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Title: As People Rot in Jail for Tiny Bits of Weed, Cop’s Son Gets NO JAIL After Conviction for 44 POUNDS
Source:
Free Thought Project
URL Source: https://thefreethoughtproject.com/a ... fter-conviction-for-44-pounds/
Published: Oct 7, 2018
Author: Jack Burns
Post Date: 2018-10-10 09:20:51 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 2050
Comments: 20
The son of a high-profile Ohio crime lab director was caught with 44 pounds of marijuana and was given probation instead of jail. Ken Betz is the former Miami Valley Crime Lab director. His son, Thomas Betz (39), was given a sweetheart deal to avoid prison time, a plea deal many are decrying as foul. Betz was arrested with friend Michael Dorley (41) after four different properties were raided in May of 2017. The homes and places of business were suspected fronts for their marijuana grow operation. At the time of their arrest, Betz’ father, Ken, was working as the director of the crime lab, the same institution which is charged with determining whether or not substances found during police investigations are legal or not. He is a law enforcement officer. Once cannabis goes to the crime lab, it’s then certified as evidence to be used in court cases against defendants. It is important to point out that TFTP advocates that no one go to jail for possessing or selling this plant. However, we feel it necessary to point out the glaring special privilege and hypocrisy in this case. We at TFTP routinely report on cases involving the public whereby citizens are routinely imprisoned for small amounts of cannabis. One pound of cannabis contains 453.592 grams. Betz was caught with almost 20,000 grams and yet was given probation. By contrast, in 2014 Gary Howard, a Louisiana man found in possession of 18 grams was given an 18-year sentence in prison for pot possession. Two politicians were arrested this week and are facing life in prison for having a similar amount of the plant. Others who have been arrested for minor pot possession have also suffered unspeakable atrocities well beyond being marked as a felon for life, loss of income, or public shaming. In March of 2018, a Texas mom who was using cannabis for her epilepsy was arrested and taken to jail after being found with half a gram of weed. She was taken to the Harris County jail where she says she was raped by a jailhouse guard. Betz pleaded guilty to first-degree felony conspiracy, illegal cultivation and money laundering. He was given probation by a visiting Judge Thomas Herman, who retired from Clermont County, Ohio. Judge Herman seemed to make it apparent that Betz was facing serious prison time if he violated the terms of his probation. The judge stated, “We’re up to 17 years, Mr. Betz, do you understand that?” But for the many thousands (possibly over a million) of those who are currently incarcerated for marijuana crimes, the irony is not lost. They’re in jail for possession and some for distribution, but a cop’s son gets caught running a grow operation of nearly 50 pounds of weed and he gets out of prison by forfeiting valuable property and being a cop’s son. Betz reportedly handed over thousands in financial assets. According to the My Dayton Daily News: Betz was made to forfeit $75,000 of the sale of a residence at 5753 Woodville Dr. in Dayton where the grow operation was discovered, a 2011 GMC Denali and three bank accounts worth about $10,000. Herman also ordered intensive probation to start, treatment services and 80 hours of community service. Even the Butler County Assistant Prosecutor seemed satisfied with the judge’s decision. Jon Marshall was named as a special prosecutor in the case to avoid the glaring conflict of interest. Marshall stated: Our job as prosecutors is to make sure that defendants are held accountable for breaking the law…That happened here with their convictions. The police were able to investigate this case thoroughly. They were able to stop a major marijuana grow operation. As a result of the police’s hard work, we were able to convict both of these defendants of very serious charges. Those convictions have, so far, led to no one going to jail. The two perpetrators were well-connected within the police department. The judge was a retired judge whose connections to Betz’ family are unclear. And the special prosecutor seemed all too happy with the judge’s decision to let two known drug cultivators get a slap on the wrist. All the while thousands of others sit rotting away in prison in a failed war on drugs. The most high profile of which may be North Carolina former medical doctor Gordon Piland III. Piland III was given 18 years in prison for having two bottles of prescription pills belonging to his deceased parents and a bag of poppy seeds. His family told TFTP the real reason he was arrested and charged was because he was helping people in the community heal their illnesses with cannabis.
An Ohio crime lab director’s son was running a massive grow operation and was caught with 44 pounds of weed. Following his conviction he was given probation.
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#1. To: Deckard (#0)
Then they should be celebrating and STFU.
Take you own situation. Did you get NO JAIL for you doing ILLEGAL drugs? There. Just count your blessing while you rejoice for your good fortune and quit continually trying to fault a legal system that let you escape punishment.
Blue privilege - if he wasn't a cop's son, he would have gone to jail. "If you're not cop (or related to one) you're little people"
Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men, of policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen. The drug laws are very much like gravity. People just have to jump out of planes, climb mountains, perform skateboard stunts, etc. Gravity is implacable. If the people screw up or unlucky, they get hurt. Everybody knows the drug laws - love them, hate them - they just ARE, like gravity. If somebody decides that he's going to break the drug laws, the law enforcers don't care about the motivations (or putative motivations) any more than gravity does. One can argue for a repeal of the drug laws, as you do. If I were King, I'd repeal them because I don't want to spend the resources on enforcing that, and I don't like empowering little people (the police and prosecutors) that much to go bothering even littler people: it makes them resent the Crown.
This is the part where you look like a flaming hypocrite. What you are supposed to say is things like, "If I was on the jury this guy would never see the light of day again" which is the kind of thing you normally do when a drug dealer gets off easy. But no, this time, someone who by any measure was a drug dealer NOT growing it for his own use gets a free pass, not only by those running the legal system in his case, but by you as well, inferring that yes, a double standard in application of law is just fine when it comes to cops. Or.... perhaps you are a new convert to the drug decriminalization crowd? If so, welcome!
Me? Me? Day after day I see people like you protesting the arrest of drug dealers for one reason or another -- Illegal search! No-knock raid! Those 20 pounds of marijuana were for medical use! Now a drug dealer actually goes free and you're still complaining? And I'm the hypocrite?
The only reason he didn't go to prison is because he's the son of a cop.
Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men, of policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen. I do not think people get put in jail for small amounts of pot. It is one of many charges and is pushed to persuade simple minds of bad police. But I must admit he should have been charge with dealing drugs if he had 44lbs of pot.
Ah. So to paraphrase the quote from Animal Farm, "All drug dealers are equal, but some drug dealers are more equal than others". I guess we need to check with you before we comment, huh?
You do not think. Pretty much sums it up.
The headline is incorrect. Betz was accused of cultivating and trafficking more than 44 pounds of marijuana. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Betz pleaded guilty to engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, illegal cultivation of marijuana between 5,000 and 20,000 grams and money laundering. Other charges were dropped. 1,000 grams (1 kilogram) equals 2.2 pounds. 5,000 grams = 11 pounds 20,000 grams = 44 pounds. Betz pleaded guilty to an indeterminate amount between 11 and 44 pounds. Betz pleaded guilty to cultivating but not trafficking.
That's a badge of honor coming from you!!
No, if you’re a conservative vote dividing... Paultard, then you’re “little people”.
I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
What you are supposed to say is things like, "If I was on the jury this guy would never see the light of day again" which is the kind of thing you normally do when a drug dealer gets off easy. But no, this time, someone who by any measure was a drug dealer NOT growing it for his own use gets a free pass, not only by those running the legal system in his case, but by you as well, inferring that yes, a double standard in application of law is just fine when it comes to cops I was thinking the same thing pretty much. For some reason misterwhite has different standards for police then regular folks. Always without exception.
They are being consistent to holding the police to the same standard as ordinary people are held to. Like in the Bible where it says judge not lest ye be judged ... That means if you judge someone by a standard you hold you will be held to that same standard. They are true to their standard of holding the police to the same laws they have to follow. You are inconsistent because you are always for putting people away for drugs but you give the police a pass. But you are consistent in looking the other way for the police. That means that sucking up to the police is more important then enforcing drug laws equally.
Just the facts with you. :)
Inaccurate "facts" are not facts. 11 to 44 pounds cultivated is not 44 pounds trafficked. Also, conflating sentences handed down by Ohio with sentences handed down by Louisiana is not appropriate. It is two different sets of criminal laws.
It was a complement.
No, YOU are inconsistent because you are always for letting people go for drugs but you don't give the son of a former Miami Valley Crime Lab director a pass.
For the police? He was the son of a former Miami Valley Crime Lab director.
It is important to point out that TFTP advocates that no one go to jail for possessing or selling this plant.
#2. To: Deckard (#0)
As People Rot in Jail for Tiny Bits of Weed, Cop’s Son Gets NO JAIL After Conviction for 44 POUNDS
Someone seems to always get away with something at times.
#3. To: Gatlin (#2)
Someone seems to always get away with something at times.
“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” - Ron Paul
The essential feature of government is the enforcement of its decrees by beating, killing, and imprisoning.
Those who are asking for more government interference are asking ultimately for more compulsion and less freedom.
#4. To: Deckard (#0)
#5. To: misterwhite (#1)
Then they should be celebrating and STFU.
#6. To: Pinguinite (#5)
This is the part where you look like a flaming hypocrite.
#7. To: misterwhite (#6)
Now a drug dealer actually goes free and you're still complaining?
“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” - Ron Paul
The essential feature of government is the enforcement of its decrees by beating, killing, and imprisoning.
Those who are asking for more government interference are asking ultimately for more compulsion and less freedom.
#8. To: Deckard (#0)
#9. To: Deckard (#7)
The only reason he didn't go to prison is because he's the son of a cop.
#10. To: Justified (#8)
I do not think people get put in jail for small amounts of pot.
#11. To: Deckard (#0)
As People Rot in Jail for Tiny Bits of Weed, Cop’s Son Gets NO JAIL After Conviction for 44 POUNDS
#12. To: VxH (#10)
You do not think. Pretty much sums it up.
#13. To: Deckard (#3)
If you're not cop (or related to one) you're little people"
#14. To: Pinguinite, misterwhite (#5)
Then they should be celebrating and STFU. This is the part where you look like a flaming hypocrite.
#15. To: misterwhite (#6)
Now a drug dealer actually goes free and you're still complaining? And I'm the hypocrite?
#16. To: nolu chan (#11)
#17. To: A K A Stone (#16)
Just the facts with you.
#18. To: nolu chan (#17)
#19. To: A K A Stone (#15)
You are inconsistent because you are always for putting people away for drugs but you give the police a pass.
#20. To: A K A Stone (#14)
"has different standards for police then regular folks."
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