children, so no leniency.
Not quite fully developed adults, ergo, many people feel it best to take away all their rights.

[fyodor]

Boomer Bust,

If you're right that drug criminalization is the fault of the boomers, then we can at least assured of legalization not very far in the future.

[ryan]

>> Here's hoping they only get 5.

Really? I'd kind of prefer 15, honestly. A few years of prison rape and being taught that the only way to survive is to become violent at an instant, and with no prospects of getting a real education (because there's nothing we hate more than people trying to turn their lives around), and these kids aren't going to be any use to society. If you're going to put someone in a 19th century Turkish prison, at least be smart about it and don't let them out ever.

[Cameron]

"If you're going to put someone in a 19th century Turkish prison, at least be smart about it and don't let them out ever."

True enough, but my comment was really meant to express my bitterness about the whole situation, since five years in prison could easily ruin a person's life. Then again, I am not sure what kind of message it would send to the children if these kids were to simply go free.

[Ken Shultz]

There are kids smoking and selling marijuana right outside of a high school, right here in America?!

Why are we talking about jail time?--Why don't we just execute them?

...and their parents too!

[Boomer Bust]

fyodor, it's not that criminalization is their fault, it's that they should know better. Even with two partying presidents we're still pretending that drugs, even marijuana, are mind enslaving with one use.

The fogies who were afraid of the darkies and greasers smoking the evil weed back in the 1930s can be excused by their ignorance, but no one born in the US after 1950 has an excuse for beliveing in the government propaganda about drugs, unless they're complete idiots.

[zeroentitlement]

>>>what kind of message it would send to the children

[Rick Barton]

"The government arranged for the sales to be completed within 1,000 feet of school property, making the marijuana sales third-degree felonies..."

The government is so adept at needlessly ruining lives.

[Akira MacKenzie]

"The fogies who were afraid of the darkies and greasers smoking the evil weed back in the 1930s can be excused by their ignorance, but no one born in the US after 1950 has an excuse for beliveing in the government propaganda about drugs, unless they're complete idiots."

Sure they do: It was all a big mistake. When the boomers discovered that they had to get jobs and that the fogies still made all the hiring and poltical decisions, they cleaned up and loudly renouced their hippy ways. When the cash and the condos started rolling in, they started to believe their own deception. (And, lets' be frank, the Boomers also became afraid of the "darkies" and "greasers" too.) To them, becoming "drug-free" led to the "good life."

It's an excuse, not a good one, but the boomers feel it's justified.

[Pepe]

Isn't a little ironic that they are using a law (extra penalty for selling near a school) that is designed to "protect the children" to in fact destroy the children's lives.

You know why those kids were probably selling in front of a school? Because they F-ing go there! How is it that at 15 you are not considered old enough to drive or vote or drink a beer but if you break the law you are suddenly an adult? Seems like that's just the government having their cake and eating it too.

[SteveInClearwater]

I'd appreciate support from anyone that would like to join us in writing the area newspapers...You can drop me a mail by mousing over my ID.

We grimly note that if I as an adult went on to public school grounds and asked a teen to help me score illegal drugs, I would be charged as a felon even if no transaction took place.

But if I was carrying a police badge, it's all good.

That is what happened. The police hired paid actors and sent them into the school to buddy up with the targeted teens - in many cases using opposite sex attraction - and then conspire with them to commit a felony.

Unfortunately, the only way they get off using an entrapment defense is if they are brave enough to go to trial.

More likely they will be charged as adult felons, given a plea offer of 1 year in county or 1-3 in state prison, and they will leap at the chance to avoid the risk of 15 years.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

I wonder if these cops/prosecutors truly contemplate the consequences of these drug "crimes" vs. the severity of the punishments. Or do they simply get off on the big bust/convictions?

[Aleana]

Mr. Nice Guy,

I'm sure many of these cops are only thinking of themselves, after all these busts could lead to a promotion/better salary. Who cares if some kids go to jail? [/sarcasm]

[andy]

Fucking sick. This is a perfect example of the sickness of our country where the mainstream doesn't bat an eye at the injustice of this. Fuck the Puritans and fuck Big Brother. Fuck a revolution, for it won't help. All we can hope for is Armaggedon. And may it be quick and painless.

[fyodor]

it's that they should know better

I agree. And so should everyone else.