34 year old Man receives 50 years for possession

[Liberal_in_LA]

we look down on middle eastern country justice but the US has some harsh laws

Man receives 50 years for possession

SALISBURY — Phillip Scott Bailey, 34, of Hagerstown was sentenced to 50 years behind bars following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin.

During a sentencing hearing Friday a Wicomico County circuit court judge sentenced him to 25 years for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and 25 years, to be served consecutively, for possession with intent to distribute heroin.

Bailey has two prior convictions or possession with intent to distribute dating back to 2004 when he was sentenced to six years in prison for possession with intent to distribute.

Bailey was charged in July of 2011 after he was stopped by a Wicomico County Sheriff’s deputy who later found out he had a suspended license. A search by K-9 ‘Fiasco’ later found bags of heroin and cocaine.

Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matt Maciarello said this conviction is a “big deal” for his office because they are trying to send a message that Wicomico County will not tolerate drugs.

http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20120413/WIC01/120413004/WICOMICO-CRIME-Man-receives-50-years-possession

[ZombieHorde]

1. Lame. nt

[hack89]

2. No mention of the amounts of cocaine and heroin. nt

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. If anyone wonders why more cops are getting shot on routine stops

Here's your reason. From the standpoint of the next Phillip Scott Bailey, what's the difference between 50 years and life without parole? Answer: no difference. So, if you have a chance to get away from the former, you'll risk the latter. These sentencing laws are insane. Absolutely insane. Fifty fucking years? You tell this to people in Europe and their jaws drop. And I mean that for armed robberies as much as for possession with intent. Fifty fucking years. This is nutso stuff; it makes the Turkish system in Midnight Express seem reasonable. And as long as we keep up with this nonsense, you'll see more dangerous chases, more shootouts, and, yes, more dead cops. If they're going to tag you with fifty years anyway, there is no disincentive to shoot a cop on a traffic stop.

Tryin' ta gimme fifty seven years / Face'll be fulla them tattoo tears.
- Ice Cube, My Summer Vacation

[Blue_Tires]

17. That's a good point

We had a case here a few years ago where an undercover cop was buying from a dealer while sitting in an SUV in a parking lot...It was a sting operation so the parking lot was surrounded, but the dealer still kills the undercover and tries to run instead of taking the possession/distribution charge and gets arrested on the spot...Guess he thought there was no real difference between death by cops and death by electric chair...

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

21. Well, there is always the possibility of not being a willing participant in the narcotics trade

But I guess that just wouldn't be gangsta...

[alcibiades_mystery]

24. Of course, there's that

Let's assume that we deal in the reality of that not always happening, the question becomes whether you think 8 years and less dead cops is better than 87 years and more dead cops. I'll let you contemplate the "best of all possible worlds" in your imaginary utopia on your own.

Have fun there.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

28. What other crimes should be excused so the police need not confront dangerous people?

The Utopians are the ones who imagine criminals employ some sort of rational analysis before doing something violent.

[dsc]

30. there is a difference between excusing crime and having sensible sentences

the fact is both kidnapping and rape used to be punished similarly to murder in many jurisdictions until people realized that there was an incentive to murder the victims of both crimes so the sentences for both crimes have been changed.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

32. Well by that token we are already ahead of the curve

Seeing in much of the world those who participate in the drug trade and shot, hanged or beheaded.

Drug dealers are community neutron bombs, what is the suitable punishment for individuals who destroy dozens if not hundreds of lives?

[jtuck004]

33. "what is the suitable punishment for individuals who destroy dozens if not hundreds of lives?"

Maybe he runs for President of the U.S.? It seems to have worked for Romney...

[sarcasmo]

4. The USA, #1 and putting people in prison.

[Snake Alchemist]

5. Legalize it! nt

[BeyondGeography]

6. Yeah, that'll show 'em

[Iggo]

7. Yep. Legalize it. (n/t)

[brooklynite]

8. Not going to get worked up...

We can debate the merits and ethics of drug laws, but the laws on the books are a known quantity, and he has two prior convictions.

[Fumesucker]

11. Fifty years @ $35K per year = $1,750,000

That's money that will be unavailable for better uses..

Like education for instance.

[ScreamingMeemie]

16. Yes... Instead of help we should be locking the lot of them up.

[Vattel]

25. Injustice is nothing to get worked up about?

It is manifestly unjust to put someone in a cage for 50 years for selling cocaine and heroin.

[Trajan]

9. I guess it is alot to ask DUers to include the state in which the story takes place ...

For the other DUers who like to know: It's Maryland ....

[Dovegyrl34]

14. Family seeking justice

Last edited Thu Apr 19, 2012, 11:00 PM - Edit history (1)

His family is seeking assistance....if anyone knows a good discrimination resource/attorney please reply to this post

[Blue_Tires]

10. when does someone start to challenge the constitutionality of this stuff?

something about cruel and unusual??

mass murderers and serial pederasts don't even get 50 years in most cases

[duhneece]

12. Unjust from many points of view

Many rape & murder, but get less time.

[lilsis28]

15. faul play

What they don't tell you is that the possession with the intent to distribute cocaine was thrown out of court in the preliminary hearing because of defective documentation at the officer descretion... and he only had .06 grams of heiron on his possession. the law was made to serve and protect this to me is insane to give a man 50 years, and try to take away his whole life... the DEVIL is a LIAR and we will not stand for this. Someone has got to do something... Is their anyone out there willing to help take back our rights

[nobodyspecial]

26. Our rights?!?!?

Last time I looked, illegally selling hardcore drugs is not a right.

[Chan790]

18. ...

I don't care what the rest of you think, this is basically in my backyard. There's a pretty significant drug problem in Wicomico and they hired these guys to do exactly this; crack down on the drug-trade and send drug-pushers away for the kind of time that would motivate other drug-pushers to find a new line of work.

I have no sympathy; if the first two convictions didn't turn him around then he's where he belongs. Good riddance to him.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

22. Didn't you get the memo?

To be a progressive you have to enthusiastically champion all forms of self-destructive and anti-social behavior.

[Fumesucker]

34. Is there an "alcohol problem" in your community?

If not then you live in a unique place.

And yet I'd be willing to wager a small sum that you aren't up in arms about alcohol dealers in your community.

[Chan790]

35. I missed the reinstatement of prohibition.

Selling alcohol isn't illegal unless you're selling it to minors. I am outraged when I hear that someone has been selling to minors. I think they should lose their license after a single warning. (I do attend local ABC meetings to advocate that position so I guess I am up in arms about it.) Not surprisingly, I also believe that driver's license bans for repeated DUI offenders should be lifetime and the penalty for driving on a lifetime suspended license should be substantial jail-time.

Dealing drugs is illegal. He already went to prison for it, he clearly did not learn to stop dealing drugs. He won't be dealing drugs any time soon.

This makes me .

[Fumesucker]

37. So it's not really the drugs that bother you, just the legal status of them.

That's a remarkably irrational position to take..

[LeftyMom]

19. Possession with intent to distribute. With priors. Big difference.

[Rex]

20. Yet the warmongering assholes that illegally got us into a war in Iraq

are free men...


Law...only applies to the owned.

[dionysus]

23. i wonder how much he was possessing...

[Earth_First]

27. ...anyone have a family member struggle with the addiction of needle drugs?

I do/have.

In my opinion 25 years would have been sufficient, however with prior convictions; it doesn't seem he has learned his lesson(s)...

One less individual peddling misery and grief.

[Comrade Grumpy]

29. This thread is depressing.

There's a reason the US leads the world in the number of people it imprisons, both absolutely and per capita. Charging and sentencing practices like these are a huge part of that reason. I can't believe anyone calling himself a progressive is in favor of 50 year prison sentences for drug offenses. That's just insane.

We way over-sentence all kinds of people. There seems to be a peculiarly American thirst for vengeance that is reflected in these kinds of horribly over-the-top sentences. It's part of the American pathology, I suppose.

[Cali_Democrat]

31. Well said.

This is uniquely American. The US has 5% of the world's population yet we have 25% of the world's prisoners. Something is very wrong with this picture.

And the people who have no issue with this are part of the problem. Frankly, as far as I'm concerned, nobody should be serving prison time for non violent drug offenses.

[Chan790]

36. He's the sort we should be imprisoning.

Let all the single-conviction pot smokers, burglars and bank robbers off light...keep this guy where he belongs.