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A Zealous Prosecutor of Drug Criminals Becomes One Himself
New York Times ^ | February 14, 2005 | RALPH BLUMENTHAL

Posted on 02/16/2005 10:37:03 AM PST by Scenic Sounds

PAMPA, Tex., Feb. 9 - No one prosecuted the war on drugs in the Texas Panhandle more zealously than Richard James Roach. As the blustery and hot-tempered Republican district attorney for five counties overrun with methamphetamines, he had eked out an election victory in 2000 vowing a crackdown and was soon gleefully reeling off the harsh sentences he had wrung from juries: 36 years, 38 years, 40 years, 60 years, 75 years - even 99 years. "I think it's quite clear that the good citizens of this district are fed up with drugs," he said.

He had barely missed riding the issue to victory in an earlier race. "My campaign is centered around doing something with the dope dealers," he told a local newspaper in 1996, complaining that "it's kind of hard to fight drugs when you've got dirty law enforcement."

But of all the quarry brought down by drugs in the district's 4,600 square miles of achingly flat oil fields and cattle rangeland northeast of Amarillo, the biggest by far was the stunned figure clapped into handcuffs by F.B.I. agents in the Gray County courthouse here one morning last month: the $101,000-a-year prosecutor himself, Rick Roach.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: drugwarrior; govwatch; hypocrite; jackbootedthug; jbtgetshis; justdeserts; rinowatch; stillagoodman; warondrugs; wodlist
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"I just sort of, you might say, went nuts; I made irrational and wrong decisions," he said . . .
1 posted on 02/16/2005 10:37:05 AM PST by Scenic Sounds
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To: Wolfie

WOD ping


2 posted on 02/16/2005 10:38:31 AM PST by bassmaner (Let's take the word "liberal" back from the commies!!)
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To: Scenic Sounds

oooooooh he is going to have a hard life in prison


3 posted on 02/16/2005 10:39:11 AM PST by Mr. K (this space for rent)
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To: Scenic Sounds; Dane; Cultural Jihad

This article is sure to warm the hearts of the pro-drup crowd.


4 posted on 02/16/2005 10:40:40 AM PST by ClintonBeGone (In politics, sometimes it's OK for even a Wolverine to root for a Buckeye win.)
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To: ClintonBeGone

That should be pro-drug.


5 posted on 02/16/2005 10:41:27 AM PST by ClintonBeGone (In politics, sometimes it's OK for even a Wolverine to root for a Buckeye win.)
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To: Mr. K

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely." Small town DA's have enormous power and are relatively unchecked except for elections in which most people just see the bottom line numbers.


6 posted on 02/16/2005 10:41:56 AM PST by One Proud Dad
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To: Scenic Sounds
he had eked out an election victory in 2000 vowing a crackdown and was soon gleefully reeling off the harsh sentences he had wrung from juries: 36 years, 38 years, 40 years, 60 years, 75 years - even 99 years. "

So he gets sentenced in a few months and I'm sure he gets a slap on the wrist. And of course, he'll be begging for mercy like all of the other drug addicts who he put in prison for the rest of their lives... I hope he gets as much mercy as he was willing to give.
7 posted on 02/16/2005 10:43:08 AM PST by Stone Mountain
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To: Scenic Sounds
Roach, huh? The name sorta fits. This is straight out of "The Dukes Of Hazzard." J.D Hogg would be proud of this boy's gumption. He nearly got away with it.

Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."

8 posted on 02/16/2005 10:46:39 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: Scenic Sounds

*Disclaimer - this is not an endorsement of vigilantism

However, it would be divine justice to see him killed in jail by some of the drug users he put there. 99 years for using a drug, that's not justice, that's fascism.


9 posted on 02/16/2005 10:47:37 AM PST by thoughtomator (If Islam is a religion, so is Liberal!)
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To: PaxMacian; WindMinstrel; philman_36; headsonpikes; cryptical; vikzilla; libertyman; Quick1; ...

Karma ping.


10 posted on 02/16/2005 10:48:04 AM PST by Wolfie
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To: ClintonBeGone

Pro-drug and pro-freedom are not the same thing.


11 posted on 02/16/2005 10:50:52 AM PST by coloradan (Hence, etc.)
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To: Scenic Sounds

And dopers of the world rejoice!


12 posted on 02/16/2005 10:52:21 AM PST by MisterRepublican (Liberalism kills.)
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To: thoughtomator; Stone Mountain
However, it would be divine justice to see him killed in jail by some of the drug users he put there.

Doubful. He pled guilty to possesion of a firearm while being a drug user. Three other charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement, including possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Those charges could have brought an additional 41 years and $2.25 million in fines.

So it goes for the wealthy and well-connected.

13 posted on 02/16/2005 10:53:32 AM PST by Wolfie
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To: ClintonBeGone
This article is sure to warm the hearts of the pro-drup crowd.

Just one more WOD crook. You like to call anyone who opposes the corrupt WOD pro drug. When will dupes wake up to the fact that the WOD is a corrupt criminal assault on the Constitution? The WOD protects drug dealers and the criminals like this guy who support them. This guy wasn't protecting your children...He was getting rid of the competition!
...
14 posted on 02/16/2005 10:54:27 AM PST by mugs99 (Restore the Constitution)
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To: ClintonBeGone
to Scenic Sounds; Dane; Cultural Jihad

Dane was a bad boy and is currently on a time-out from FR.

15 posted on 02/16/2005 10:55:01 AM PST by jmc813 (Fiesta in the making at the Moontower)
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To: MisterRepublican
And dopers of the world rejoice!

From the article:


16 posted on 02/16/2005 10:57:08 AM PST by Scenic Sounds (Sí, estamos libres sonreír otra vez - ahora y siempre.)
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To: Wolfie

Damn, this pisses me off.


17 posted on 02/16/2005 11:04:58 AM PST by muggs
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To: muggs

DAs don't go down hard. Its like the guy busted last month with "distribution" quantities of weed. They pinned it on his wife, and let him off the hook.


18 posted on 02/16/2005 11:06:32 AM PST by Wolfie
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To: jmc813
Dane was a bad boy and is currently on a time-out from FR.

Thats ok, there are still plenty of sane folks around to take on the pro-druggies.

19 posted on 02/16/2005 11:10:39 AM PST by ClintonBeGone (In politics, sometimes it's OK for even a Wolverine to root for a Buckeye win.)
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To: Wolfie
He pled guilty to possesion of a firearm while being a drug user.

Then will he be sentanced under Project Exile guidelines? He deserves it more than many others who have.

20 posted on 02/16/2005 11:11:53 AM PST by MileHi
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