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Supreme Court Lets Stand 55-Year Jail Term
AP & Newsday ^ | 12/4/06 | n/a

Posted on 12/04/2006 2:25:37 PM PST by kiriath_jearim

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Monday let stand a mandatory 55-year prison sentence, condemned as excessive by the federal judge who imposed it, for a man convicted of carrying a handgun during three marijuana deals.

Record producer Weldon Angelos received the minimum sentence under the law -- a harsher sentence than a child rapist or a terrorist who detonates a bomb aboard an aircraft would receive, according to his attorneys. The justices, without comment, left the prison term undisturbed.

Angelos was convicted of 16 counts of violating federal firearms, drug and money laundering laws in 2003. The charges stemmed from his sale of three 8-ounce bags of marijuana to an undercover informant.

He had a gun but never brandished or used it. Nevertheless, the three counts of possession of a firearm in a drug transaction required the mandatory minimum sentence.

Four former attorneys general and 145 former prosecutors and judges wrote in support of a lighter sentence for Angelos. Even the sentencing judge, U.S. District Judge Paul Cassell, an appointee of President Bush, called the sentence "unjust, cruel and irrational." But he said the law left him no choice.

Prosecutors said the sentence was appropriate and an appeals court agreed.

The case is Angelos v. U.S., 06-26.

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


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Government
KEYWORDS: banglist; eighthamendment; excessivepunishment; govwatch; judicary; mandatorysentencing; scotus; wod; wodlist
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To: Smogger
Unjust sentencing like unjust laws foster disrespect for the law.

Amen.

101 posted on 12/04/2006 6:15:18 PM PST by Finny (God continue to Bless President G.W. Bush with wisdom, popularity, safety and success.)
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To: Brilliant

More and more things are becoming felonies these days. Coming soon: Felony jaywalking.


102 posted on 12/04/2006 6:21:22 PM PST by Diverdogz
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There has got to be more to this story.

Without excusing the criminal or his career of living off someone else's addiction--of BEING the monkey on someone's back--this is way off base.

Where is the aggrieved (as in injured)citizen in this?

This IS a case of tax evasion. The government didn't get paid it's due. No tax stamp on the grass.

Still, I'm not the government. If a fellow like that moved in next door and set up shop I wouldn't bat an eye if a group of concerned citizens invited him out for a midnight snack in a cornfield for a chat.
103 posted on 12/04/2006 6:22:51 PM PST by Neo-Luddite ("Don't believe your own bulls*hit, that's the first sign you're in trouble".)
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To: Diverdogz
Holy cow....it really is coming. Felony Jaywalking.
104 posted on 12/04/2006 6:25:45 PM PST by Diverdogz
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To: Strategerist

I do think that the punishment should fit the crime, as do most people. That suggests that make a risk/benefit analysis as they contemplate committing crimes. This is especially so in drug and morals crimes, such as prostitution. The punisment in this case may in fact be harsh, but it was determined by the will of the people through their lawmakers. I guess we don't make all penalties so harsh because we want to do the least necessary to limit that crime being committed. Work to get the law changed if you don't like it, but in the meantime avoid that criminal act if you think the price is too steep.


105 posted on 12/04/2006 7:58:03 PM PST by NCLaw441
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To: Nathan Zachary
Let me repeat what I said before I don't use drugs, I think they're bad all the way around.

Pot use is not harmless, it isn't good for you, in fact smoking pot is just as bad as smoking cigarettes, many of the same chemicals are the same, it often leads to other drug abuses and alcoholism. It leads to crime, it leads to failure in life in general. And it leads to death.

I know it's not harmless, since users tend to hold their 'hit' in longer, they get even more tar than cigarettes. Pot heads also seem to have absolutely no ambition other than to sit around, get high and listen to music. My other point is: Why are cigarettes and alcohol legal when pot isn't? If the laws really meant anything, either pot would be legal or cigarettes or alcohol would not be legal.

I'm still waiting for that link that shows the U.S. gets its pot from Afghanistan. I guess no one in Europe or Asia smokes pot so it all must be coming here huh?

106 posted on 12/04/2006 8:16:02 PM PST by Lx (Do you like it, do you like it. Scott? I call it Mr. and Mrs. Tennerman chili.)
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To: kiriath_jearim
that is funny.... 55 years.. good riddance.

what we need to do is have minimum mandatory sentences for rape, murder, child molesters... then drug thugs won't feel so special...

reminds me of a little event in the past, while in the ER. 3 fellers were brought in by local police and a two Texas Rangers... they had resisted arrest and were being evaluated.

the thugs were joking around a bit as they were cuffed and being sent back to jail... they thought.

the Ranger turned and said, "I don't know what you boys are laughing about. We ain't going to country lock up. We're going to San Antonio so ya'll can appear before the Federal judge."

They were caught with meth, cocaine and a half a shopping bag full of vicodan, percodan, tylox, fentanyl patches. Unfortunately for them they were caught on "school property" at the local Air Force education area.......bwahahahahahaha crossing the park to get to their truck.

so they weren't busted for possession, but for intent to distribute ,all three had pistols and two of them had 2 priors..and at the discretion of the locals were remanded to feds...

the look on their faces was just so..... "precious". One of the Rangers told me the minimum mandatory was..... probably up to 40-50 years for 2 of them and 20 or so for the "lucky" one.

no parole, no get out of jail free card, no sympathy from a judge for being "misguide" choir boys..

sucks to be a criminal sometimes...

107 posted on 12/04/2006 9:01:43 PM PST by Dick Vomer (liberals suck......... but it depends on what your definition of the word "suck" is.)
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To: supercat
Many cases where people are sentenced for multiple counts of a crime having been caught once yield nonsensical results; this is more properly a subject for legislatures to address than judges, but somebody needs to create some logical standards.

Another thing to consider is that in a lot of cases there is more circumstantial evidence of more crime or more serious incidents in which there is not enough evidence for the prosecutor to bring charges on. A good example would be tax evasion on mobsters. Even though they were involved in more serious activity, the best evidence that the prosecutor had was on tax evasion. They go for what they believe will stand up in court. I do not know what other activity this individual was involved in and until I know I won't make a call on this. I do believe that this individual believed that his case would be overturned and therefore turned down a plea bargain of 16 years. You play with fire there is a good chance you're going to get burnt. In most cases I do not have sympathy with the criminal. We just had a case of a person who has been in and out of prison 9 times shoot a policeman in the head at point blank range and kill him and our governor (Gregoire) says that this needs to be reviewed to see how better the state can conduct rehabilitation. Just plain assinine. Incidents like this lead me to have little or no sympathy for the criminal. I would be more than inclined to give the criminal in the drug case a choice. The 55 years in prison or 15 years at hard labor, preferably by that sheriff in Arizona who makes it labor.

108 posted on 12/04/2006 9:08:28 PM PST by taxesareforever (Never forget Matt Maupin)
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To: dead

Well said dead. Well said.


109 posted on 12/04/2006 9:35:31 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Why can't Republicans stand up to Democrats like they do to terrorists?)
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To: paul51
If the gun was not shown or used, no one would know he had it.

Umm, don't you suppose they searched him after they arrested him for the pot?

110 posted on 12/04/2006 9:38:52 PM PST by El Gato
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To: paul51
the court disagreed,

Perhaps not. From the article, I can't tell if the Court denied cert, or ruled against the man. Big difference, although not for him as an individual.

111 posted on 12/04/2006 9:40:28 PM PST by El Gato
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To: paul51
No, it's like adding extra years because he was carrying a firearm. See the difference?

Yeh, wearing a watch is not a Constitutionally protected right.

112 posted on 12/04/2006 9:44:02 PM PST by El Gato
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To: Nathan Zachary
Not only that, but pot supports the Taliban,

Opium, yes. Pot, not bloody likely. The stuff is bulky, hard to ship out of a landlocked mountainous country. Profits not nearly so high as with the poppy product. Opium and it's derivatives do indeed support the Talibunnies, but not pot to any significant degree.

113 posted on 12/04/2006 9:52:41 PM PST by El Gato
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To: Nathan Zachary
This guy was a pot dealer, who also had firearms offences and was involved in money laundering.

Not relevant. He wasn't convicted of the those other crimes. He was convicted of selling pot. The sentencing was "enhanced" because he was carrying a firearm. If he was illegally carrying, he should have been charged, convicted and sentenced for that. The punishment should fit the crime one is convicted of.

BTW, I don't think judges or legislatures should be setting individual sentences. That's a job for a jury. In many states, Texas included, they do it. They tend to be pretty harsh, but also flexible to individual circumstances.

114 posted on 12/04/2006 9:56:08 PM PST by El Gato
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To: Nathan Zachary
Deserves what he got, and it's probably not his first felony rap.

If he was a convicted felon, possessing a gun, let alone carrying one, is a federal offense in and of itself. The issue at hand however is the sentencing for the pot.

The sentence for a simple misdemeanor possession would also be enhanced, should a firearm be present.

Soon it will be an enhancement to speeding and jaywalking too, even it you do have a CHL permit. It is for trespassing for instance, at least in some states.

115 posted on 12/04/2006 9:58:59 PM PST by El Gato
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To: paul51
No, it's like adding extra years because he was carrying a firearm.

Why do you hate guns so much? If the gun had nothing to do with the crime then why do you care if he had one or not?

116 posted on 12/04/2006 10:04:24 PM PST by JeffAtlanta
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To: Nathan Zachary
TONS of HASH and oil comes from there

Hash and oil are not raw MJ. You asserted Pot, which is MJ in most folks vernacular, was being moved from Afghanistan to the US. Now you admit its the much more compact, and much stronger, Hashish and Hashish oil.

117 posted on 12/04/2006 10:06:25 PM PST by El Gato
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To: Mr. Jeeves
He might one day have used it to kill a Democrat politician.

As a criminal drug dealer, and minority member, he was much more likely to vote for a DemonRat than take a shot at one.

118 posted on 12/04/2006 10:08:36 PM PST by El Gato
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To: Smogger
"We wouldn't need mandatory minimum sentancing if people took their responsibility to elect FAIR judges, and those that appoint them (governors) seriously. ...In both cases people are abdicating their democratic responsibility to take the time to make informed decisions, understand policy, and generally just give a damn. "

Well, I agree with you, but it's clear to me that currently the legislature gets more scrutiny in elections than judges do. So not only is the legislature more responsive to the people than the judiciary, but under the constitution, it's the legislature that writes the laws, not the judges. For better or worse, the minimum sentences have been properly legislated, and we do not want judges overturning proper legislation and mandating their own law without a proper legal cause.

If you think the law is too strict, take it up with the legislature. But don't give the judges the ability to overturn every law that they happen to think is unwise. Overturn "unconstitutional" absolutely, but "unwise" is so subjective, that you will cede all legislative power to the whims of the judiciary, and that destroys the checks and balances.

119 posted on 12/04/2006 10:45:21 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: catpuppy

Remember, the guy can STILL be charged at the state level for the same offenses.


120 posted on 12/04/2006 10:50:02 PM PST by Thunder90
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