1996....3 people find a few kilos of cocaine inside a picture tube of a tv brought in for service that was bought at an unclaimed freight store. 4th person comes into group to sell the stuff. 2 months later everyone busted. Police get all money and all cocaine. 2 people get prison time...3 split 15 and 50,000 dollar fines. One has two kids and wife....other has girlfriend and 1 kid. 1998 to 2001 we did our time.....2001 to 2006 we pay 30 dollars a month for the "priviledge" of being on probation and attempt to pay what we can on the rest of it (fines, costs, etc.) Now comes the end of probation and at least one of us still owes about 47000 dollars. It is the one that has two kids. Prison broke him down because now he has no self worth and honestly beleives there is no future for him at all...he's 46. He is ready to die if the attempt to send him back for not paying the fine. He doesn't trust lawyers, police or anyone in the justice system what so ever. His wife stuck by him through everything but he won't let that happen again so he will committ suicide if it comes to that. He is very smart but has lost all aspiration and motivation and whatever else is needed to keep going and moving forward. He is lost and scared and doesn't have a way to pay them 47000 some odd dollars before August....they rent, they live paycheck to paycheck. I don't know what to tell him anymore and have watched a beautiful family slowly destroy each other over the stress, anger and frustration. How much does the state want? This case was such a fluke. If it destroys one of his children then the damage the state has caused in the name of the war on drugs has surely back fired. Minimum Mandatory Sentencing is a joke in terms of reaching it's intended goals but certainly not a joke when it comes to destroying families.

Thank you for sharing that story and welcome to PTO Badlucknbama. That is a really sad story and unfortunately a good reflection of the state of things. Is there any way he can appeal this or get an extension ? Is there anyone who can speak on his behalf ?

He had a multitude of people speak for him at the hearing and they even put together an album that had pictures and testimonies of people to try to persuaded the court to not give prison time. He didn't need it. Ex-Navy man....puled himself out of the gutters since he was abandoned on the streets at 12. This incident simply didn't dictate the need for prison time...It was an absolute fluke....like the guys that found all the pot in the mountains....they would have never had anything to do with this sort of thing if they hadn't of broke the picture tube open to prevent neighborhood kids from getting it and smashing it. Then they wanted to turn it in but were afraid to do that....One of the guys that paid NO PRICE for any of it was the one that talked them into keeping it....that a pot of gold had just fallen in their laps and it didn't take long for three overworked, underpaid people to go along. He was a avid church goer; involved whole-heartedly in the good works of the church until seeing all the hypocrisy and him and his family being treated different. Now he won't even enter a church building....he won't even have a friend...he has none, he trusts no one and he has become quite mean and hateful which is totally against his nature. Prison for three years destroyed this person...he didn't need to go...he showed remorse...he cooperated...he did everything he was supposed to do and the justice system LIED to him. Fifty thousand dollars! How do they expect a person that was in prison to pay 50000 dollars? I just don't understand!!! He did his time....he did his probation clean....never missed a payment....never in trouble....always held a job....always took care of his family....he's branded for life...and so are his children...why? Had he committed a violent crime his punishment would not be so severe...I've seen it much more than once! Some people get loans for 20-30 years to pay a 50,000 dollar debt....Must a person pay for the rest of their life for a drug crime?...a non-violent, one time offense drug crime? It's wrong and I think obvious proof that we have the best justice system that money can buy....you got money? YOU GET JUSTICE!

I mean someone needs to contact his P.O. on his behalf and get an extension of some sort really quickly. If he isnt telling them anything then someone needs to get him an extension. Prison obviously was very brutal to this man, every measure must be met to keep him from going back. If there are friends then one of you has to organize a plan and a person who will contact the officials and explain the hardship this man is facing and how an extension makes sense. What, do they think this many has drug money hidden away somewhere ? How long did they give him from when he was released till the deadline to pay ? Are they aware that he is the breadwinner for his wife and children and he had no job when he was released ? Someone better help this guy quick !!!
Im glad you are telling his story, we all need to know this is going on !!

Dear Badlucknbama,
What about a sympathetic newsreporter, or church, or a petition....and is there anyway more people can write?

There's an old saying that goes, "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time." The thing at fault here isn't the legal system, or anyone therein, it's the drug dealers. They were at fault for dealing drugs, and if they can't pay the fines, then that's too bad.

Maybe they should've thought about not dealing out drugs in the first place?