How $31 of pot gave mom a 10-year-prison sentence

[hornadylnl]

Read that back to yourself. Pull back just a little and read it. If you do, you'll see that you're making our point, way, way better than we can.

Scary.

They're just following orders, dontcha know?

 

[hornadylnl]

BTW, I've never touched a single joint, bong, one hitter, etc. The closest I've ever come to pot was some dudes down the row from me at an AC/DC concert when I was 13. I'm 34 now.

The fact that my employer forbids it does more to prevent me from trying it than any law on the books. I work in a factory with high voltage and very dangerous equipment. I don't want a person next to me whose judgment has been altered by alcohol or drugs. It should be the employers right to determine whether someone wants to smoke a doobie on their own time. If Bob, the convenience store clerk wants to toke away, how does that harm me? Having a good career and a well paying job is way more important to me than dope. It's a choice I make for myself. I don't need a nanny enforcer looking over my shoulder to make that choice for me.

 

[Fletch]

BTW, I've never touched a single joint, bong, one hitter, etc.

Same.

 

[Love the 1911]

BTW, I've never touched a single joint, bong, one hitter, etc. The closest I've ever come to pot was some dudes down the row from me at an AC/DC concert when I was 13. I'm 34 now.

The fact that my employer forbids it does more to prevent me from trying it than any law on the books. I work in a factory with high voltage and very dangerous equipment. I don't want a person next to me whose judgment has been altered by alcohol or drugs. It should be the employers right to determine whether someone wants to smoke a doobie on their own time. If Bob, the convenience store clerk wants to toke away, how does that harm me? Having a good career and a well paying job is way more important to me than dope. It's a choice I make for myself. I don't need a nanny enforcer looking over my shoulder to make that choice for me.

So are you "just following orders" also?

I follow orders, it's kind of necessary to keep my job and continue to feed my family. If some idiot puts me in a position that I need to take enforcement action, that's not on me. It's completely on them. Selling drugs is illegal. Don't sell, possess, or use drugs and I can't do anything to you. Truth is, if you are a smart drug user, you will probably get away with it forever. The only time you are likely to get caught is when you have drugs in the car. Don't smoke it or roll it in your vehicle and the likelyhood of me knowing it's there or has been there is very small. Like I said, I don't go digging for this crap but in order to keep my job, I have to act when it's put right in front of me. I'm sure there are aspects of your job that are not fun but you have to do to ensure you keep your job and keep your work area safe. If you notice someone is high/drunk, would you report them to your supervisor? Or would that be meddling in their business and you would just hope no one found out you knew if an accident happened.

I also have never smoked the crap. I don't understand those that do as the smell is completely heinous both before and especially after it is burnt.

 

[hornadylnl]

So are you "just following orders" also?

I follow orders, it's kind of necessary to keep my job and continue to feed my family. If some idiot puts me in a position that I need to take enforcement action, that's not on me. It's completely on them. Selling drugs is illegal. Don't sell, possess, or use drugs and I can't do anything to you. Truth is, if you are a smart drug user, you will probably get away with it forever. The only time you are likely to get caught is when you have drugs in the car. Don't smoke it or roll it in your vehicle and the likelyhood of me knowing it's there or has been there is very small. Like I said, I don't go digging for this crap but in order to keep my job, I have to act when it's put right in front of me. I'm sure there are aspects of your job that are not fun but you have to do to ensure you keep your job and keep your work area safe. If you notice someone is high/drunk, would you report them to your supervisor? Or would that be meddling in their business and you would just hope no one found out you knew if an accident happened.

I also have never smoked the crap. I don't understand those that do as the smell is completely heinous both before and especially after it is burnt.

In my job, I have ZERO power to exercise authority over someone else. I have ZERO power to put them in jail. So you will jail gun owners once guns are banned to feed your family? I will not abuse the liberty of others for my own personal gain.

At my work place, we have hydraulic presses with 750 tons of capacity. If I were working on it and my coworker was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, yes I would report them. They'd most likely be fired but again, I have ZERO authority to arrest them.

 

[Love the 1911]

In my job, I have ZERO power to exercise authority over someone else. I have ZERO power to put them in jail. So you will jail gun owners once guns are banned to feed your family? I will not abuse the liberty of others for my own personal gain.

At my work place, we have hydraulic presses with 750 tons of capacity. If I were working on it and my coworker was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, yes I would report them. They'd most likely be fired but again, I have ZERO authority to arrest them.

Hypothetically, if guns were banned and someone had the lack of sense to get caught with one, I would arrest them. If someone is a convicted domestic batterer and they let it be known to me that they have guns, I will confiscate them and file charges.

Thankfully, I don't see guns becoming illegal during my life (especially if I keep speaking my mind on INGO, someone may track me down). I also don't see marijuana becoming legal in my life.

 

[lashicoN]

So why is the right to bear arms in the Constitution? Could it be because the crafters of the Constitution realized that if it wasn't actually protected, it could be outlawed? Why do we, as gun owners, always state our 2nd Amendment rights instead of stating that there's nothing in the Consititution that outlaws gun ownership? If the Constitution doesn't limit the government, the government will expand, like a parasite.

Several people didn't want a bill of rights for this exact reason. We aren't limited to only those ten rights. Read up on the debates about drawing up the Bill of Rights. Interesting stuff.

While I don't disagree with this...I still cannot for the life of me...understand why people continue to risk it.

Is it really worth it? Risking selling (or buying) a few pot plants and chance 10 years in prison.

If you enjoy listening to music, watching a movie, eating food (especially fruit), or INGO then yeah, it is a nice enhancer once in a while with minimal down sides apart from the risk of going to jail for 10 years because some people don't like this specific plant. The benefit doesn't outweigh the risk, but the risk is small if you're not a total idiot...so my friend tells me, anyway.

Hypothetically, if guns were banned and someone had the lack of sense to get caught with one, I would arrest them. If someone is a convicted domestic batterer and they let it be known to me that they have guns, I will confiscate them and file charges.

Thankfully, I don't see guns becoming illegal during my life (especially if I keep speaking my mind on INGO, someone may track me down). I also don't see marijuana becoming legal in my life.

I don't mean this as any sort of threat, but this line of thinking is why I own several firearms now and I'm prepared to use them when the day comes on people who think it's OK to deprive me of self defense while they disarm me at gunpoint. I wouldn't try to get caught with anything illegal, but if I'm backed into a corner, the gun on my hip isn't there to make me look cool. It's there to defend my life, and that includes my way of life.

 

[E5RANGER375]

Thankfully, I don't see guns becoming illegal during my life (especially if I keep speaking my mind on INGO, someone may track me down). I also don't see marijuana becoming legal in my life.

are you really old? because i see both happening soon (pot & guns). i wont ever give up my guns alive to anyone and I do know a lot of people who wont either, and not just talk about it.

if they outlaw guns, I wouldnt wanna be one of the guys coming to get them from people. just saying. sometimes money isnt the most important thing in life. & sometimes a worthless cause isnt worth it either. I have cop buddies that I KNOW beyond a shaddow of a doubt wont confiscate guns. thems the good guys

 

[IncendiaryGunner]

While I don't disagree with this...I still cannot for the life of me...understand why people continue to risk it.

Is it really worth it? Risking selling (or buying) a few pot plants and chance 10 years in prison.

Because the chance of getting caught is slim to none.

Only a few people in the big picture will be punished. The vast majority of people that use marijuana will never be caught.

Simple sociology - it is not a crime that is deterred by the punishment or chance of being caught. Even giving this lady 10 years in jail will not deter people from using illegal drugs - because in their minds the chance of getting caught is low.

It is like speeding. We all know speeding is illegal - but most drivers speed anyway. Even though most drivers have been given a ticket in the past, the vast majority of the times that they sped, they were not punished - making them realize the chance of them being punished for speeding is slim.

That is why the war on drugs will always fail, and will always continue to cost us more money as population increases - because more people will use marijuana as population increases.

 

[Love the 1911]

are you really old? because i see both happening soon (pot & guns). i wont ever give up my guns alive to anyone and I do know a lot of people who wont either, and not just talk about it.

if they outlaw guns, I wouldnt wanna be one of the guys coming to get them from people. just saying. sometimes money isnt the most important thing in life. & sometimes a worthless cause isnt worth it either. I have cop buddies that I KNOW beyond a shaddow of a doubt wont confiscate guns. thems the good guys

People don't seem to read what I've been writing. Perhaps because I place it in long responses. I have had many stops where people have been armed. When I was brand new, I disarmed one guy. That won't happen again. I have yet to run one serial number from a gun that was not involved in some other crime (ran one for an INGO member at their request once), and have never checked someone's LTCH. There's a big difference between actively looking for a crime and having one put in your face.

I try everyday to make a positive difference in my community. I try to make all my decisions go toward that goal. There are aspects of my job that I don't always like doing. Writing speeding tickets to the tune of $150 for someone going 15-20 over the limit is not enjoyable but something that I must do occasionally. Bringing a kid back to central Indiana from Lake County for a Minor Consuming Alcohol charge that lead to a probation violation is something that I was ordered to do but did not enjoy. I try to balance adherance to the law with the cost to taxpayers when deciding what kind of enforcement action to take. Non-violent offenders typically find themselves sent on their way with a summons (exception=OWI, no sleep lost for those). Those who are intoxicated in public typically find a ride home in my car as long as they aren't acting a fool leading to a call that lead me to them.

When my job becomes one that is not effective at making a positive difference in my community, I will resign. When I am required to take enforcement action on citizens for exercising rights, I will resign.

 

[rambone]

So why is the right to bear arms in the Constitution? Could it be because the crafters of the Constitution realized that if it wasn't actually protected, it could be outlawed? Why do we, as gun owners, always state our 2nd Amendment rights instead of stating that there's nothing in the Consititution that outlaws gun ownership?

Some of the founding fathers did not even want to lay out a "Bill of Rights" -- not because they didn't support the contents of the BoR, but because they thought it was too dangerous to enumerate certain rights, and not enumerate others. They thought that people would eventually think that anything not on the list, was not an American right and would be too easily infringed. They turned out to be right.

They ended up laying out the BoR after all, and the 2nd Amendment was included because they agreed that a handful of things were too important to ever be confused as "not a right."

ETA: I see that LashicoN said the same thing a few posts earlier.

If the Constitution doesn't limit the government, the government will expand, like a parasite.

And it has.

The constitution was good, but it wasn't perfect. The tyrants in charge twisted and gnawed at the document until our government has turned into this monster, despite the founders' best efforts to prevent it.

 

[grizman]

People don't seem to read what I've been writing. Perhaps because I place it in long responses. I have had many stops where people have been armed. When I was brand new, I disarmed one guy. That won't happen again. I have yet to run one serial number from a gun that was not involved in some other crime (ran one for an INGO member at their request once), and have never checked someone's LTCH. There's a big difference between actively looking for a crime and having one put in your face.

I try everyday to make a positive difference in my community. I try to make all my decisions go toward that goal. There are aspects of my job that I don't always like doing. Writing speeding tickets to the tune of $150 for someone going 15-20 over the limit is not enjoyable but something that I must do occasionally. Bringing a kid back to central Indiana from Lake County for a Minor Consuming Alcohol charge that lead to a probation violation is something that I was ordered to do but did not enjoy. I try to balance adherance to the law with the cost to taxpayers when deciding what kind of enforcement action to take. Non-violent offenders typically find themselves sent on their way with a summons (exception=OWI, no sleep lost for those). Those who are intoxicated in public typically find a ride home in my car as long as they aren't acting a fool leading to a call that lead me to them.

When my job becomes one that is not effective at making a positive difference in my community, I will resign. When I am required to take enforcement action on citizens for exercising rights, I will resign.

Here we have a rare example of Officer Discretion as a primary daily tool.
This is the way it used to be, think what you may, this attitude is a good thing.
In my exp the officers showing this attitude and that practice this doctrine on duty, are a dieing breed that still have honor and integrity at the core of their personal principals.
This is also one of those rare moments when I say, "Sir, I salute you for you service to the people and for your honesty and fairness in the performance of your duty!"

 

[PatriotPride]

I said that's what I'm paid to do. Digging for stuff and chasing it is different than having it thrown in your face, like the marijuana arrests I've made. If they would order that guns be taken away, I will refuse to go look for them. If they are illegal and I find one sitting on the floorboard of someone's car, I have little choice but to act on what I see.

Read that back to yourself. Pull back just a little and read it. If you do, you'll see that you're making our point, way, way better than we can.

Scary.

I agree. Have we not seen this attitude time and time again be responsible for the worst atrocities in history?

Hypothetically, if guns were banned and someone had the lack of sense to get caught with one, I would arrest them.

I wouldn't advise attempting it---not an insult to you, just a concerned observation. From your posts, you seem very much an officer we need on the streets. I'm just...baffled at your line of reasoning here. Never will I obey an unConstitutional order, "legal" or not.

 

[dross]

are you really old?

Dude, you kill me. You crack me up about once a day.

 

[Fargo]

$31 bucks of pot didn't put this woman in prison; being a drug dealer who used children in her trade and had them around did.

All thoughts on simple possession and use of marijuana aside, dealing drugs is currently a far different proposition. It brings in incredible violence and danger as well as association with extremely violent and dangerous people. Include a kid in that activity and I couldn't care less if they throw away the keys.

Remember the two Moms and kids that got whacked here in Indy on Hovey street in a pot robbery gone bad?

IMO, claiming this was over $31 of weed is intellectually dishonest.

Joe

 

[josh25]

Wow! Ten years for marijuana... I agree it is against the law, just blows my mind when theres convicted child molesters in my community that get 6 months. Where are our priorities.

 

[dross]

$31 bucks of pot didn't put this woman in prison; being a drug dealer who used children in her trade and had them around did.

All thoughts on simple possession and use of marijuana aside, dealing drugs is currently a far different proposition. It brings in incredible violence and danger as well as association with extremely violent and dangerous people. Include a kid in that activity and I couldn't care less if they throw away the keys.

Remember the two Moms and kids that got whacked here in Indy on Hovey street in a pot robbery gone bad?

IMO, claiming this was over $31 of weed is intellectually dishonest.

Joe

But it was selling the pot that got her arrested. The kids were just a factor that contributed to her higher sentence.

Dealing marijuana is dangerous BECAUSE it is illegal. To make something dangerous by making it illegal when it shouldn't be, then to punish someone because they exposed kids to the danger caused originally by the law itself is the height of irony.

 

[Fargo]

Ten years for dealing drugs with you kids is NOT the same as "ten years for marijuana"...

Also, I'm really curious to hear the names of these people you know who allegedly were convicted of Child Molesting and got 6 mos. Really really curious...

Joe

 

[Fargo]

But it was selling the pot that got her arrested. The kids were just a factor that contributed to her higher sentence.

Dealing marijuana is dangerous BECAUSE it is illegal. To make something dangerous by making it illegal when it shouldn't be, then to punish someone because they exposed kids to the danger caused originally by the law itself is the height of irony.

Its not the height of irony at all. If you choose to commit a dangerous act that you know to be illegal with your children present, you are a sorry excuse for a human being and a parent.

Say I wanted to sell illegal machineguns and have my kids around. Selling machineguns isn't wrong in itself but selling them illegally with children around and exposing them to that danger absolutely is.

Once again, this is not about possession or use of marijuana. This is about dealing illegal drugs with your kids around.

I have no problem with you or anyone else trying to legalize pot. I have a huge problem with piece o' crap parents like this.

This woman wouldn't be in prison if she hadn't involved her kids. Claiming 31 bucks of weed is what put her there is intellectually dishonest.

Plus, California has proven you wrong about legalization and danger of dealing. A little google will show you the amount of crime surrounding CA's legal dealing program. There is a reason you can't have your kids around while you work a liquour store. Legal pot peddling is vastly more dangerous.

Joe

.

 

[lashicoN]

Ten years for dealing drugs with you kids is NOT the same as "ten years for marijuana"...

Also, I'm really curious to hear the names of these people you know who allegedly were convicted of Child Molesting and got 6 mos. Really really curious...

Joe

lol OK, not to defend a dealer here (but someone has to say this around here) but it wasn't like the lady was letting her kid light up a joint while she had him clipping the leaves off of her plants. She asked the kid to make change...

Did your mom ever ask you to get into her purse when you were a kid? Did she ever purchase or sell flowers in your presence? Should she have gone to jail for it if the government decided they didn't like yellow flowers?

Our last three Presidents have admitted to smoking these illegal flowers. How much jail time did they get? 30 years all together? Nope. They went on to become the President where it appears all three continued to smoke on the job right before they gave any speech.