DRUG CRIME SENTENCING SHOWS WIDE DISPARITY

To the Editor of THE EAGLE:- I am writing in response to two articles that
appeared in The Berkshire Eagle on Saturday May 14. On the front page of
the "B" section was a story about one of the 17 young people arrested in
Great Barrington on charges related to possession and/or sale of marijuana
in a school zone. It reported that the district attorney considered the
appeal of Concerned Citizens for Appropriate Justice for leniency in
sentencing, "but decided he would continue pursuing the harsher penalties."

On Page 3 in the same section of that paper, the report is quite different.
A "local man" from Pittsfield who pleaded guilty to "possession of cocaine
with the intent to distribute, of possession of marijuana with the intent
to distribute, of breaking and entering in the daytime with the intent to
commit a felony, of operating a motor vehicle after revocation (habitual
traffic offender). . ." was given a sentence of three years' probation.
There seems to be a disconnect between the crimes of those arrested in
Great Barrington who are facing a minimum mandatory two-year sentence and
the crimes of the individual who was given a sentence of three years
probation despite repeated arrests and more serious charges.

How are we to do justice to our young people if sentencing, even the
sentencing potential, is so skewed?

Paula Lee Hellman

Stockbridge