Fourth marijuana conviction gets Slidell man life in prison

[Sgent]

I just heard about this on talk radio... this DA is off his rockers. Unfortunately, I don't see the LA Supremes nor the 5th Circuit overturning for cruel / unusual.

I should point out that the Judge has no option but to impose the sentence -- its all up to the DA for seeking multiple offender status.

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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.

Hood moved from eastern New Orleans to the Slidell area after he admitted to separate charges of distribution of marijuana and possession with intent to distribute marijuana on Dec. 18, 2009, in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. He received a suspended five-year prison sentence and five years' of probation for each -- which was precisely the same penalty he got in that court after pleading guilty to possessing and intending to distribute marijuana on Feb. 22, 2005.

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2011/05/fourth_marijuana_conviction_ge.html

[TheDebbieDee]

1. This is what "Three Strikes" does for our society - it allows non-violent

offenders to draw life sentences..........

[WhiteTara]

2. and it California, a judge says they must empty

30000 prisoners...I have no doubt that many non violent pot smokers could come out and be part of society instead of being imprisoned paid for by society.

edited for grammar.

[Le Taz Hot]

3. We decrimilized pot in 1978

and passed MM in 1997 so very few people are in prison because of pot in California. Additionally, first-time drug offenders are sent to rehab, not jail/prison. (All of these reforms were achieved via the referendum process.) Just FYI.