young man was given a 55 year sentence for selling $30 worth of marijuana.

[Tudo]

young man was given a 55 year sentence for selling $30 worth of marijuana.


Father-of-three who was jailed for 55 years for drug deal is freed 43 YEARS early after prosecutor who put him away fought to cut the 'cruel' sentence
A Utah music producer who was ordered to spend 55 years behind bars for bringing guns to marijuana deals has been set free, after 12 years in prison and national outcry over the mandatory minimum sentencing laws that forced a federal judge to impose the lengthy term.
Weldon Angelos, 36, was freed Tuesday. He says he kept his release quiet for a few days because he wanted to spend time with his three teenage children, who were much younger when he was sentenced in 2004 aged 24.
'It's amazing,' Angelos told KUTV-TV on Friday at his home in Sandy, a Salt Lake City suburb. 'I just keep hugging them every time I get a chance.'
The three were just children when Angelos was sentenced in 2004, the youngest just a baby. Now, his son Anthony is 19, Jesse is 17 and his daughter is Meranda 13, according to Fox 13 Salt Lake City.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...cer-long-sentence-drew-outcry-free-early.html

 

[Bud Green]

The war against drugs, which started getting heavy in the early 70's, was a terrible thing..

Too many good lives were wasted, over a mere plant...

12 years in prison is terrible, but I'm glad someone came to their damn senses and got this man released....

 

[CowboyTed]

"young man was given a 55 year sentence for selling $30 worth of marijuana."

"for bringing guns to marijuana deals"


View Image

Yeah, that first sentence took the air right out of that story. He was not sentenced to 55 years for selling $30 worth of marijuana.

Committing ANY other crime while armed will get you a much longer sentence than if you had committed the same crime while unarmed.

While I certainly agree that we should decriminalize cannabis, selling the stuff was and still is against the law in most of our country. If you're carrying firearms while possessing, selling, buying, or growing the stuff, you can still expect to face aggravated charges, just as you would if you trespassed while armed or assaulted someone while armed.

Our law recognizes that people who commit unlawful acts are far less dangerous to society than people who commit the same unlawful acts and bring a gun along. Think about the mindset of a person who takes a gun with them to ensure that their crime succeeds: They are elevating the success of their crime above the life of any person who interferes with their crime. Somebody who approaches their crimes with that mindset BELONGS in prison.

Minor crimes are a nuisance to society. Minor crimes committed by people who think so little of their fellow man that they bring a killing implement along to the crime scene are not a simple nuisance: they are a grave danger to everyone who may get caught in a cross-fire if the crime goes south and the shithead pulls out the gun.

Those aggravating factors, mandatory minimums and sentencing guidelines are all intended to make us stop and think before we strap on a firearm and then go off to engage in a crime.

ANYTHING that will make Americans stop and think before they decide to carry a gun, (whatever they may have planned for their day) is a positive contribution to our society.

 

[Tudo]

Well, I think I moved more than 20,000 lbs before ever seeing a gun in this business. But around 1980 a newly popularized by the media ( described as a "jet setters" drug ) came on the scene, called cocaine. Then we saw a lot of guns appear and it's never been the same.

 

[JustSumTomatoes]

Unfortunately I've seen weapons when picking up something as small as a half eighth. Fucking ridiculous. Legalize it already and take the criminal aspect away.

 

[mean mr.mustard]

I'm "engaging in a crime" by growing a plant.

If having a gun is "elevating my chances of getting away with that crime" or just leveling the playing field depends on whether or not you're a cop.

Or a thief.

 

[Sam_Skunkman]

Yeah, that first sentence took the air right out of that story. He was not sentenced to 55 years for selling $30 worth of marijuana.

Committing ANY other crime while armed will get you a much longer sentence than if you had committed the same crime while unarmed.

While I certainly agree that we should decriminalize cannabis, selling the stuff was and still is against the law in most of our country. If you're carrying firearms while possessing, selling, buying, or growing the stuff, you can still expect to face aggravated charges, just as you would if you trespassed while armed or assaulted someone while armed.

I THINK IT DEPENDS ON IF THE WEPONS WERE CARRIED TO STEAL, ROB, OR HURT OTHERS, OR TO DEFEND YOUR PESON OR PROPERTY, BIG DIFFERENCE. AND IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE THE LAW, BUT HONEST YOU CAN'T ASK POLICE TO HELP IF ANYONE DECIDES TO ROB YOU, IT IS UP TO YOU.

Our law recognizes that people who commit unlawful acts are far less dangerous to society than people who commit the same unlawful acts and bring a gun along. Think about the mindset of a person who takes a gun with them to ensure that their crime succeeds: They are elevating the success of their crime above the life of any person who interferes with their crime. Somebody who approaches their crimes with that mindset BELONGS in prison.

WHAT ABOUT IF YOU GROW A SINGLE PLANT FOR YOU OWN USE AND SOME ONE BREAKS INTO YOUR HOME TO STEAL IT?
I THINK YOU ARE BLIND. AND BLAMING THE VICTIM.

Minor crimes are a nuisance to society. Minor crimes committed by people who think so little of their fellow man that they bring a killing implement along to the crime scene are not a simple nuisance: they are a grave danger to everyone who may get caught in a cross-fire if the crime goes south and the shithead pulls out the gun.

Those aggravating factors, mandatory minimums and sentencing guidelines are all intended to make us stop and think before we strap on a firearm and then go off to engage in a crime.

ANYTHING that will make Americans stop and think before they decide to carry a gun, (whatever they may have planned for their day) is a positive contribution to our society.

I HAVE KNOWN QUITE A FEW BAD GUYS THAT DO CARRY GUNS WHEN INVOLVED IN CRIME, VERY FEW EVER THINK THEY WILL BE CAUGHT, AND EVEN FEWER WILL STOP AND THINK, I SUSPECT YOU KNOW THIS IF YOU ARE A REAL COWBOY, TED....
-SamS

 

[Dog Star]

Both.. you and Ted use too much caps lock in their life... ;D


What you wish to proove.. that caps lock text wins over less caps locked text..?!

Or..??

 

[Snook]

Yeah, that first sentence took the air right out of that story. He was not sentenced to 55 years for selling $30 worth of marijuana.

Committing ANY other crime while armed will get you a much longer sentence than if you had committed the same crime while unarmed.

While I certainly agree that we should decriminalize cannabis, selling the stuff was and still is against the law in most of our country. If you're carrying firearms while possessing, selling, buying, or growing the stuff, you can still expect to face aggravated charges, just as you would if you trespassed while armed or assaulted someone while armed.

Our law recognizes that people who commit unlawful acts are far less dangerous to society than people who commit the same unlawful acts and bring a gun along. Think about the mindset of a person who takes a gun with them to ensure that their crime succeeds: They are elevating the success of their crime above the life of any person who interferes with their crime. Somebody who approaches their crimes with that mindset BELONGS in prison.

Minor crimes are a nuisance to society. Minor crimes committed by people who think so little of their fellow man that they bring a killing implement along to the crime scene are not a simple nuisance: they are a grave danger to everyone who may get caught in a cross-fire if the crime goes south and the shithead pulls out the gun.

Those aggravating factors, mandatory minimums and sentencing guidelines are all intended to make us stop and think before we strap on a firearm and then go off to engage in a crime.

ANYTHING that will make Americans stop and think before they decide to carry a gun, (whatever they may have planned for their day) is a positive contribution to our society.

You make me nervous.

 

[St. Phatty]

Unfortunately I've seen weapons when picking up something as small as a half eighth. Fucking ridiculous. Legalize it already and take the criminal aspect away.

As long as the US government is involved, the Criminal Aspect will never go away.

 

[therevverend]

People bringing guns along to sell and buy cannabis are foolish but guns are legal. I know people from places like Idaho and Alaska that have concealed weapons permits, they get up in the morning, put on their pants and their gun. They hunt for their food, live in areas with dangerous animals and people.

The caveat is that they know how to use a gun responsibly, I don't have to worry about them getting drunk and waving it around. Recently I found out a friend of mine has a gun, always carries a gun, I've known him over 20 years and I realize the entire time I've known him he was armed. But it's an assumption you should make when you're hanging out in the backwoods of Humboldt or Mendocino, most people are packing.

It's ridiculous to penalize someone who owns guns to protect themselves and their family differently for growing cannabis. If the person doesn't have a history of violence. Raiding someone's house, finding a hunting rifle, and throwing the book at them for it is a waste.

My buddy from Mendo, he cracks me up. He tells me about how the Mexicans always end up getting busted. At harvest time they party, everybody gets drunk and starts firing their guns in the air. So the sheriff shows up, finds the ganja, and hauls them off.

The caps thing, I usually just ignore the whole post. It means the person is yelling and probably a crank. Unless it's a small amount of text used to highlight something. I'd rather avoid the headache..

 

[theJointedOne]

I remember some poor 18 year old kid in Alabama got stung by a narc posing as a student. He sold em an ounce got like 20 something years

 

[xavier7995]

Sucks to be that guy, flipping 8ths and quarters doesn't really necessitate being strapped but to each their own. Not big into guns, i have seen far too many bad gun owners to support them, ....but at the same time think every home should have an assault weapon so here we are.

 

[dank.frank]

ANYTHING that will make Americans stop and think before they decide to carry a gun, (whatever they may have planned for their day) is a positive contribution to our society.

Have you even read the constitution of the US of A. I sincerely feel pity for anyone to be so brainwashed as to vomit the above trash onto a screen.

I'm sorry you feel so threatened by someone exercising their rights while engaging in an activity that should have never been deemed illegal in the first place.

Gun ownership is paramount to ensuring our freedoms in this nation. It's bad enough cops can murder who ever they want for any reason they want. It's bad enough, elected officials from California actually threatened the use of nuclear weapons to confiscate guns. It borders on insane for anyone to support giving these tyrants MORE control.

"The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subjugated races to possess arms." -Adolf Hitler

In America, you can view cannabis users as a sector of the populace that has been subjugated by the government. OF COURSE they don't want those of us bold enough to think for ourselves, to have the means of a.) protection b.) fighting back.



dank.Frank

 

[dddaver]

Misleading headline. Then hijacked. Then opinions about what I was taught was a "LIVING DOCUMENT". But arguing anyway. Personal attacks. GARBAGE. I'm so Audi 5000.

 

[P-NUT]

Right on dank Frank! I got into a debate with a Jamaican coworker a few years back about guns. He was staunchly antigun so I asked him how many people in Jamaica that he knew had been robbed at gunpoint and he said almost everyone he knew and you have to jump through major hoops to get a gun legally there. I then asked him how many people he knew here that had been robbed at gunpoint and he didn't know any. I'm very uneasy when people have guns around me but it's because I was raised with guns and most people aren't. What really bothers me is having a cop point a gun at me which has happened several times. I was raised never point a gun at something you don't intend to kill so it sets off all kinds of alarms in my head when I have one pointed at me. I've never deserved the guns pointed at me either. Last time I was in a car similar to one reported stolen and got swarmed at a red light. Cops every direction with guns drawn on me.

 

[MJPassion]

I thought this was recent...


Glad, after reading, that it wasn't.


I'm happy to hear that Weldon is a free man now.


In UT today, a person can walk with an ankle bracelet for a couple lbs.

 

[MJPassion]

Yeah, that first sentence took the air right out of that story. He was not sentenced to 55 years for selling $30 worth of marijuana.

Committing ANY other crime while armed will get you a much longer sentence than if you had committed the same crime while unarmed.

While I certainly agree that we should decriminalize cannabis, selling the stuff was and still is against the law in most of our country. If you're carrying firearms while possessing, selling, buying, or growing the stuff, you can still expect to face aggravated charges, just as you would if you trespassed while armed or assaulted someone while armed.

Our law recognizes that people who commit unlawful acts are far less dangerous to society than people who commit the same unlawful acts and bring a gun along. Think about the mindset of a person who takes a gun with them to ensure that their crime succeeds: They are elevating the success of their crime above the life of any person who interferes with their crime. Somebody who approaches their crimes with that mindset BELONGS in prison.

Minor crimes are a nuisance to society. Minor crimes committed by people who think so little of their fellow man that they bring a killing implement along to the crime scene are not a simple nuisance: they are a grave danger to everyone who may get caught in a cross-fire if the crime goes south and the shithead pulls out the gun.

Those aggravating factors, mandatory minimums and sentencing guidelines are all intended to make us stop and think before we strap on a firearm and then go off to engage in a crime.

ANYTHING that will make Americans stop and think before they decide to carry a gun, (whatever they may have planned for their day) is a positive contribution to our society.

You do not know the 3 elements of a crime do you?
#1...
Where/Who is the victim?
Yup... There was none until the cops got involved and victimized the individual exercising his Rights.
The Right to labor is fundamental to human existence. Just because some faction disagrees with an individuals choice in labor does not make that labor a crime. Just because there is some colored law doesn't make it THE LAW. If you don't understand what I mean, here is the definition of colored. (definition b)
The legal definition is here.



No Victim, No Crime!

 

['Boogieman']

Many people cary a gun and are responsible, even some criminals believe it or not. I need more info to judge honestly. A violent past or no? If he just had it for protection then I don't see a big deal.

 

[JustSumTomatoes]

I should probably add that I support responsible gun ownership and have no problems with cannabis users owning them. The circumstances I talked about involved people who probably had no business having them. Doing stupid shit like flagging you down with a loaded gun while showing it off, finger on the trigger instead of keeping it off types of things.

People should have the right to defend themselves or their home and hunt if they choose to. Cannabis should be treated no different than alcohol when it comes to firearms. Don't get stoned stupid and dick around with the guns, but you should not be given additional charges for having cannabis and firearms together in the household.

The way the law sees it is that cannabis is illegal and everything involved with it has criminal intent. If you get caught with it here they can suspend your drivers license even if a vehicle was never involved. In many places they'll confiscate any loose cash you have as well. Dirty thieves with badges.

I'm not sure how it works in green states, but isn't it illegal to grow or have weed and guns in the same house cause of the federal laws? I guess weed is still technically illegal everywhere in the U.S. Just haven't heard of any federal boys cracking down on small scale growers/users in green states.