Former Federal Judge Regrets 55-Year Marijuana Sentence

Good, I hope you lose sleep at night over this. The perfect karmic justice would be your child, imprisoned for life for having a plant in his back yard.

NBC

"I do think about Angelos,” said Paul Cassell, a now-retired federal judge in the Utah circuit. “I sometimes drive near the prison where he’s held, and I think, ‘Gosh he shouldn’t be there. Certainly not as long as I had to send him there. ... That wasn’t the right thing to do. The system forced me to do it.”

Sorry you feel bad a**hole. People and families are losing everything because of this nonsense. Why don't you do something about it? Unless this guy takes some sort of action against this type of legislation then your just looking for pity points. Your not a victim your a perpetrator.

a reply to: onequestion

Well he IS retired now. He has no more authority on the matter than you or I. Maybe he could pull some strings and get a sitting judge to review the man's case again, but that won't guarantee that his sentence will be overturned.

Though I agree that it is annoying to see the trend that only after cops, lawyers, and judges retire that THEN they regret their sending all these people away to jail for drugs and not during their service. Why can't they regret these things when they are actually doing their jobs?

a reply to: Krazysh0t

He doesn't have authority but he has influence. i don't care about his precious career either.

Why did he become a judge other than to impose moral judgement?

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: onequestion

Well he IS retired now. He has no more authority on the matter than you or I. Maybe he could pull some strings and get a sitting judge to review the man's case again, but that won't guarantee that his sentence will be overturned.

Though I agree that it is annoying to see the trend that only after cops, lawyers, and judges retire that THEN they regret their sending all these people away to jail for drugs and not during their service. Why can't they regret these things when they are actually doing their jobs?

It won't get over-turned. It isn't even the being found guilty that is the problem. And the OP ranting on the judge and calling him names is even worse. This is what happens with mandatory sentencing, the actual problem. This is what happens when you let legislators decide how to punish offenders instead of leaving it in the hands of courts.

"The system forced me to do it"

What a steaming pile of nonsense.

Justify it whatever way you want, sir, but you were "forced" to do nothing.

Wee if he has influence, he could ask for a presidential pardon for that man, could he not? I mean sheez, there's always something that can be done.

I find it telling, and sad, that the man has remorse for the fact that he knowingly ruined peoples lives over sentences that did not fit the crimes committed.

He knew it was wrong, yet did nothing to stop it or at the very least he could have refused to participate. Because contrary to his apparent thoughts, no body forced him to sit on his bench and ruin others lives.

Now, why did he do nothing. Since he knew it was wrong and feels bad for doing it why not do something.

OHHHHhh, right. I guess because he didn't want to lose his financial compensation he just kept his big fat hypocritical mouth shut and kept cashing the paychecks.

I hope Karma tears him to shreds.

a reply to: onequestion

When will their jobs be less important than our freedom?

a reply to: onequestion

55 years in prison, with no possibility of parole.

That is an absolute disgrace , there is no way any right minded individual could think that is in any way proportionate to the offence committed , poor kid.

This never would have happened with Sharia Law...

Yeah and I'm sure the person he sentenced regrets it even more.

...and I think, ‘Gosh he shouldn’t be there.

Wow. Seriously?

Is this even for real?

@MrSpock...exactly...why not do something?

Heinous.

a reply to: onequestion

Did you miss where he said, "The system forced me to do it."?

Stop supporting the system! That means not voting Democrat/Republican!

a reply to: onequestion

Gosh he shouldn’t be there. Certainly not as long as I had to send him there. ... That wasn’t the right thing to do. The system forced me to do it.

"Iraq has WMDs - lets send our youth over to free the crap out of them"........."what??, no WMD's, gosh the system made me do it"...........said the Rumsfeld / Cheney / Bush posse".

"The guy in the wheelchair threatened me so I shot him, and his dog - the system traumatized me and made me do it"...... said the trigger happy cop to the judge.

"What difference does it make"........said the twat with the promiscuous husband.

Gosh, accountability appears to be a recommendation only when it comes to US public servants vested with power to control lives.

50 years for a joint - what an effin joke.

a reply to: Sublimecraft

The system forced me to do it.

Coward. Total coward.

I sometimes drive near the prison where he’s held, and I think, ‘Gosh he shouldn’t be there. Certainly not as long as I had to send him there. ... That wasn’t the right thing to do. The system forced me to do it.”

If I had destroyed a persons life I'd be doing more than just sometimes saying 'gosh' about it. I'd sure in all heck be trying to fix it. Him just saying 'gosh' doesn't sit well with me.

originally posted by: CharlieSpeirs
This never would have happened with Sharia Law...

That religious law is much harsher than the secular laws we have.

Err,

wait.

The system forced him to do it?

Isn't the judge supposed to be the person making the decisions on what the system is forcing?

Are things really so far gone that the person in charge of making decisions can't make a decision themselves, and instead have to use the complex lawyer vs lawyer system to effectively decide for them based on prior rulings?

Oh wait, I think I answered my own question.


This guy? He should be strung up with the rest of them.

a reply to: lordcomac

Hes a total coward. Simple as that.

a reply to: FlyersFan

It was sarcasm...

But let's look at perspective...

100 lashes...
Or 55 years in a cage with the potential of daily gang rape...



"Harsher" is subjective!

a reply to: onequestion

Check this out.

a reply to: ~Lucidity

That makes my heart heavy just reading that.

We have to do something about it. Not only is this judge a coward we are all cowards for allowing this injustice on our watch.

This is why people have no respect for the justice system and the police.