Random "Drug War" Bill under proposition

Turn in Drug Users, or face jail time - [War on Drugs]

Submitted by scienott on 6/3/2005 11:59:36 PM

H.R. 1528, Defending America's Most Vulnerable: Safe Access to Drug Treatment and Child Protection Act of 2005, is yet another horrible drug war bill that Congress has considered.

Among other things, HR 1528:

--Virtually eliminates the ability of federal judges to give sentences below the minimum sentence recommended by federal sentencing guidelines, essentially creating a mandatory minimum sentence for every federal offense (including both drug and non-drug offenses).

--Expands the federal “three strikes and you’re out” law to include new offenses, including mandating life imprisonment (with no possibility of parole) for anyone convicted a third time under the RAVE Act.

--Mandates a 10-year minimum sentence for anyone 21 or older that gives marijuana or others drugs to someone under 18 (i.e. a 21 year old college students gives a joint to his 17-year old brother). A second offense would be life in prison.

--Expands what is considered to be a “drug-free” school zone to include almost any place in an urban area, and increases penalties for selling or distributing drugs in that area. (The result will be enhanced penalties for people in inner cities, while people in rural and suburban areas get less time for the same offense).

--Mandates a 5-year minimum sentence for any person that commits a drug trafficking offense near the presence of a person under 18 or in a place where such person resides for any period of time. The sentence is 10 years if they are parent. (I.e. a mother that sells her neighbor a joint will get a 10-year minimum sentence, even if her kids were at school at the time).

--Creates a new offense for persons who witness or learn about certain drug offenses that fail to report the drug offender to the police within 24 hours or fail to provide full assistance to the police in tracking and prosecuting the offender. Offenses that would get someone a 2-year minimum sentence, including failing to report a neighbor that is storing or selling drugs when that neighbor has kids, failing to report anyone that gives a joint to someone under the age of 21, and failing to report a college student that is selling marijuana on a college campus.

--Mandates a 5-year minimum sentence for any person that offers, solicits, encourages, or induces a person enrolled in drug treatment, or previously enrolled in drug treatment, to purchase, possess or receive drugs.

--Makes it a federal crime to provide "drug paraphernalia" to anyone. While the goal is to make it a crime - punishable by up to three years in prison - to give someone a bong as a birthday present, it would also make it a federal crime to provide someone with sterile syringes (except where it is explicitly authorized by local or state law). If enacted, it would essentially criminalize many needle exchange programs.

H.R. 1528 can be viewed by going to http://thomas.loc.gov, entering “HR1528” in the search box, checking “enter bill number”, and clicking “search”.

Drug Policy Alliance...

http://www.torrentspy.com/comments.asp?mode=view&id=3129

Let's all just hope that this doesn't even come close to passing. It could mean I'd go to jail for not ratting out the college kids around here that smoke pot and listen to Dave Matthews Band.

Even now some dipshits on here are still gonna argue that we don't live in a police state.

section 7 of the party platform of the dixiecrats (states rights democrats) of 1948 said they condemn the making of a police nation.

i like this bill. i hate drugs.

Really? Because if you had a friend who smokes some pot and gets caught, you'll go to jail unless you've ratted him out.

^I don't think it's that simple.

that's pretty fucked. if this passes, almost all of my friends are going to to be doing life sentences.

Originally posted by fermentor666@Jun 11 2005, 04:19 PM

Really? Because if you had a friend who smokes some pot and gets caught, you'll go to jail unless you've ratted him out.

Quoted post

yeah man its definately not that simple. "they" would have to make a case against you proving that "you seen "teh" weed." lol

No, it's not that simple, but it's a lot less simple then "I hate drugs so let it pass."

They're not going to hunt down acquintences of a drug dealer with this bill (yet), but if you had a roommate that sold pot on the side, or a neighbor or a family member, and they found out that you knew about it, the police would be within the law when they arrest you and sent you to jail for 2 years.

It's basically that simple, I'll paste it again:

"Offenses that would get someone a 2-year minimum sentence, including failing to report a neighbor that is storing or selling drugs when that neighbor has kids, failing to report anyone that gives a joint to someone under the age of 21, and failing to report a college student that is selling marijuana on a college campus."

That could also potentially mean that if you went and bought pot from some guy who the police were running survelience on, you could be jailed for possession and ALSO get a minimum 2 years for not telling the cops about it. Obviously, you can get charged as an accessory even now, but as far as I know, that does not mean you get a minimum jail sentence.

I mostly see this being used as a harrassment tactic, seeing as how about 90some% of the country has at least tried marijuana. This will probably be pulled when they are trying to build a case on a bigger fish.

"This will probably be pulled when they are trying to build a case on a bigger fish. "

*nail hit squarely on head*

That's exactly one of the things it could be used for.

It also means that if you, say, give your little brother in high school a joint, and he takes it to school and smokes it with some friends and they get caught with it, they could either:

a. Be threatened with this 2 year minimum sentance thing if they don't rat you out.

or

b. Rat you out and if the police decide to prosecute you go to jail for a minimum of 10 years.

It seems unlikely that this bill will pass, but with Bush in the white house and his newfound crusade against drugs (think about the medical marijuana ban that just passed through the supreme court), it is definitly possible.

Fermentor666, I agree this is bullshit. Completely.

It'll be like one of those clouds over the lives of people. The ace up the sleeve of the system if you will.

Doggone a fucking 10 yr minimum?

Bullshit....

How many fucking aces in the hole does someone need....

As many as it takes to have everyone living in their own fascist utopia.

even as a straight edge kid, bills like this frighten me. i hate most other sober people as they are obnoxious, so most of my friends are "drug users." i don't need any more friends in jail...

police state--i would disagree with that, but we are headed in that direction. bills like this are huge steps in that direction

Ooops, sorry Gnometoys.

Another reason for this bill is the privitization of the prison system. The people that own them put pressure on politicians to make laws like this that are good for business.

Just like in a recent Simpsons episode where they dig up old, arcane laws to put people in prison so that the prison doesn't lose money. But that was done in a more humorous manner. Proof that the Simpsons are still relevant.

boys I feel so lucky not to live in the US. From what i have seen and heard its proper fucked up. Any sort of revolution in government is nigh impossible as anyone implicated would be sent down for fucking time. The land of the free? Bullshit. Police states are here and we must try to combat them in anyway possible. Although doing so will end up with us in prison for god knows how long.

i doubt youll see people going to jail who werent headed there initially.

smart people stay on the street, while others, wont.

further, i doubt if the 21 yr old gives his bro a joint he will do 10 yrs.

if so, dont get caught knucklehead.

what a government.

looks like im going to be imprisoned.