Life without parole for marijuana

[stoned40yrs]

That is some bullshit. Hard to read things like this and I hope leglization will free those brave folks who fought and fell to get us to the here and now.

Agreed total BS. The reality is that legalization might have nothing to do with those convicted in the past for MJ. The ONLY reason MJ may be legalized in Alaska this August is because they dropped all language this vote related to freeing current MJ prisoners or any pardon for past MJ crimes. Nobody is getting out of jail if it passes here.

 

[ClearDomes420]

signed

 

[sensi addict]

signed

 

[Miquiztli]

SIGNED

 

[bluhazy]

signed , how can they give life for selling flowers??? Is a plant ffs

Peace S

 

[photoperiodic]

yes and in a hurry.sad that most of the time it is the other way around they kill us

 

[JointOperation]

who did he hurt.. who did he kill???? wen murders and rapists and child molesters get set free... this isn't a system that works.. only a system that allows some to suffer and others to literally get away with murder.

 

[Stoner4Life]

Grandfather Serving Life Sentence for Pot May Be One Step Closer to Freedom

Grandfather Serving Life Sentence for Pot May Be One Step Closer to Freedom


this is good news for Jeff.......

While states and cities across the country have decriminalized marijuana, it’s taken a very long time for the state of Missouri to consider freeing one prisoner sentenced to life without parole for marijuana possession.

Jeff Mizanskey has spent the past 21 years in prison for his nonviolent crimes of cannabis possession.

New legislation from Republican Rep. Shamed Dogan could send the 61-year-old home to his two sons and six grandchildren before the summer.

“It was just literally unbelievable to me the fact that somebody could receive a sentence like that,” Dogan told TakePart. “When you hear a life-without-parole sentence you assume it’s a murder, or someone who’s a serious robber or rapist or something like that, where it’s a violent crime.”

The bill went before a House Corrections Committee on Wednesday morning in a promising first step toward Mizanskey’s release. The proposed law authorizes a parole board to release any prisoner serving a life sentence for marijuana offenses. Dogan was inspired to author the bill after reading about Mizanskey’s situation.

While Mizanskey may have enjoyed smoking pot as a free man, he has no history of violent crime—Mizanskey’s family and even local law enforcement officials testified in Wednesday’s hearing to that effect. Under Missouri’s prior and persistent drug offenders’ law, the severity of the crime does not matter. Three felony convictions can land an offender in prison for life. With three marijuana possession and distribution charges under his belt, Mizanskey fell prey to the harsh mandatory sentence.

This three-strikes rule was repealed last year but does not offer retroactive sentencing that would help Mizanskey. Requests for executive clemency from Gov. Jeremiah Nixon have yet to be reviewed, so Dogan took matters into his own hands.

“When our legislature creates policies like that, that harm somebody’s life to an undue extent, I think it’s our responsibility to try and undo that damage or lessen that damage that’s been done to his life and to the lives of his family members and the other people he loves,” said Dogan.

Before the committee votes, it wants to make a few changes to Dogan’s bill. One of them— an emergency clause—would work in Mizanskey’s favor. The clause means he would be freed as soon as the bill was signed instead of having to wait an additional few months until the legislation went into effect, Aaron Malin, a spokesperson for Show-Me Cannabis, explained. An organization dedicated to reforming marijuana legislation, Show-Me Cannabis has long supported Mizanskey with a campaign devoted to securing his freedom.

There are still a few hoops to jump through. After the corrections committee votes next week, the bill heads to the judiciary committee for a vote before it’s sent to the House and then the Senate.

While Dogan is confident the bill with pass, Malin doesn’t want to get ahead of himself.

“Hating to speculate about the potential for freedom for a man who’s been in prison for 21 years, I am beginning to be cautiously optimistic that Jeff could be out in the next month or two,” said Malin. “That’s what I told Jeff, and that’s what I told his brother and son.”


http://news.yahoo.com/grandfather-serving-life-sentence-pot-may-one-step-004031995.html


right on.

 

[prune]

wow

 

[wegobigupnorth]

this is just fucking insane. release him or lets fucking break him out. this elderly man deserves to be at home resting with his family. they better let him out and quick!

 

[WeetisPotPie]

Sad that this man and his family had to suffer just so the state of Missouri could scare the shit out of weed growers. The only control they have over us if fear once you are not afraid of them, they lose.

 

[candyjack]

I just got out of IL dept of corrections for 93 3 1/2years because I wont give up the fight you have to hold the door open to teach others. If that means life without parole I just call it retirement.If you don't believe in what you do enough to face life get the fk out

truth

 

[Easy-A]

That's depressing, you think we live in a free society?

 

[MrBelvedere]

Signed
https://www.change.org/petitions/my...campaign=49513&alert_id=ixgAldvZLS_qpiiHypFav

 

[rod58]

just had a read of that ..a complete violation of the mans human rights ...bastards !

 

[redlaser]

Missouri is pretty no tolerance on weed, unless you get a reasonable one but they are like unicorns it seems. An example of abuse in the war against drugs there is how they get a lot of funding for meth, especially in Jefferson county. There is meth just like anywhere but it's the cold pill crank makers that they get funding for to bust. Now that's illegal but generally small time compared to Mexican import elsewhere by a lot. On top of these busts almost all of them are small time personal, less than an ounce. The biggest way they get money is by inflating the number of "labs" they raid by claiming every bag of trash that's found in a ditch that contains cold pill boxes and lithium battery packages is a meth lab. People act like its normal, gives the area a undeserved bad rap because of a bunch of pigs trying to justify their existence

 

[Stoner4Life]

done deal.......

he'll be paroled

 

[HL45]

He is eligible for a hearing for his parole "sometime this summer" not a done deal yet. I hope he gets out and ends up moving to a recreational state after he serves his parole.

"Governor Jay Nixon has commuted the sentence of Jeff Mizanskey, a 61-year-old grandfather serving a life sentence for three non-violent marijuana convictions.

"The executive power to grant clemency is one I take with a great deal of consideration and seriousness," Nixon said in a press release announcing the commutation of Mizanskey's sentence. He also pardoned five other non-violent offenders.

Regarding Mizanskey, Nixon's remarks imply that he will be given a parole hearing:

"In the case of the commutation, my action provides Jeff Mizanskey with the opportunity to demonstrate that he deserves parole," Nixon said.

Riverfront Times broke the news that Mizanskey has been rotting in jail in a 2013 feature story that investigated the relatively minor (and non-violent) pot busts that preceded his 1993 arrest for being involved in the sale of a six to seven pounds of marijuana. Because it had been his third drug offense, Mizanskey was sentenced to life without parole under the state's Prior and Persistent Drug Offender statute, a law that was repealed last year.

"It's wonderful. Thank Jay Nixon for doing that, for finally looking at his case and doing the right thing," said Michael Mizanskey, Jeff's brother.

When we spoke to Aaron Malin, a researcher with Show Me Cannabis who has helped publicize demands for Mizanskey's release, he was running out the door to drive to the prison to tell Mizanskey the news before visiting hours end today.

"I am still in shock but obviously thrilled," Malin says. "My understanding is Jeff doesn't know."

Mizanskey will of course have to apply for parole and be approved for release. Malin says he should be eligible to apply immediately but wasn't sure how soon he could get a hearing.

Neither Malin nor Michael Mizanskey had any idea that this decision was coming down today. Michael, who lives in Chicago, is actually on vacation in Florida with his family.

"I'm very emotional. I'm overjoyed he has a chance," he says. "In almost 22 years he had two write-ups, one for putting mail in the wrong slot and one for a messy floor. Tell me that's not a model prisoner. No fights, no nothing. Tell me that's not a model prisoner."

Reached for comment via email, Missouri Department of Corrections spokesman David Owen says Mizaneky's parole hearing date will be set for "sometime this summer." In general, an offender up for parole will receive written notice of the parole board's decision three to six weeks after the hearing. "

 

[Stoner4Life]

Mizanskey was finally released today.......

I'm so happy for him and his family,
he has a lot of catching up to do.

 

[aridbud]

Long overdue. Freedom!