Trump commutes sentence of Alice Marie Johnson

[TheGoverness]

Article Here.

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, a first-time nonviolent drug offender, a week after Kim Kardashian West pleaded her case during an Oval Office meeting with Trump.

Johnson has already served 21 years of a life sentence after she was convicted on charges of conspiracy to possess cocaine and attempted possession of cocaine, according to the nonprofit Can-Do, which advocates for clemency for non-violent drug offenders.
She is expected to be released from prison soon.
"Ms. Johnson has accepted responsibility for her past behavior and has been a model prisoner over the past two decades. Despite receiving a life sentence, Alice worked hard to rehabilitate herself in prison, and act as a mentor to her fellow inmates," the White House said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

"While this administration will always be very tough on crime, it believes that those who have paid their debt to society and worked hard to better themselves while in prison deserve a second chance," the statement added.

Every now and then, something good comes out of the Trump Administration. I dislike Donald Trump very much, but I will applaud him for doing this. But, I don't think he should stop here. Ms. Johnson was able to get out in large part because of Kim Kardashian's influence. Not everyone that's in jail for non-violent offenses has that kind of advantage. But anyways, good on Trump and good outcome.

 

[The Mark]

An excellent result.

 

[Amelia]

Article Here.



Every now and then, something good comes out of the Trump Administration. I dislike Donald Trump very much, but I will applaud him for doing this. But, I don't think he should stop here. Ms. Johnson was able to get out in large part because of Kim Kardashian's influence. Not everyone that's in jail for non-violent offenses has that kind of advantage. But anyways, good on Trump and good outcome.

^^ well said

 

[Skeptic Bob]

From here on out all requests for pardons and commuted sentences should be sent through a reality tv star.

 

[Fishking]

Article Here.

Every now and then, something good comes out of the Trump Administration. I dislike Donald Trump very much, but I will applaud him for doing this. But, I don't think he should stop here. Ms. Johnson was able to get out in large part because of Kim Kardashian's influence. Not everyone that's in jail for non-violent offenses has that kind of advantage. But anyways, good on Trump and good outcome.

Decriminalize personal drug use, and pardon every single person in jail who's only offense was personal drug use. That's the best result but small wins count as well.

 

[Plus Ultra]

I agree, this was a good decision by Trump, I'm glas he commuted this prisoner's sentence. I'm told it doesn't count as a "pardon", but that's correct, she is guilty, but the sentence was too harsh and in this case the prisoner apparently deserved to be set free.

 

[MTAtech]

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

 

[chuckiechan]

Article Here.



Every now and then, something good comes out of the Trump Administration. I dislike Donald Trump very much, but I will applaud him for doing this. But, I don't think he should stop here. Ms. Johnson was able to get out in large part because of Kim Kardashian's influence. Not everyone that's in jail for non-violent offenses has that kind of advantage. But anyways, good on Trump and good outcome.

Trump stumped some time ago on prison reform, and Jared Kushner is working on that as his project.

If you have ever hired people in California it's amazing how many people have drug and drug related felonies. We have to find a way to get it off their backs so they can get decent jobs and join the world again.

 

[chuckiechan]

Decriminalize personal drug use, and pardon every single person in jail who's only offense was personal drug use. That's the best result but small wins count as well.

There are very few in there for personal drug use. It's usually trafficking or felonies due to needing money to feed a habit. In California you have to work really hard to get in prison.

 

[The Mark]

From here on out all requests for pardons and commuted sentences should be sent through a reality tv star.

I suspect the female and attractive part helped as well.

 

[The Mark]

There are very few in there for personal drug use. It's usually trafficking or felonies due to needing money to feed a habit. In California you have to work really hard to get in prison.

California has way too many people in prison, even if this is accurate.

 

[poweRob]

Decriminalize personal drug use, and pardon every single person in jail who's only offense was personal drug use. That's the best result but small wins count as well.

I'd also be for commuting the personal drug use portion of stacked sentences and reduce that off their sentences for other things.

 

[Fishking]

There are very few in there for personal drug use. It's usually trafficking or felonies due to needing money to feed a habit. In California you have to work really hard to get in prison.

There are a lot in there for that due to the three strike rule.

 

[holbritter]

Article Here.



Every now and then, something good comes out of the Trump Administration. I dislike Donald Trump very much, but I will applaud him for doing this. But, I don't think he should stop here. Ms. Johnson was able to get out in large part because of Kim Kardashian's influence. Not everyone that's in jail for non-violent offenses has that kind of advantage. But anyways, good on Trump and good outcome.

A life sentence for possession of some cocaine? :shock:

 

[The Mark]

A life sentence for possession of some cocaine? :shock:

No, she never possessed any drugs herself - she was involved in a drug trafficking organization in some way, as a result of being desperate for money.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/06/politics/alice-marie-johnson-commuted-sentence/index.html

Johnson has already served 21 years of a life sentence after she was convicted on charges of conspiracy to possess cocaine and attempted possession of cocaine, according to the nonprofit Can-Do, which advocates for clemency for non-violent drug offenders.

 

[Felis Leo]

Article Here.



Every now and then, something good comes out of the Trump Administration. I dislike Donald Trump very much, but I will applaud him for doing this. But, I don't think he should stop here. Ms. Johnson was able to get out in large part because of Kim Kardashian's influence. Not everyone that's in jail for non-violent offenses has that kind of advantage. But anyways, good on Trump and good outcome.

Perhaps I am a hard-hearted moralist, but I do not think this is anything to celebrate about someone who helps traffic hard drugs into their community to fuel addiction and the suffering that goes along with that addiction, the proceeds of which then go to funding some of the most violent criminal gangs on the planet. A double indemnity if there ever was one. I do not know how many lives she helped ruin or snuff out by being the middle-woman in the supply chain of death, but it hopefully was not too many.

That it is a non-violent offense matters little to me. Trafficking in and consuming child pornography are technically non-violent offensives. Illegal trafficking of weapons is generally a non-violent offense too. I still think that these are crimes for which people should be charged and imprisoned for the rest of their lives as punishment for the ruination of the lives of others, even if the blood does not directly touch their hands.

 

[Manc Skipper]

She had three appeals rejected by the DoJ under President Obama. They never even reached the WH before. Is this more of Trump spiting his predecessor?

 

[Felis Leo]

She had three appeals rejected by the DoJ under President Obama. They never even reached the WH before. Is this more of Trump spiting his predecessor?

Certainly one instance in which I believe the Department of Justice under Obama made the correct decision.

 

[Tanngrisnir]

]Perhaps I am a hard-hearted moralist, but I do not think this is anything to celebrate about someone who helps traffic hard drugs into their community to fuel addiction and the suffering that goes along with that addiction[/b], the proceeds of which then go to funding some of the most violent criminal gangs on the planet. A double indemnity if there ever was one. I do not know how many lives she helped ruin or snuff out by being the middle-woman in the supply chain of death, but it hopefully was not too many.

That it is a non-violent offense matters little to me. Trafficking in and consuming child pornography are technically non-violent offensives. Illegal trafficking of weapons is generally a non-violent offense too. I still think that these are crimes for which people should be charged and imprisoned for the rest of their lives as punishment for the ruination of the lives of others, even if the blood does not directly touch their hands.

So, then, is it safe to surmise from your sentiment that you're all for the reintroduction of Prohibition? After all, alcohol cause manifold more times suffering and societal damage than any illegal narcotic.

If not, why not?

 

[Parrish]

Nope. It was the same charge Manafort has been charged with. Money laundering.

 

[Felis Leo]

So, then, is it safe to surmise from your sentiment that you're all for the reintroduction of Prohibition? After all, alcohol cause manifold more times suffering and societal damage than any illegal narcotic.

If not, why not?

Yes, I most certainly am. I wish we could prohibit the production, distribution, possession and consumption of alcohol. Knowing what we now know about alcohol and the toll it has taken on our society, who could possibly argue that alcohol consumption overall is somehow a good thing? If I could somehow go back in time and stop recreational alcohol use from being introduced into our society, I would do it in a heartbeat. I would miss cooking wine and vermouth, but I think that the millions of people who would have been spared being killed or crippled for life due to drunk driving, the beaten spouses and children, and cirrhotic derelicts would probably thank me for it.

 

[Tanngrisnir]

Yes, I most certainly am. I wish we could prohibit the production, distribution, possession and consumption of alcohol. Knowing what we now know about alcohol and the toll it has taken on our society, who could possibly argue that alcohol consumption overall is somehow a good thing? If I could somehow go back in time and stop recreational alcohol use from being introduced into our society, I would do it in a heartbeat. I would miss cooking wine and vermouth, but I think that the millions of people who would have been spared being killed or crippled for life due to drunk driving, the beaten spouses and children, and cirrhotic derelicts would probably thank me for it.

At least you're consistent in your misguided desires.

 

[Felis Leo]

At least you're consistent in your misguided desires.

Well, thank you. I certainly feel damned by faint praise. But I should ask, in what way do you believe my desires misguided? I do not want drunkards driving our streets, or drug addicts ruining their own lives (and the lives of those around them) through their addiction, legal or illegal. And I certainly do not want to let people in an illegal vice supply chain to be let off Scot-Free. The society I want is one, ideally, governed by self-restraint and personal virtue in which the night-watchman steps in only where self-restraint breaks down entirely.

 

[Tanngrisnir]

Well, thank you. I certainly feel damned by faint praise. But I should ask, in what way do you believe my desires misguided? I do not want drunkards driving our streets, or drug addicts ruining their own lives (and the lives of those around them) through their addiction, legal or illegal. And I certainly do not want to let people in an illegal vice supply chain to be let off Scot-Free. The society I want is one, ideally, governed by self-restraint and personal virtue in which the night-watchman steps in only where self-restraint breaks down entirely.

Because history shows us quite clearly that prohibition has never worked, can never work and only leads to massive other problems like corruption, etc...

The society you want is a Platonic Ideal and can never be achieved. Trying to legally require the attempt to create such a society only leads failure.

It's already illegal to drive drunk, and there was a time in the country where EVERYTHING was legal and none of the problems we have now existed.

 

[Chomsky]

While I'm against the war on drugs, a little quick poking around has brought some info that this women may not be the naive & innocent choirgirl she's portraying herself to be. Here's some things I found:

1] She was part of an ongoing coke importation & distribution ring that was monitored for at least 3 years.

2] She was involved in several dozen high-level deals during this time.

3] 15 co-conspirators were indicted

4] She was found to have moved 2000-3000 Kilograms of coke during this period. (Yes, that's 2-3 tons!)

5] She coordinated cash movements of as much as $1.5M at a time.

6] The conspirators' meetings and her directives were given at her house, and at an apartment she rented in her daughter's name.

7] She received Life + 25.

8] Her harsh sentence, mandatory minimums notwithstanding, was due to the excessively large quantities of the deals and total quantity imported.

9] Her co-conspirators named her as the kingpin, along with the prosecutors & judge naming her as well. 10 conspirators testified against her, to that effect

10] She maintains she was only a "communications coordinator", not the actual leader.

Wow! Is it possible the entire group set her up to take a fall? Perhaps. But I don't think I find it that likely. I'd argue even just communicating and coordinating dozens of multi million dollar coke deals over a period of years, importing literally tons of coke, is a pretty serious crime.

Anyway, it is what it is.

I'm also suspicious of Trump's motives here, especially after this recent speech of his: