I read that, and I get your point, but LSD, or marijuana, to me are not in the same league as heroin or cocaine and the amounts those are usually traded in along with the gangs and violence associated with them. I'm not at all addressing the law; I am expressing surprise over the extreme sentence in comparison to what I think are worse crimes. Rapists get what, 4 years in the US if prosecuted? There were/are people serving life sentences over marijuana sales, and now it's legal in some states.
But there are two different things - selling and using. Using is only marginally criminalized. Selling and distributing is a much more serious offense. Alcohol in some ways is no different. I can home brew all I want and bottle it and put it in the refrigerator. If throw the garage door open and start selling it to the general public I can expect some trouble from the legal system. Crossing state boundaries and using a Federal system like the mail further compounded this individual's situation.
I can assure rapists don't get 4 years and they are almost always prosecuted if there is enough evidence.
You can't assure rapists don't get 4 years (or less):
> The convictions carried a potential sentence of 14 years in prison. Prosecutors recommended six years in prison while probation officials recommended a "moderate" county jail sentence.[19] On June 2, 2016, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky sentenced Turner to six months confinement in the Santa Clara County jail to be followed by three years of probation.
But he was NOT convicted and sent to prison for rape, it was sexual assault and in some states penal systems those are different crimes with different sentencing guidelines:
"On October 7, 2015, after reviewing the results of DNA tests, the two rape charges were dropped by prosecutors.[7][12][14][15] The trial began on March 14, 2016,[16] and concluded on March 30, 2016, with Turner's conviction on the three remaining charges of felony sexual assault."
Please show me one single rape conviction in the US where the sentence was 4 years.
How does someone downvote another for presenting a fact? What I have learned from Hackernews is at this point is not to participate in non-technical discussions. As they are mostly just mob mentality. How do you downvote someone that took the time to participate in a discussion? Its amazing to see that every single comment I have made in this discussion has been downvoted? I've said nothing outrageous, I have offered different points of view? I have taken the time to articulate myself and every single comment is downvoted?
I think you are splitting hairs here on rape. OK, 8 years average conviction on rape, if the victim pursues it. Still 8 years with possible time off for good behavior on a very violent crime vs. Selling LSD -> life sentence. I still fail to see aside from the law how you think the punishment is in proportion to the actions, which was the point I was trying to convey.
Well I'm not sure someone serving 8 years vs 4 years would agree with you. Its double the amount, I'm not sure I would say that's splitting hairs. Time off is a fact of many sentences in an overcrowded penal system.
I never stated that I agreed with the sentencing guidelines, which I absolutely and emphatically do not. What I said was that there was a reason in the eyes of the law for using weight including paper as metric. Whether you agree with it or not that's their logic. I never said anything more.
I guess that simply pointing that out there was another side to this was enough for being downvoted as if I am some "tough on crime, law and order" Republican?
That's unfortunate because it was a topic that I thought was interesting and a case that I have actually kept up on over the years.
I think your arguments were rational. Splitting hairs is not the difference between 4 or 8 years, but compared to life, or around 60 to 75 years depending on your incarceration age. I do agree with you pointing out that it was a multiple offense, and selling not buying to use. Still, life? And questions of mental health too.
