Texan gets 25 years on marijuana conviction

[ConfuZed]

MERIDIAN, Miss. - A Lauderdale County judge has rejected arguments that a Texas man with prior drug convictions knew nothing about the 20-plus kilograms of marijuana hidden in a pickup truck the man was driving through Mississippi in 2004.

Circuit Judge Larry Roberts sentenced Cecilio Alvarez Camargo Jr. of Harlingen, Texas, to 25 years in prison and fined him $10,000.

Roberts also scolded Camargo: "It's beyond imagination that you did not know the marijuana was in your vehicle. It seems like you would have gotten the message by now to get out of the drug delivery business."

Camargo was stopped for careless driving on Jan. 6, 2004. The Meridian police officer who pulled him over on Interstate 20/59 found the marijuana in hidden compartments inside the truck.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/12312451.htm

[SteppingRazor]

1. I think 25 years is REALLY harsh, but...

Don't try to walk into court and tell the judge and jury that you didn't know you had 20 Keys of Dope in your truck. That insults their intelligence, and they'll throw the book at you.

Also, when transporting that much Mary Jane, don't get pulled over for careless driving.

[jobycom]

4. I doubt he was really driving carelessly

The Mississippi cops saw Texas plates, ran them, saw the man's histoy, and pulled him over. Usually they claim "Failure to use a blinker," but that's become so cliche, I guess they are branching out.

Many of these "routine traffic stop" arrests are bogus. THe cops have a tip, or are profiling, or something else alerts them.

[Sequoia]

9. Like when Timothy McVay was pulled over after the OK bombing.

Something about that story never set right with me.

[ovidsen]

34. McVeigh's car didn't have license plates.

That's the official line, and it's never been seriously disputed.

Driving without tags is kind of a dead giveaway.

[Pystoff]

40. His car didn't

Ever seen the in car police video of that traffic stop? I have and nope he didn't have plates...anyways who cares they caught the right terrorist that day.

[SteppingRazor]

12. Having been on the receiving end of this, I'm well aware of it...

Just figured I'd point that out, nevertheless.

Although, contrary to what you say, cops are LESS likely to pull over out of state plates a lot of the time. It's more of a pain to process. But, with the fella's record and whatnot, it was probably a no-brainer.

Heck, I know a cop that just parks a block away from a methadone clinic almost ALL DAY and just runs plates on whoever goes in. Chances are, their licenses have been suspended, and he pulls them over.

[SouthernDem2004]

15. Problem with that theory...

To "run him" you would have to pull him over first and get his personal info. You can not run just off a tag which at best gives you just the name of the owner.

[jobycom]

22. Not sure, then. I have a few friends who are cops, and they used to

always tell me about running plates and deciding to stop someone based on their history. Are you just talking about crossing state lines, or what? Where are they getting arrest records from if not the plates?

[SouthernDem2004]

26. Well...

If it is an in-state tag you could run the tag and get the name. Then you could look for a d/l with that name and home address. Then you would have enough to run the person possibly driving the vehicle. Not really possible with out of state.

We get arrest records once we pull them over.

FYI: I am currently a Police Officer and I am trained in Interstate Interdiction. At one time I only worked the "I" looking for dope. I have been to numerous national training programs etc.

Peace

[jobycom]

30. I don't doubt you, and that jibes with what they were saying

It was always in state. In Austin, it takes a long time to get out of state.

Well, maybe he was driving wrecklessly, then. Stranger things have happened. Or someone could have tipped him off. I've worked in a hotel before where we've tipped the police that someone had a gun. They don't want the hotel retaliated against, so they pull the culprit over later and "find" the gun on him. (That one turned into a national case, but it's a long story).

And I've been profile stopped enough in Mississippi with Texas tags to know that happens, too. And in Louisiana. The joys of driving alone and looking Hispanic.

[Pawel K]

2. I am all for legalization but 20 kilos?

That is down right drug trafficing and he should have known what would happen to him for having that much weed on him.

[meganmonkey]

16. If it were legal, there wouldn't be people trying to sell 20 kilos of pot

:shrug:

Not defending him personally, but legalization would mean I could buy it at the store and wouldn't need some middlemen trafficking it from Texas.

Not that I smoke Mexican schwag weed anyway :smoke:

[Sparkman]

23. Individual State Marij laws vary widely at the personal use level, see www

www.norml.org for the most comprehensive and user friendly state legal status review I've found. Your state may surprise you.

On an identical train of thought, the anti-liquor (over 0.5% beverages) era beginning in the early 1800's was criminalized with the Volstead Act, 1919, that created the 18th Amendment, when 1/2 of the states had banned liquor traffic and 2/3 of the people lived in "dry" counties.
In 1931, Pres. Hoover appointed the Nat'l Commission on Law and Observance and Enforcement, known as the Wickersham Commission (form.Att.General), that reported prohibition was not being effectively enforced, BUT recommended continuing the 18th Amend & the Volstead Act.
By 1933, congress was compelled to pass the 21st Amend, repealling the 18th Amend, which allowed individual states to regulate liquor.

The groups that were anti-liquor activists began early 1800's:
1)Prohibition Party, 1869, with its anti-liquor traffic platform
2)Woman's Christian Temperance Union, 1874, religious and spirited education activities.
3)The Anti-Saloon League, 1893, used evangelical Protestantism to influence politicians and elections.

above from HarperCollins "united states History from 1865". pg206+

[Dez]

3. it's still LOTS more time

than some other violent crimes, and I think it's way out of line. America has no 'just' sentence for drug 'crimes'.. the drug war has to GO. And the DEA also need to disappear totally.

[shanti]

5. whoa, hold up here.

they "found" the weed in HIDDEN compartments? so he was pulled over for a traffic violation, and? something stinks here, and it's not the green bud!

[jobycom]

6. Yep. You got it. Read #4.

[SouthernDem2004]

19. Received consent to search or used a dog.

[Lars39]

43. I believe the SC ruled recently that taking a dog around a vehicle

does not need consent.

[TX-RAT]

21. Hard to cover the smell of weed on a hot day.

[Sparkman]

25. Search laws were trashed a while ago, you think probable cause exists?

[shanti]

37. probably cause for what?

driving badly? i now tend to believe like another poster stated below, that the popo were tipped off beforehand....or it's just another case of "DWB" (driving while brown/black).

[In Truth We Trust]

7. How much time will Kenny Boy do if they ever get around to trying his

sleazeball ass? 25 years for this yet Enron was a multi billion dollar ripoff of pensioners, emplouess, taxpayers, shareholders etc. and they'll all walk with a slap on the wrist at most.

[Dez]

11. The politicians don't have to pee in a cup

for this stupid drug war, they voted against that shit.. The drug war doesn't victimize children of politicians, they get off almost scot free! The drug war machine targets people especially outspoken, politicially, such as Marc Emery, from Vancouver, B.C who was arrested last Friday, for selling seeds on the net.. the DEA had Canadian cops arrest him for them.. there goes Canadian sovereignity! The DEA don't recognize borders! Their crimes need to be talked about, and people need to be outraged by what they are doing whereever they go.

[ninkasi]

36. That's what troubles me so much

In Truth. The big shots, who have ruined thousands of lives, will continue to live their lives in luxury. The sentences handed out for various crimes is completely screwed up. There is no justice in many of our laws.

[devilgrrl]

8. Putting a dent in violent crime! I feel safer already!

:sarcasm:

[catmandu57]

10. And the pigboy has yet to answer

for the thousands of hard narcotic pills he stuffed down his gullet. This is wrong on so many levels.

[Dez]

13. The drug war is easy on some

if they're privelidged, they get off easy.. money talks.

[SouthernDem2004]

20. Difference really. Rush will get probation most likely.

[0007]

14. Sounds like the guy was set-up or used.

This stinks......

[anotherdrew]

17. 25 years for this guy will cost taxpayers about 1 million dollars

all to fight a bullshit 'drug war' against something they have no business making illegal in the first place. Well, at least the private prison business is booming. Soon maybe we can turn the whole country into one big penal colony.

[Dez]

29. tax payers get to pay

to put these people in their cages for lengthly sentences. In the drug war, families lose, professions are seized and there are NO winners in the drug war. It is like an evil machine which never stops it's injustices to humanity.

[niallmac]

45. Oh there are winners all right. The enforcers are doing very well.

A sane approach to drugs would put a lot of people out of business. The price of pot would plummet and threaten the cartels. There are big winners right now.

[Warren Stupidity]

18. Gee perhaps selling vegetables ought to not be a crime.

I do appreciate all the threads here that basically blamed yet another victim of our fascist nanny state for the horror that was visited upon him while he was peacefully going about his business.

Wake up.

[Dr Fate]

24. Your Honor- My clients FOUND these drugs and were on their way...

...to the authorities to turn them in...

[Bo]

27. While the Meth bizzness explodes we are doing pot

[niallmac]

44. Isn't that really weird? Whats with the Meth epidemic?

Shouldn't the drug nazis' be going spastic over the meth crisis? Talk about your brain in a frying pan. Maybe meth doesn't threaten big business like pot does. I have no idea.
If handing out pot for free would stop the meth thing I would say go for it!

[K-W]

28. Did you ever notice...

that almost all stories about drug busts focus on the incompetence of the person busted.

I wonder if it isnt a trick to make sure nobody reading the article identifies themselves with the perpetrator and realizes how stupid these laws are. Everyone just blames the perp for being stupid.

[Zhade]

31. Fucking ridiculous.

This beneficial plant should in no way be illegal.

Fuck you if you support prohibition, too.

[ernstbass]

32. Absolutely pathetic

Legalize it NOW

[edbermac]

33. Reminds me of an old Steve Martin joke...

"I'd never smoke marijuana in California; you could get a ticket for that..."

[leftofthedial]

35. and Novak gets a vacation for committing treason

[Spock_is_Skeptical]

38. 25 years?! People get less for murder

for crying out loud. That's seriously messed up.

[niallmac]

42. Too bad he didn't just put thousands of families into poverty like Ken Lay

He could be playing golf right now.

[Nostradamus]

39. War must be exalted and cannabis must be persecuted

When a society is ruled by criminals and perverts, as it now is in most countries of the world, it is imperative that anything that promotes equal rights and justice be destroyed...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

41. He should have been selling nuclear triggers to Pakistan...

More profit and you only get three years.

[daleo]

46. I never knew anyone to get violent from marijuana

I have wondered if that is why western societies (some anyway) don't like it. It takes the violent edge off the population, and that is needed to crank up the war machine on command.