A Colorado woman pled guilty to distributing what is referred to as a Schedule II controlled substance. The drugs she was accused of selling would have included methamphetamine and Ecstasy. However, the majority of charges against the woman were dismissed.
Though the charge against the woman could carry a sentence of anywhere between 4 to 16 years in prison, it’s possible that the prosecutor’s office recommendation that she serve three years (provided certain terms and conditions are met) will be accepted by the judge. One law enforcement officer told the court that he disagrees with such a deal, and the judge did warn the woman arrested that most individuals do not follow through on these terms.
The woman arrested was just one of 14 individuals arrested for an alleged drug ring. Some individuals in this ring have pled guilty and some have not.
As with so many drug rings, sentencing can be disproportionate. Certain individuals may face several years of imprisonment, and others may get off on a plea deal. It’s also difficult for law enforcement officers to actually keep track of who did what when it comes to alleged drug rings.
It’s essential for criminal defense attorneys to get the judges to look at the individual circumstances of each case, rather than have individuals convicted because of the supposed behaviors of other individuals. Plea deals are made because there may be extenuating circumstances to any arrest. Sometimes the judge does not know these circumstances unless an attorney is able to tell the story of the person that is being tried.
There needs to be a certain amount of flexibility in our criminal justice system because not everyone arrested deserves to be behind bars or serve long jail sentences.
Source: Valley Courier, “Drug ring suspect pleads guilty,” by Rudy Herndon, Feb. 13, 2013
- Please visit our Denver lawyers’ website concerning defense against drug charges in Colorado.