EQUALIZE PENALTIES ON DRUGS

Although your newspaper did an excellent job of covering this issue
presented in the recent legislative session, one very important piece
of legislation (HB113), which failed in the Senate Finance Committee,
was not mentioned.

Its purpose was to equalize the penalties for possession with intent
to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. This bill has been
vigorously advocated by state prosecutors for the past two years.

Since crack cocaine is primarily trafficked in by blacks, and
methamphetamine is primarily used and sold illegally by whites, there
is no logical reason why the penalties (sentences) should be disparate.

As the law currently stands, a defendant convicted of possession with
intent to distribute cocaine must receive two to 20 years in prison
without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. A
defendant convicted of the same offense but where the drug is
methamphetamine is eligible for probation.

In every day courtroom application, this law works the same gross
inequity we see with crack cocaine and powdered cocaine in the federal
system. It should be changed. Right is right and wrong is wrong.

Charles E. Johnson Jr.

Alexandria Johnson is an assistant district attorney with the Ninth Judicial
District Court.