JACKSON • The Mississippi Court of Appeals has overturned a circuit court ruling that determined an Oxford police officer did not act with reckless disregard when he caused a wreck
Mississippi Courts Affirm Life Sentence for Cannabis cannabisculture.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cannabisculture.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Published May 16, 2021
The State of Mississippi upheld a man’s life sentence for the possession of 30 grams of marijuana. The Tuesday decision sparked conversations about the state’s ruling in the face of broadening decriminalization of marijuana. Featured Video Hide
According to the Associated Press, the Mississippi Court of Appeals upheld Allen Russell’s sentence “because he had previous convictions and those made him a habitual offender.” The appellate court justified its ruling, in part, through precedent, naming a “recidivist criminal” from the 1970s. Advertisement Hide
if u smoke weed and don’t support emancipation with ur whole chest … there’s a higher power that will judge you for your indecency https://t.co/TeN7sWNFcT dan q. dao (@danqdao) May 16, 2021
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In 2004, burglary was only considered a violent offence if there was proof that violence had occurred. Russell served about eight and a half years for the burglaries and was released in 2014.
In 2015, he was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. Though firearms are legal to carry in the state, Russell’s previous conviction barred him from owning a gun. He served two years for the charge.
In 2017, Russell was charged with cannabis possession. Under state law, possession of 30 to 250 grams of cannabis can lead to a three-year prison sentence, a US$3,000 ($3,630) fine, or both,
AP reports.
The decision was not unanimous, with several dissenting judges arguing that the court should make exemptions to the three-strikes law.
Allen Russell to continue serving life sentence for marijuana conviction Situations like the one currently before us are a prime example of why many people have called for criminal justice reform with regard to sentencing
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A Black man, who is currently serving a life sentence in prison due to a marijuana conviction in Mississippi, was denied when he appealed his conviction.
On Tuesday, the Mississippi Court of Appeals denied
Allen
In 2019, the 38-year-old was found guilty of possession of more than 30 grams of marijuana. Russell was previously convicted on two separate home burglary charges in 2004 and possession of a firearm in 2015. He spent more than 10 years in jail, according to NewsOne.