Pubdate: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 Source: Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) Copyright: 2002 Lexington Herald-Leader Contact: http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/240 Author: Lee Mueller FREE DRUG DEALER, PETITION REQUESTS It may say something about the drug problem in Eastern Kentucky, a Floyd County prosecutor said yesterday, when a court motion to let a confessed drug dealer out of prison early contains a petition with 704 signatures. "If you believe these 700 people represent what people want, then it would be a very sad statement," said Floyd Commonwealth's Attorney Brent Turner, who added: "However, I don't believe that's representative of what the law-abiding people in this county want." A motion filed last week to grant shock probation to James C. "Jay C." Johnson, of Melvin, will be heard by Floyd Circuit Judge Danny Caudill on May 17, Turner said. Johnson, 44, arrested last year during a regionwide drug raid called "Operation Oxy-fest," was sentenced to five years in prison on Feb. 18 by Caudill. Johnson pleaded guilty Jan. 18 to three counts of trafficking MS Contin, a synthetic morphine-type drug similar to OxyContin. Turner said the petition is unprecedented in his term as prosecutor. Such petitions sometimes surface on behalf of "a decent guy" who got caught driving while drunk, he said, "but never a drug dealer." Turner said no printed names or addresses follow the signatures on the petition. "It looks, in some instances, like one person signed for the entire family," he said. Turner said he is checking the list to see if it contains people who have been convicted of drug offenses. "Obviously, it's disheartening to see that many people asking a judge to put a convicted drug dealer back on the street when we've done everything we can to put him in jail," he said. Jeffery Lovely of Salyersville, Johnson's attorney, asked the court to consider his client's lack of a criminal history and the signatures on the petition as reasons to let his client out of prison after serving less than three months of his sentence. Lovely said Johnson's wife collected the signatures. Lovely said he did not know what impact the petition might have on Judge Caudill's decision. "We won't be able to see whether it has the desired effect until we see whether he gets out," Lovely said. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens