Pubdate: Fri, 11 Jul 2014
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2014 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Alexandra W. Yates
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n567/a02.html

MAKING SENSE OF MARIJUANA LAWS

Re "Facing down pot's influence," Column One, July 9

I really sympathized with the Department of Justice lawyer profiled 
in your article about a recent federal medical marijuana prosecution.

Sure, it may be somewhat "trying times" for the defendant, "a father 
of two young children" who "faces about 24 years in prison without 
the possibility of parole" for selling marijuana legally under state 
law. But the person most deserving of our sympathy is clearly the 
prosecutor, a "self-described 'nice Jewish girl' from a liberal 
family in Connecticut" who "has no grievance with" marijuana or those 
who use it and isn't against legalization, but nonetheless feels duty 
bound to prosecute anyone who violates the conflicting federal law 
and demand a minimum 10-year sentence - no matter how morally 
questionable or unpopular that law may be.

Thank goodness we repealed the Fugitive Slave Acts.

Alexandra W. Yates

Los Angeles The writer is a deputy federal public defender for the 
Central District of California. The opinions expressed in this letter 
are her own.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom