Mandatory minimum sentencing - another "gift" of the war on drugs

[ThinClient]

No.. Dave asked to be shown voters who demanded mandatory minimums, and I did that.

And even when applied to violent crimes, mandatory minimums still has the effect described in the OP of limiting a defendants right to trial.

How so? It requires 3 convictions. It's not 3 arrests, it's court convictions. They get a fair trial for each arrest and they're allowed to appeal.

 

[Vic]

I don't care about weed, I care about ending the War on Drugs™. Legalizing only weed does nothing to end the War on Drugs™.

It's a pretty good step I'd say.

 

[Darwin333]

I would legalize most but not all drugs - there are some so inherently dangerous that it makes no sense to legalize them. Besides, if there's a sufficiently large selection of legalized drugs, I doubt that those that remain illegal would cause significant black markets.

But I would regulate the legalized drugs the same way tobacco and alcohol are regulated, with additional controls intended to ensure purity and accurate dosage. Furthermore, I would allocate a large proportion of the tax proceeds to funding free drug education and detox programs.

Exactly this.

 

[Darwin333]

Sounds like just another pothead that wants your weed legalized, and don't really care about the bigger picture. There's really no point in legalizing weed, and not at the least decriminalizing the others.

Oh please do tell, exactly what is the "bigger picture"?

This should be entertaining...

 

[Darwin333]

i like ca's version.
3rd felony conviction = auto life in prison

So you like paying shittons of money to lock up completely non-violent people for life? You like living in the country that has the most people incarcerated than ANY OTHER NATION ON EARTH both per capita AND total (and this includes China which has like 8 times our population)?

Why do you suppose Americans are so much more violent and criminal than the rest of the world, both developed and undeveloped?

I bet you also think that we are taxed to much, am I right?

 

[Howard]

I would legalize most but not all drugs - there are some so inherently dangerous that it makes no sense to legalize them.

Which is probably why even those drugs should be legalized. A facility under tight scrutiny of USP regulations would be a much, much better source of safe drugs than some underground lab.

Or do you mean that people are more likely to abuse certain hard drugs? In that case I would ask why alcohol and nicotine haven't been made illegal (for the most part), and why you think that existing law has made any difference in terms of controlling the abuse of those drugs.

 

[Vic]

How so? It requires 3 convictions. It's not 3 arrests, it's court convictions. They get a fair trial for each arrest and they're allowed to appeal.

Oregons measure 11 mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines apply to the first conviction.

 

[Jhhnn]

I don't care about weed, I care about ending the War on Drugs™. Legalizing only weed does nothing to end the War on Drugs™.

It ends the war on marijuana, the major component in the WoD. That's far from nothing. As Vic offers, it's a step in the right direction. It's not like we have to stop when we get there, either.

 

[nixium]

This is seriously bad. I can't understand why more "conservatives" or the limited government "tea party" isn't up in arms about it. Instead, just focus on the welfare moms and "class warfare"

So the TSA, NSA and mandatory minimums for non-violent offenses. Land of the free/home of the brave indeed!

 

[Zodiark1593]

Crimes against your fellow man should be in a class on its own compared to offences like drug possession. Slap the druggies with a fine, and cut off any welfare (unless druggie goes into rehab), the be on our way. For petty theft and other such crimes, fines are to be paid to the damaged party. If the criminal cannot pay, community service shall be performed to earn the amount needed to cover the fine.

Actively malicious crimes like armed robbery, murder, rape, and otherwise threatening civilians with injury or death shall be given no quarter. (life sentences )

 

[shabby]

Crimes against your fellow man should be in a class on its own compared to offences like drug possession. Slap the druggies with a fine, and cut off any welfare (unless druggie goes into rehab), the be on our way. For petty theft and other such crimes, fines are to be paid to the damaged party. If the criminal cannot pay, community service shall be performed to earn the amount needed to cover the fine.

Actively malicious crimes like armed robbery, murder, rape, and otherwise threatening civilians with injury or death shall be given no quarter. (life sentences )

Please... logic and politics don't mix.

 

[xj0hnx]

Oh please do tell, exactly what is the "bigger picture"?

This should be entertaining...

What would be "entertaining" about it? The bigger picture as in weed isn't the only drug, duh, and the problem isn't just potheads, duh. I thought you were smarter than that, was I wrong?

 

[Lithium381]

Which is probably why even those drugs should be legalized. A facility under tight scrutiny of USP regulations would be a much, much better source of safe drugs than some underground lab.

Or do you mean that people are more likely to abuse certain hard drugs? In that case I would ask why alcohol and nicotine haven't been made illegal (for the most part), and why you think that existing law has made any difference in terms of controlling the abuse of those drugs.

I agree, legalize EVERYTHING. Though, I don't think i'd force the amount of regulations that most might think it should have. ANY black market creates unnecessary "crime". If someone wants it, they're going to get it; why create the underground that thrives on it? Also, I wouldn't tax it highly either. . . but that's just me.

 

[umbrella39]

No politician is ready to end the war on drugs altogether. As others have stated... ending the war on marijuana is a good start. Empty our jails of every person who is serving time for smoking, possessing, and/or selling a plant.

 

[master_shake_]

gotta keep that prison industrial complex going somehow...

 

[umbrella39]

Those numbers are sickening. So many things to love about this great country but this is certainly not one of those things...

 

[master_shake_]

Those numbers are sickening. So many things to love about this great country but this is certainly not one of those things...

quick post 10 of those things to love, im curious

 

[Howard]

quick post 10 of those things to love, im curious

Stuff is cheap.

 

[glenn1]

These minimum sentencing laws are wholly, undeniably beyond the point where they became fucking insane. Well beyond the point. Normally you expect to see such sentencing idiocy in hell hole nations like the old Soviet Union. National embarrassment and should be squashed immediately.

Fuck no are we going to do away with minimum sentencing laws. The public has seen too often how judges and attorneys bring their political beliefs into the courtroom and pervert any sense of justice. Bleeding heart idiot Progressives would free Mumia Abu-Jamal and evangelical Conservatives would excuse away the abortion clinic murderers. If we can't make perfect sentencing decisions, the public is going to demand we err on the side of too long.

 

[Lepton87]

And here I thought that the law in my country was bad, I'm appalled to see that the so called 1st world countries have it WAY worse. But what it all comes down to is that we have to bribe a judge, you have to bribe a prosecutor. Bribing the police works too and it is far cheaper in most cases.

 

[PokerGuy]

I don't see any problem with those cases. You get convicted of a felony not once, not twice, but three times, you deserve to be in jail for a long time. If you're caught and convicted of 3 felonies, more than likely you've committed a bunch more.

 

[Jhhnn]

Fuck no are we going to do away with minimum sentencing laws. The public has seen too often how judges and attorneys bring their political beliefs into the courtroom and pervert any sense of justice. Bleeding heart idiot Progressives would free Mumia Abu-Jamal and evangelical Conservatives would excuse away the abortion clinic murderers. If we can't make perfect sentencing decisions, the public is going to demand we err on the side of too long.

That doesn't mean minimum sentencing has to be as draconian as at present. Hell, the examples in this thread tell us that, and are executed many times over at the State & Federal level.

 

[xj0hnx]

I don't see any problem with those cases. You get convicted of a felony not once, not twice, but three times, you deserve to be in jail for a long time. If you're caught and convicted of 3 felonies, more than likely you've committed a bunch more.

Maybe, but it is fucking obscene that someone gets more time for getting caught three times with some personal weed, than someone that is driving drunk and kills a family of four. It is absolutely fucking stupid.