Monday, May 9, 2011

Life for Pot

In case you are wondering why America's prison population has exploded to become the largest in human history, the fact that a Slidell, Louisiana man received a life without the possibility of parole sentence for possession with intent to distribute marijuana might provide some answers.

From the Times Picayune:

Fourth marijuana conviction gets Slidell man life in prison
Thursday, May 05, 2011, 5:51 PM
By Ramon Antonio Vargas

Cornell Hood II got off with probation after three marijuana convictions in New Orleans.

He didn't fare too well after moving to St. Tammany Parish, however. A single such conviction on the north shore landed the 35-year-old in prison for the rest of his life.

State Judge Raymond S. Childress punished Hood under Louisiana's repeat-offender law in his courtroom in Covington on Thursday. A jury on Feb. 15 found the defendant guilty of attempting to possess and distribute marijuana at his Slidell home, court records show.

More here.

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2 comments:

  1. mattMay 17, 2011 at 7:50 PM

    What has happened when these sort of sentences have been tested? Seems straight-up nuts.

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  2. Billy SothernMay 19, 2011 at 2:06 PM

    In general, the court have been reluctant to put limits on the severity of criminal sentences, other than in the death penalty context, where the death penalty has been limited to murder (rather than rape and other crimes) and to defendants who are neither juveniles nor mentally retarded. Recently, the United States did extend the 8th Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment to juveniles who received life sentences for non-homicide offenses. But for adults with life sentences for non-homicide crimes, I suspect there will be a very long wait before the Court takes any action.

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