40 Years for Eating a Joint

Loyal reader Brian sent this one in to me from Tyler, Texas Morning Telegraph…
POT EATER GIVEN 40 YEARS IN JOINT

Timothy Wayne Whitlock traded a joint for “the joint” – marijuana for 40 years in prison.

The Troup man was convicted of tampering with evidence Wednesday for eating a “doobie” in front of an officer who stopped him for a traffic violation.

A Smith County jury sentenced the man after about one and one-half hours of deliberation and found him guilty after five minutes of consideration.

The third-degree felony was enhanced to a first-degree felony because of the 31-year-old’s three prior trips to the penitentiary. He faced 25 years to life in prison.

Idiot District Attorneys Joe Murphy and Jason Parrish actually asked for the maximum: life in prison.
Now it certainly appears that Whitlock is no choir boy…

He has two felony burglary of a building convictions and a felony driving while intoxicated conviction. He also has eight misdemeanors, including two driving while intoxicated charges, resisting arrest, fleeing police, two thefts and two possession of marijuana charges.

… and I don’t know Whitlock — he may be the scum of the earth and the personification of evil — but that still doesn’t justify 40 years for eating a joint.
A criminal justice system that allows for such a sentence is cruel, is in violation of basic human rights, is un-American, and is in desperate need of radical reform.
Update: Readers disgusted vet and sixtyfps point out this story, and TalkLeft has more about some that aren’t getting 40 years…

The FBI announced today that criminal charges are being filed against 16 current and former U.S. soldiers, cops, prison guards and an INS agent who allowed 1,230 pounds of cocaine to get through Arizona checkpoints and accepted more than $222,000 in bribes.

As disgusted vet says…

The punchline? They might get PROBATION!