'Bama Justice

26 YEARS IN JAIL FOR FIRST-TIME U.S. DOPE CONVICTION

Webster Alexander is 19 years old and his life's dreams are already lost.
Alexander's relationship with pot has cost him 26 years, a hit by the drug
war in the U.S. designed to stop the use of marijuana.

The results have been questionable as the U.S. continues to have one of the
highest marijuana consumption rates in the world.

In the buckle of the Bible Belt is Moulton, Alabama, a town not much bigger
than a black-eyed pea, lost in America's Deep South.

The folks who live here don't normally get much international interest.
They like it that way.

First Offence

But that changed in January when Lawrence County Circuit Judge Philip Reich
sentenced Alexander to 26 years in prison after convicting him of selling
28-gram handfuls of marijuana on four different occasions to an undercover
cop masquerading as a student.

It was Alexander's first offence and he pleaded guilty.

His sentence - a plea bargain - can't be appealed, but his lawyer is
working to show Alexander has changed his life. A judge can give Alexander
probation instead of jail time for some, or even all, of the 26 years.

"That's a long, long time to go," Alexander said. "I am just so sorry for
what I've done. I want the court to see that. I am a completely different
man than I was then."

Alexander's story first appeared on news wires in January, a non-descript
story filed by an Associated Press reporter who lives nearby. But when
pro-marijuana activists caught wind of it, Alexander's face was soon
plastered on posters, first in Canada and then around the world.

Sympathizers cried foul over what could be one of the harshest sentences
ever given to a first-time offender convicted of small-time dealing.
Comparative sentencing statistics aren't available in the U.S.

A similar conviction in Canada would likely lead to a conditional sentence
or fine.

Alexander's conviction means he can't ever earn a scholarship, can never be
a teacher, and it makes him ineligible for a post-secondary loan, according
to state law. He can't even vote.

Marijuana was part of the culture Alexander grew up in. His dad has been
busted twice, most recently in 1999, and grew plants on his property.

Alexander smoked his first joint when he was just nine years old. At 17 he
was smoking regularly.

"If I never got started on drugs, none of this would have happened,"
Alexander said.

Following his April 9 arrest, Alexander was charged with four counts of
distribution of marijuana, one count of first-degree possession and one
count of possession of drug paraphernalia for rolling papers, scales and a
pipe.

His uncle was able to put together the $90,000 needed to bail him out.

Possible Wake-Up Call

The news of Alexander's arrest was actually welcomed by his family. They
wanted him off drugs and this was possibly the wake-up call they had been
seeking.

But when Wanda was told how many years in prison the prosecution was
seeking, everything changed.

Enter John Mayes, a lawyer for 26 years, the only one in the county who
handles nothing but criminal cases.

Even for a staunch southern conservative, the marijuana laws seem oddly
harsh in Alabama.

The state does not differentiate between so-called hard drugs, such as
heroin and cocaine, and a soft drug like marijuana.

When Mayes worked out Alexander's plea bargain, his office was bombarded.

Powerful marijuana lobby groups swung into action and soon everybody wanted
to talk to Mayes: CNN, New York newspapers, media in Holland.

The pro-marijuana lobby group NORML (National Organization for the Reform
of Marijuana Laws) was the first to make contact. NORML posted Alexander's
story on the Internet. Representatives called the Alexanders and promised
what seemed like the world.

Webster's mom said they promised to launch an appeal and pay for her son's
defence, but they wanted Mayes fired.

Local pro-marijuana lobbies wanted Alexander to be a spokesman.

"There is no question in my mind if the marijuana groups were involved,
Webster would have no chance at probation and he would be going to jail for
every one of those 26 years," Mayes said.

"And they'd probably raise money using his name as he was serving those 26
years.

"There were people who were going to say, 'Judge, don't put Webster into
prison because the law he was convicted under is stupid and if you weren't
so stupid, judge, you would realize these drugs should be legal.' "

The Alexanders never saw a nickel from any marijuana group.

They never fired Mayes who is leading an appeal.

Mayes is hopeful Alexander can avoid some of the jail time, convinced it is
the best decision he's made.

Alexander now undergoes regular drug tests and has been clean for a year.

He volunteers with young kids, telling them his story, warning them to try
and live a good, clean life.

"I just hope I can go to college and live a good life," Alexander said. "I
am just hoping I can turn this all around."