JUDGE'S SENTENCE OF DRUG TRAFFICKER FAILS TO FIT CRIME

Frank Curtis, 23, of Waterville, is expected to go to jail today for
the next two and a half years.

He should be grateful.

Curtis was convicted of dealing drugs - cocaine and Ecstasy -after an
extensive police investigation.

He was arrested in September following a high-speed chase through
Waterville and Winslow during which he threw incriminating drugs and
cash from his vehicle.

Curtis could have been sentenced by Superior Court Judge Joseph M.
Jabar Sr. to as much as 40 years in prison for the various crimes.

Prosecutors were willing to settle for 10 years with five of them
suspended.

Instead, Jabar decided upon six years with all but two and a half
suspended, four years of probation, and 500 hours of community service
at Curtis' alma mater, the Good Will-Hinckley Homes for Girls and Boys
in Fairfield.

The sentence surprised even Curtis' attorney, Pasquale "Pat" Perrino.
"Considering everything, I think the judge gave the kid a break," he
said.

Assistant District Attorney Evert B. Fowle was not
amused.

He described Curtis as a major dealer who moved thousands of dollars
of illicit drugs through the area over an extended period of time.
Moreover, he said, Curtis was a "cynical manipulator of the court system."

Judge Jabar, however, said his sentencing decision was influenced by
the fact that Curtis had been a good student, a five-sport athlete, a
leader and a Boys' State participant.

"It's just a real tragedy to see what happened to him," Jabar said, "I
want to give him a chance."

No one can fault the judge for having a big heart, but in this
instance he didn't use his head.

Curtis was not involved in a car accident. His offense was not a
single act of desperation or anger. He consciously decided to enter
the drug-dealing world, preyed upon people in the community who knew
him or knew of him, and he continued to do so as a cold-blooded,
matter-of-fact business practice.

Indeed, the only time he displayed emotion was in trying to escape
apprehension.

Nevertheless, Perrino succeeded in passing off Curtis' criminal
activity as small-time and a mistake by someone looking to improve
life for his family. Making Curtis a victim of his good-hearted
ambition should not have obscured the nature of his crimes and should
not have led the judge to "give the kid a break."

If, as Perrino contends, Curtis was a merely bit player in the area's
drug scene, then any leniency in his sentencing should have come at a
price - he should have identified his sources for the cocaine and
assisted the police in trying to stem its traffic. But if, as Fowle
contends, Curtis had a much bigger role, then 30 months in prison for
him is a gift.