Does Crime Really Not Pay?

What amounts to a fair punishment for being found guilty of committing a crime these days?

A young man from Leduc was recently found guilty of drug possession for the purpose of trafficking. Although the press has already printed his name, as they are legally allowed to do in this case, I don’t feel it’s necessary to name him here.

The provincial court judge who heard the young man’s case told the offender drug dealers are “bloodsuckers,” and she needed to make an example of him to send a warning to other potential drug traffickers. Judge Marilyn White then sentenced the 19-year-old man to pay a four-thousand dollar fine. She also banned him from owning weapons for the next 10 years.

I cannot see how emptying this guy’s piggy bank and telling him not to play with guns until he’s 29 serves as a scary warning to others who are thinking about or currently selling drugs. Sure, four thousand dollars is a lot of money. But if this man starts selling drugs again, he will easily make that money back in no time. I also fail to see how not allowing this man to own a gun or any other firearms helps him stay away from drugs, unless he used to steal drugs from his suppliers while threatening them with a shotgun.

During his trial the 19-year-old man said he had stopped using drugs and was trying to find a legit way to make money. Good for him; hopefully he meant it. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he did start using and/or selling drugs again. And I wouldn’t even blame him, really. I would blame the judge who promised to make an example of this young drug dealer and then failed to do so.

I’m not saying Judge White should have sent this young man to jail. I don’t think that would have solved many of his problems, although a few nights spent snuggled between a murder or two in a cold, cramped jail cell might have provided this young man some much-needed motivation to stay out of trouble.

Our legal system has failed to make an example of this man. Yes, he was dealing marijuana, a drug many people feel is relatively harmless, out of his car. He wasn’t selling crack cocaine in an alley somewhere. There are much worse crimes he could have committed. But at the age of 19 this young man has already pled guilty to possession for the purpose of trafficking. He could obviously use a little extra help staying out of trouble.

Our system has failed this teenager because although we (barely) punished him for the crime he committed, we have not taken any steps to ensure he won’t commit the same crime again. If Judge White had put this young man on probation and ordered him to undergo random drug testing for the next year, the chances of him doing drugs or selling them to others would be significantly reduced. Judge White also could have punished the young man while simultaneously helping the community by sentencing him to community service or to giving talks at junior high and high schools about the dangers of getting into a lifestyle that involves using and/or selling drugs. This would have allowed the young man to reflect on his poor choices while helping other kids avoid his own mistakes.

The young drug dealer is an adult. He’s not some 10-year-old that broke the law without fully understanding it. He is old enough to deal with the consequences of his actions. Except in this case, the consequences are so minor the young man is not likely to learn that whole “you reap what you sow” philosophy of life.

Judges should not promise to send a message to others when deciding the fate of one law-breaker, unless they mean to follow through with that promise. Judge White’s decision sets a pathetic precedent that will help influence how other judges decide to sentence future teenage drug dealers. What’s the point of holding expensive trials if judges don’t punish criminals properly?

Teenage drug pedlars in the County of Leduc beware- if you get caught selling weed you’ll just have to give up some of the money you have made selling pot and the right to play with your very own shiny little gun for the next decade.