Free Republic

“They treat him like a dangerous criminal.” Judith Minor has had to live with that reality for the last 13 years—ever since her son Ricky disappeared behind the bars of Yazoo City Jail in Mississippi because he had drugs worth a handful of dollars on him. He was sentenced to life without parole—something his 76-year-old mother just cannot fathom. But his case is no exception in the US justice system. It could be a pair of socks, a slice of pizza—many petty thieves serve life sentences in the US. Ricky Minor’s offense was carrying one gram of methamphetamine. … “These...

<p>SANTA BARBARA, California (AP) -- A career criminal was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison under California's three-strikes law for stealing $11 worth of wine, lip balm and breath freshener.</p> <p>Superior Court Judge Frank Ochoa called Ronald Herrera, 57, one of the worst criminals to pass through his courtroom, and prosecutor Darryl Perlin said: "He's what the three-strikes law is all about."</p>

The U.S. Supreme Court is going to decide whether California's three-strikes law is constitutionally amiss, and maybe you think this is an easy call. After all, the California law is different in one important regard from the laws in the 25 other states that allow for lengthy prison sentences after a third felony conviction. It permits prosecutors to treat a third offense as a felony even if it is a crime that ordinarily would be treated as a misdemeanor. Thus it is that someone who has done nothing more serious than steal golf clubs can end up with a sentence...