Pubdate: Fri, 19 Aug 2005
Source: Times Union (Albany, NY)
Section: Capital Region; Pg. B3
Copyright: 2005 Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation
Contact:  http://www.timesunion.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/452
Author: Elizabeth Benjamin

DRUG LAW CHANGES AWAIT GOVERNOR

ALBANY - Gov. George Pataki has until Aug. 30 to decide the fate of a bill 
that would allow an estimated 500 drug offenders incarcerated under the 
Rockefeller Drug Laws to appeal their sentences and possibly leave prison 
early.

The legislation, passed by both the Republican-controlled Senate and the 
Democrat-led Assembly, covers felons convicted of Class A2 crimes, the 
second-highest drug offenses. Pataki and legislative leaders last December 
agreed to do away with life sentences for both the highest-level Class A1 
crimes and A2 crimes, but allowed only A1 offenders to retroactively appeal 
their sentences under the new guidelines.

The Senate sent the measure to Pataki Thursday. The governor has 10 days, 
starting today and not including Sundays, to sign it, veto it or take no 
action, in which case it will automatically become law.

Pataki in June said he had "some concerns" about the bill. Thursday, Pataki 
spokeswoman Mollie Fullington said only that the governor will review it.

The bill's supporters say it would continue to reform the harsh 1973 
Rockefeller Drug Laws, which mandated life sentences for selling or 
possessing relatively small amounts of narcotics.

"The governor has talked a lot about Rockefeller reform, and now we expect 
him to walk the talk and sign this bill immediately," said Gabriel Sayegh, 
policy analyst at the Drug Policy Alliance, a group in favor of drug law 
reform.

But advocates have also been sure to note that the bill doesn't help reduce 
the sentences of B-level drug offenders, who make up the bulk of those 
serving time on drug-related convictions.
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