Obama frees inmaters serving time for crack cocaine-related offenses

[ClosedCaption]

Clarence Aaron, a non-violent drug offender sentenced to three life terms when he was 24 years old, will finally be freed after twenty years behind bars.

Along with seven other people serving time for crack cocaine-related offenses, President Obama commuted Aaron’s sentence on Thursday, after a two-decade long imprisonment that might have ended sooner if not for a federal official mismanaging his case.

Aaron has been imprisoned since 1993 for his role in a crack cocaine deal. Though it was his first offense, and he was not the drug dealer, supplier or buyer, Aaron, who was 24 at the time, received a harsher sentence than anyone convicted in connection with the case. All eight individuals granted clemency were sentenced under drug laws the penalized crack cocaine offenses 100 times harsher than powder cocaine offenses. That disparity was narrowed in 2010, when Congress passed the Fair Sentencing Act, which reduced the ratio of crack to powder sentences to 18 to 1 instead of 100 to 1. All of the individuals granted clemency Thursday have served more than fifteen years in prison, according to the White House.

Aaron’s case, considered a strong candidate for clemency a decade ago, was ultimately mishandled by Ronald L. Rodgers, the Justice Department official handling his case, according to an Inspector General’s report. Rodgers is now head of the Pardon Office at the Justice Department.

Reporting by Dafna Linzer, now the managing editor at msnbc digital, prompted the IG investigation into Aaron’s case. The investigation found Rodgers had witheld key information when he advised the White House against granting Aaron clemency. Both the prosecutor’s office and the judge who sentenced him had recommended that Aaron’s sentence be commuted, information Rodgers left out of the application because, in the Inspector General’s words, Rodgers’ work was was “colored by his concern” that “the White House might grant Aaron clemency presently and his desire that this not happen.”

In his statement announcing clemency, President Obama said “Commuting the sentences of these eight Americans is an important step toward restoring fundamental ideals of justice and fairness. But it must not be the last.”

Good as I mention here pretty often this is real world stuff.

This guy was sentenced to 3 life terms and he was NOT the drug dealer. Didnt kill anyone or anything. The crack laws vs powder cocaine sentences were 100 to 1. Now they've reduced it to 18 to 1 which is still bullshit.

Now because Obama is black and the people he is freeing are black. You will hear some awesome race baiting coming from the right anytime now about his policies....Just kidding...About blacks.

Americas Justice system

 

[SwimExpert]

Next, release everyone in prison for crack.

 

[jasonnfree]

Clarence Aaron, a non-violent drug offender sentenced to three life terms when he was 24 years old, will finally be freed after twenty years behind bars.

Along with seven other people serving time for crack cocaine-related offenses, President Obama commuted Aaron’s sentence on Thursday, after a two-decade long imprisonment that might have ended sooner if not for a federal official mismanaging his case.

Aaron has been imprisoned since 1993 for his role in a crack cocaine deal. Though it was his first offense, and he was not the drug dealer, supplier or buyer, Aaron, who was 24 at the time, received a harsher sentence than anyone convicted in connection with the case. All eight individuals granted clemency were sentenced under drug laws the penalized crack cocaine offenses 100 times harsher than powder cocaine offenses. That disparity was narrowed in 2010, when Congress passed the Fair Sentencing Act, which reduced the ratio of crack to powder sentences to 18 to 1 instead of 100 to 1. All of the individuals granted clemency Thursday have served more than fifteen years in prison, according to the White House.

Aaron’s case, considered a strong candidate for clemency a decade ago, was ultimately mishandled by Ronald L. Rodgers, the Justice Department official handling his case, according to an Inspector General’s report. Rodgers is now head of the Pardon Office at the Justice Department.

Reporting by Dafna Linzer, now the managing editor at msnbc digital, prompted the IG investigation into Aaron’s case. The investigation found Rodgers had witheld key information when he advised the White House against granting Aaron clemency. Both the prosecutor’s office and the judge who sentenced him had recommended that Aaron’s sentence be commuted, information Rodgers left out of the application because, in the Inspector General’s words, Rodgers’ work was was “colored by his concern” that “the White House might grant Aaron clemency presently and his desire that this not happen.”

In his statement announcing clemency, President Obama said “Commuting the sentences of these eight Americans is an important step toward restoring fundamental ideals of justice and fairness. But it must not be the last.”

Good as I mention here pretty often this is real world stuff.

This guy was sentenced to 3 life terms and he was NOT the drug dealer. Didnt kill anyone or anything. The crack laws vs powder cocaine sentences were 100 to 1. Now they've reduced it to 18 to 1 which is still bullshit.

Now because Obama is black and the people he is freeing are black. You will hear some awesome race baiting coming from the right anytime now about his policies....Just kidding...About blacks.

Americas Justice system

It's a step in the right direction. Kudos to Obama. We spend on average $40k a year incarcerating people so let's use the prisons for those that are a danger to society.

 

[JakeStarkey]

War on Drug failed. Surrender. Redo the laws. Decriminalize and allow certain drugs to be marketed, regulated, and taxed.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Why does putting some cocaine in a microwave with some baking powder make it 18 times more illegal, let alone 100x?

 

[Katzndogz]

3 life terms. There is way more going on than what we see in this little bit.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Why does putting some cocaine in a microwave with some baking powder make it 18 times more illegal, let alone 100x?

Perhaps because it was HIGHLY more addictive? Lead to crime problems? Ruins how many lives? Ya lets legalize it.

Now if you believe the race hustlers the reason crack was so punished and not powder was cause white people do powder and blacks do crack.

Drugs are not a victimless crime, unless you want the Government to pay for all addicts fixes it causes crime because the addict won't or can't work and needs that fix somehow.

 

[ClosedCaption]

3 life terms. There is way more going on than what we see in this little bit.

Yeah, the more you're alluding to is racism

 

[ClosedCaption]

Why does putting some cocaine in a microwave with some baking powder make it 18 times more illegal, let alone 100x?

Perhaps because it was HIGHLY more addictive? Lead to crime problems? Ruins how many lives? Ya lets legalize it.

Now if you believe the race hustlers the reason crack was so punished and not powder was cause white people do powder and blacks do crack.

Drugs are not a victimless crime, unless you want the Government to pay for all addicts fixes it causes crime because the addict won't or can't work and needs that fix somehow.

Perhaps or perhaps not. Since no one has explained WHY it gets 100 times worse its up to interpretation. Only, you seem to only believe that YOUR interpretation is the only one available.

I find it funny that you still find the nerve to go after the so called "race hustlers" but see no problem with the sentencing laws running 100 to 1 vs powder cocaine

I'm sure your outrage is just like receiving a sentence 100 times worse. FOH

 

[Moonglow]

States have no room for more prisoners. Local jails are housing inmates waiting for a spot in prison and losing money on payments from the state.
Yet the CIA is one of the largest governmental group that allows the drug trade to their allies.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Now because Obama is black and the people he is freeing are black. You will hear some awesome race baiting coming from the right anytime now about his policies....Just kidding...About blacks.

Americas Justice system

Wrong...the race baiting is coming from the left...Black_Man 1...beat you to it.
"Free OUR people he says..."

 

[ClosedCaption]

Now because Obama is black and the people he is freeing are black. You will hear some awesome race baiting coming from the right anytime now about his policies....Just kidding...About blacks.

Americas Justice system

Wrong...the race baiting is coming from the left...Black_Man 1...beat you to it.
"Free OUR people he says..."

Who? STFU idiot

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Now because Obama is black and the people he is freeing are black. You will hear some awesome race baiting coming from the right anytime now about his policies....Just kidding...About blacks.

Americas Justice system

Wrong...the race baiting is coming from the left...Black_Man 1...beat you to it.
"Free OUR people he says..."

Who? STFU idiot

Go to hell jerk.
Black_Man1....he is a poster, he already made a thread on this. And in that thread he made it all about race.
Oh yeah...go F*ck yourself while your at it.
Call me an idiot jackass.

 

[TakeAStepBack]

War on Drug failed. Surrender. Redo the laws. Decriminalize and allow certain drugs to be marketed, regulated, and taxed.

Hell froze over today. Fake made a correherent point that I 'almost' agree with.

 

[ClosedCaption]

Wrong...the race baiting is coming from the left...Black_Man 1...beat you to it.
"Free OUR people he says..."

Who? STFU idiot

Go to hell jerk.
Black_Man1....he is a poster, he already made a thread on this. And in that thread he made it all about race.
Oh yeah...go F*ck yourself while your at it.
Call me an idiot jackass.

Oh please so some guy somewhere said something about race. Then you run into my thread because obviously a black guy somewhere represents black guys everywhere.

I heard a Tranny say he/she likes to molest kids. IamwhatIseem...stop molesting kids

 

[TakeAStepBack]

This brought to mind something i've been meaning to look into. The actual net costs of incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders on taxpayers. I'll get on it.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Who? STFU idiot

Go to hell jerk.
Black_Man1....he is a poster, he already made a thread on this. And in that thread he made it all about race.
Oh yeah...go F*ck yourself while your at it.
Call me an idiot jackass.

Oh please so some guy somewhere said something about race. Then you run into my thread because obviously a black guy somewhere represents black guys everywhere.

I heard a Tranny say he/she likes to molest kids. IamwhatIseem...stop molesting kids

Are you being obtuse or just dumb?
YOU said in your introduction...and I quote..."You will hear some awesome race baiting coming from the right..."
To which I said...your too late..someone from the left already made a thread and is race baiting.
YOU are the one that insinuated that race baiting would come from the right.
Geez

 

[ClosedCaption]

Go to hell jerk.
Black_Man1....he is a poster, he already made a thread on this. And in that thread he made it all about race.
Oh yeah...go F*ck yourself while your at it.
Call me an idiot jackass.

Oh please so some guy somewhere said something about race. Then you run into my thread because obviously a black guy somewhere represents black guys everywhere.

I heard a Tranny say he/she likes to molest kids. IamwhatIseem...stop molesting kids

Are you being obtuse or just dumb?
YOU said in your introduction...and I quote..."You will hear some awesome race baiting coming from the right..."
To which I said...your too late..someone from the left already made a thread and is race baiting.
YOU are the one that insinuated that race baiting would come from the right.
Geez

In this thread or did you think I meant on planet earth?