Is Michigan's Drug Law Too Tough?

cbs ^ | 12-29-04

[LouAvul]

Here’s a question. How does a young college student who’s never been in trouble with the law before wind up behind bars for life – with no chance for parole?

Well, if you said he must have committed murder or something, you’d be wrong. This particular college student was convicted of selling cocaine.

As Correspondent Lesley Stahl first reported in 1996, even though this was his very first offense, mandatory sentencing laws dictated that he get life in prison, without the possibility of parole.

In 1996, David Lester was an inmate in Michigan, the state with the harshest mandatory sentences for selling cocaine. When Lester was a college senior and a professional boxer, he was convicted of selling about $18,000 worth of the drug.

During this time behind bars, he's seen guys convicted of violent crimes, like rape and armed robbery, get out while he has stayed behind. "Even rape with a pedophile, someone with a little boy or a little girl, they get out," said Lester. "And I sit here and I do life."

[MikefromOhio]

do the crime, expect to do the time....

he knew the rules going in....

[samtheman]

"It took the entire United States Army, and they went and got Manuel Noriega," says Lester. "He's the kingpin. But I'm doing more time than Noriega. Now anyone with common sense would tell you that something is wrong with that picture."

I have to agree with the guy. This is plain not fair.

[goldstategop]

I agree... its too extreme when murderers and rapists do a few years in prison and then get out. It doesn't mean though that we should relax sentences on drug kingpins. Au contraire, I'd like to see dealers get the death penalty along with murderers and terrorists. If you knew it would cost you your life, maybe then you wouldn't sell illegal hard drugs to kids.

[rivets]

All the drug laws are a joke. It's the government who is bringing the stuff in in the first place. War on drugs is a joke. JFK was the biggest speed-freak going and he was running our country during critical times. Bush did his fair share of drugs but nobody says anything about him. The biggest junkies are the people who preach about how bad drugs are for you but don't think anything about using themselves. If it were a Kennedy that sold the coke you can be assured he wouldn't do one day of time.

[joesnuffy]

He's right it isn't fair the violent rapists and pedophiles should be executed

[goldstategop]

Liberals make excuses for criminals and blame society. The way I look at it, the criminal has to pay for what he did and society doesn't deserve to be assaulted. That's why I want to see criminals do hard time. So society gets the benefit of the doubt.

[Jay Howard Smith]

do the crime, expect to do the time....

Exactly..!...We dont know how many lives his drugs ruined.....How many families were destroyed....I dont want these people coming to me for sympathy.

[Jaxter]

"It's the government who is bringing the stuff in in the first place...Bush did his fair share of drugs but nobody says anything about him."

Just out of curiosity, what planet are you from?

[ShadowDancer]

That's why I want to see criminals do hard time

I agree but how do you reconcile this charge warranting more time behind bars than a murder?

[Jay Howard Smith]

.but why should people whose "lives have been ruined" by taking this bozzo's drugs warrant sympathy?

I never said they did deserve sympathy....I said their lives have been ruined. There must be consequences for actions all around. I personally knew several children (under age or 12) who were introduced to this stuff by guys like this...!...They are trying to enrich themselves and expense of our kids...!...Throw away the key...!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mental]

Just out of curiosity, what planet are you from?

It's called "college."

[MikefromOhio]

bye bye trollie

[AmericaUnited]

This is too extreme but $18,000 worth is not exactly a "dime bag". That's enough size for something like 500-1000 people.

[LadyDoc]

he wasn't selling a couple of hits to a fellow college student, he sold a huge amount...which means he was selling cocaine to other pushers...

How many lives did he destroy? How many babies were aborted thanks to mom's cocaine use? How many children brain damaged? How many children abused, mistreated, or neglected by their druggie parents?

And don't lecture me. I have seen too much of this...the last "drug death" in my practice was a child killed by druggie mom and/or her druggie boyfriend (not the father of the kid) a couple weeks ago...

[Gil4]

Are there any RELIABLE reports of Bush doing drugs, or just idiots like you making things up?
(I have only seen the latter.)