Posted on Dec 18, 2020
A homeless man sentenced to life in prison for a $20 marijuana sale is freed after 12 years
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"In 2008, Fate Winslow was approached by a plain-clothed undercover police officer in Shreveport, Louisiana, looking for some marijuana.
Winslow, recently homeless at the time, borrowed a friend's bike and came back 10 minutes later with two small bags of marijuana worth $20, according to the Innocence Project New Orleans, who represented Winslow."
"The officer arrested Winslow. And because Winslow had three prior crimes — a burglary of a business when he was 17 in 1985, a car burglary in 1995 and possession of cocaine when he was 36 — the $20 sale landed Winslow a life sentence, according to IPNO.
On Wednesday, Winslow walked free after his case was resentenced for 12 years, with credit for time already served.
His case highlights the issues within the criminal justice system, IPNO said in a statement."
Winslow, recently homeless at the time, borrowed a friend's bike and came back 10 minutes later with two small bags of marijuana worth $20, according to the Innocence Project New Orleans, who represented Winslow."
"The officer arrested Winslow. And because Winslow had three prior crimes — a burglary of a business when he was 17 in 1985, a car burglary in 1995 and possession of cocaine when he was 36 — the $20 sale landed Winslow a life sentence, according to IPNO.
On Wednesday, Winslow walked free after his case was resentenced for 12 years, with credit for time already served.
His case highlights the issues within the criminal justice system, IPNO said in a statement."
A homeless man sentenced to life in prison for a $20 marijuana sale is freed after 12 years
Posted from ketv.com
Crime
Law Enforcement
Justice
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 4
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I get he had prior crimes but c'mon. $20 worth of marijuana isn't even on the same level of those crimes - and it was a victimless crime at that. Life sentence? It's ridiculous.
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I thought it had to be three prior felony convictions...good to know he got out before Christmas!
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SFC (Join to see)
He did have three - two burglaries and possession of cocaine. But still - shouldn't matter. Also they wasted 12 years of his life on $20 worth of marijuana.
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Age 17 -- burglary of business (1985)
Age 27 -- car burglary (1995)
Age 36 -- cocaine possession (2004)
Age 40 -- sale of marijuana (2008)
Only two crimes, the earliest reported, were property crimes. No innocent victims were threatened with violence in any of his crimes, at least not those reported.
It does make one wonder what his behavior was like, in the long periods between those reported crimes, and whether there were other arrests without convictions, in the intervals between those crimes.
From what was presented, the non-violent nature of his crimes makes a life sentence "cruel and unusual".
Age 27 -- car burglary (1995)
Age 36 -- cocaine possession (2004)
Age 40 -- sale of marijuana (2008)
Only two crimes, the earliest reported, were property crimes. No innocent victims were threatened with violence in any of his crimes, at least not those reported.
It does make one wonder what his behavior was like, in the long periods between those reported crimes, and whether there were other arrests without convictions, in the intervals between those crimes.
From what was presented, the non-violent nature of his crimes makes a life sentence "cruel and unusual".
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