Anthony Kelly gets life for alleged flushing of marijuana down toilet. Lying Detective convicted aft
After an informant made a controlled purchase of $20 worth of marijuana from a woman who was a family neighbor, police arrested the neighbor, her son, Kelly, and his two brothers.
At trial, the lead detective claimed that she found Kelly and the neighbor’s son trying to flush the marijuana baggies down the toilet.
Both the neighbor and her son testified that they packaged the marijuana themselves with no help from Kelly, and that Kelly did not know she was selling marijuana. Kelly was convicted, despite this testimony.
The lead police detective, a primary witness against Kelly, was later convicted of evidence tampering and malfeasance in office, and she was accused of taking drugs from the evidence room for her own use.
Kelly was originally sentenced to 15 years but was resentenced to a mandatory LWOP sentence as a third-strike felony offender based on two prior convictions, one for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute when he was 21, and the other for simple possession of cocaine when he was 19.
Read full story at ACLU Special Report. A Living Death: Life Without Parole for Nonviolent Offenses.
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As voters, citizens, taxpayers and bystanders, we as a society have inhumanely punished thousands of nonviolent people. Currently Washington DC and 30 states have compensation statutes for wrongfully convicted inmates. Congress’ recommended amount is $63,000 for each year served. On the other hand, overly sentenced victims who in many cases have suffered equally or worse typically receive $20 and a bus ticket if they are fortunate enough to ever be released.
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