Obama passed a new crack cocaine law but why does this law not apply to people w

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   truth26posted 13 years ago

   Obama passed a new crack cocaine law but why does this law not apply to people who have been...
   
   previously convicted and already incarcerated?

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   Uninvited Writerposted 13 years ago

   Because those people have already been tried and sentenced.

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   Sylvie Strongposted 13 years ago

   Congress passed it (not Obama, although he supported it and signed it).  Cocaine and crack cocaine are the same drug and it never made sense to have a disparity in the penalties applied to both.  Under prior law, possession of 5 grams of crack would get you a 5 year mandatory sentence.  It would take possession of 500 grams of cocaine to get you the same sentence.  The law is not retroactive because Congress decided it did not want to revisit those old cases.  I agree that prior law was unfairly applied but I can see the justification for not reopening the door to the punishments that have already been meted out.  Even though there was a sentencing disparity under prior law, people knew that (or should have known) when they broke the law.

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   davidseegerposted 13 years ago

   The US constitution prohibits laws being applied to actions committed before the passage of the new law.

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   mom101posted 13 years ago

   there you have the answer.  Why waste taxpayer dollars?  Who knows which law will be "reintroduced". Maybe the idea behind the wheel is that, now that they are pretty much legal, maybe there will be less crime.
   What is the fine if someone writes a 10 bad check to purchase milk and bread? 
   Regardless of demo/repub, they were elected in.

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   lostdogrwdposted 13 years ago

   the old law was made to lock up blacks for crack cocaine if way cheaper and mostly poor people ( mostly blacks) do the drug while cocaine  which is mix with baking soda to make crack is for people who can afford it ,, it was a pure and simple a racist law to put more black in prison to make jobs. there never should had been a 10 to 1 difference in time for the dope. and addict need help not time in a prison but time in a recovery home some were. and it do apply to people who have been previously convicted and still in prison

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   justomposted 13 years ago

   lostdogrwd-right on, this country will do anything to jail a brother!

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   emmahunter588posted 11 years ago

   Because those were sentenced before this cocaine law was applied. I think this is just fair, especially for those who are at the cocaine addiction treatment. Visit http://best-treatment-centers.com/ to know more about this.

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