LESLIE CROCKER SNYDER SHOULD NOT BE NYC'S NEXT DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Former Judge Leslie Crocker Snyder and I have a history. Most would
say it's a parallel relationship. Crocker was a "hang em' high" judge
who was infamous for handing out stiff drug sentences under the
Rockefeller Drug Laws. I served a 15 to life sentence under these
laws. Crocker wrote a book, 25 to Life (
http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/0446530204.asp ) , that documents
her career as a tough prosecutor and judge. I wrote a book, 15 to
Life ( http://www.15yearstolife.com/ ), a memoir about doing hard
time under the harsh Rockefeller Drug Laws.

I met Snyder years ago when I was asked to be a guest on "Full
Nelson," a talk show on Fox hosted by Rob Nelson. When I found out
that she was also on the show I contacted Randy Credico, who
co-founded the Mothers of the New York Disappeared (
http://www.kunstler.org/ ) with me. Our group advocated for those who
had fallen through the cracks of the Rockefeller Drug Laws. Many of
us were deemed kingpins by individuals like Judge Snyder. But in
reality many of us were not. One individual was Jose Garcia, who at
69 years old died in his prison cell in upstate New York. As a
graduate of New York Theological Seminary, I was chosen to perform
the eulogy in a special prayer we conducted in front of Governor
Pataki's NYC office. Hundreds of people attended along with Jose's
elderly wife Hilda. We all prayed that the Rockefeller Drug Laws
would be reformed in the name of Jose Garcia.

I made a plan to put Judge Snyder in the hot seat and thought it
would be a rare opportunity to confront her for her actions. I
contacted the producer and asked him for three guest tickets to the
show. I called Randy and asked him to bring two family members of
loved ones who were sentenced by Judge Snyder to sit in the audience.
Doreen Lamarca's brother, Mike Lamarca, was sentenced to 25 years to
life. Evelyn Sanchez's son, Junior Gumbs, was sentenced to a 33 to
life term under the Rockefeller Drug Laws.

Snyder and I got into a heated debate on the show. Attempting to
quell our differences, Rob Nelson turned to the audience for
questions. Randy Credico raised his hand and furiously waved. He was
chosen. My plan was working. Credico, who is now running against
Charles Schumer for Senate this year, began a rant against Snyder,
asking her why she had sentenced Doreen and Evelyn's loved ones to
such an extraordinary amount of time behind bars. Ms. Sanchez, who
was dying of cancer and had spent her life savings to obtain legal
representation for her son, began to cry. Snyder turned red and was
flabbergasted by the event. After the show she complained to
producers that she was set up. The show never aired.

A few years later I did a pilot reality show about prison. One of the
guests was Judge Leslie Crocker Snyder. She was rather cocky when she
began bragging about how criminals called her "The Princess of
Darkness." I remember asking her to explain her position on the
Rockefeller Drug Laws. She said she supported 90 percent of them. At
that time over 90 percent of those incarcerated were black and
Latino. This alarmed me. I thought, "How could she support a law that
was obviously racist?" It told me something about her.

Nowadays there is a new and approved Leslie Crocker Snyder. She is
running for New York City District Attorney and, remarkably, now
supports Rockefeller Drug Law reform. I almost fell off my chair when
I heard this. She sounded nothing like the old "Princess of
Darkness." Do I think Snyder really supports drug law reform? No, I
don't. She knows that she needs the black and Latino vote. And she
knows that public opinion has shifted, as the wastefulness and
ineffectiveness of harsh sentences for drug law violations has been
brought to light over the past decade. I guess running for a
political office has a way of changing a person's thinking.