Cornell Hood II got off with probation after three marijuana convictions in New Orleans. He didn’t fare too well after moving to St. Tammany Parish, however. A single such conviction on the north shore landed the 35-year-old in prison for the rest of his life.
State Judge Raymond S. Childress punished Hood under Louisiana’s repeat-offender law in his courtroom in Covington on Thursday. A jury on Feb. 15 found the defendant guilty of attempting to possess and distribute marijuana at his Slidell home, court records show.
Hood moved from eastern New Orleans to the Slidell area after he admitted to separate charges of distribution of marijuana and possession with intent to distribute marijuana on Dec. 18, 2009, in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. He received a suspended five-year prison sentence and five years’ of probation for each — which was precisely the same penalty he got in that court after pleading guilty to possessing and intending to distribute marijuana on Feb. 22, 2005.
When Hood switched homes, he also requested a new probation officer based in St. Tammany. Authorities granted the wish, and the officer, Dustin Munlin, drove to Hood’s place for a routine visit on Sept. 27, 2010. Munlin found nearly two pounds of pot throughout the house, according to court records. He alerted Sheriff’s Office deputies. They arrested Hood, who apparently shared the King’s Point house with his mother and young son.
Prosecutors later charged him with one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. At Hood’s one-day trial, the evidence presented by the prosecution included a digital scale and about a dozen bags that had contained marijuana before being seized from the house, testimony showed. Deputies also found $1,600 in cash and a student-loan application with Hood’s name on it inside of a night stand. Where in hell are our priorities?
So who do you think has ruined more lives, the Wall Street crooks who rob old ladies out of their pensions…and handsomely rewarded for it, or this guy? And how much will it cost the taxpayers to imprison the man for the next 40 years? Maybe we should just go ahead and execute the guy.
As a semi-retired marijuana salesman, I am appalled.
Bobbo, this has nothing to do with Freedom, it has to do with the LAW! If you don’t like a law you change a law, you don’t ignore it. Law enforcement is there to ENFORCE THE LAW!
As for “Treue zur Furher”, you should go back and read some of your previous posts on other subjects. Pot calling the kettle black.
So if you get a life sentence for dealing pot and a life sentence for dealing crack or heroin exactly whats the business case for sticking to harmless weed?
And if you are going to jail for life anyway why not shoot the cop / probation officer – you might get away and the downside risk is the same.
Congratulations to these states for converting a few part time dope dealers into full time Uzi totting drug lords. If only they could do as well with other small businesses
BigBoy==you obviously are operating on an astral plane far above my own earth bound realities when you affirmatively state that getting put in jail for life has nothing to do with freedom.
In your world, do you play touch-tag with Alfie?
So, I do take your drift nonetheless==you don’t care about freedom. How about the waste of money in jailing these dudes? I mean===don’t think of drug dopes, they are called dopes for a reason==by why do you advocate being ever more stupid?
Think of the money man!!!!!!!!!
Money!!!!!!!!!
#33. In many states oral sex is against THE LAW….Ever gotten a blow job BigBoy?….better go turn yourself in lawbreaker.
What about THE LAW when it comes to white collar criminals. Or is that LAW too inconvenient to enforce because they’re kids might go to school with yours.
Anyone that cannot see the inequity in this is a moran.
Fuck your LAW. Until it’s applied to everyone equally, it don’t mean shit.
I don’t understand the map. I’m not even high?!?
Barack Obama “I inhaled frequently” “That was the point”
Arrest that criminal! While your at it, arrest Bush and Clinton too. Idiots.
#33, BB
… this has nothing to do with Freedom, it has to do with the LAW! If you don’t like a law you change a law, you don’t ignore it. Law enforcement is there to ENFORCE THE LAW!
Nope. You missed it big guy. The word you’re missing isn’t freedom, it’s “perspective”. I don’t favor wholesale
legalization of pot. This though is wrong. Pot is far less harmful than alcohol. Yet, three DUIs will generally get you riding a moped for a year and higher insurance rates. Secondhand smoke can kill people yet the most you will get for smoking in a child’s face might be a $25 fine.
Perspective, big guy, perspective. Maybe if the guy went around stealing cars or knifing strangers I could see the justice. But really, selling some pot warrants a life sentence?
Ralph–what perspective do you display when you recognize the greater harm caused by legal alcohol but still want to keep the safer MJ illegal?
Looks like the tail end slavish devotion to authority figures to me.
Think for yourself—you are almost there.
Nudge, – nudge.
#40 – well they tried making alcohol illegal and it led to organized crime, gangsters, murders, a poor quality dangers product and just as much drinking.
So if alcohol prohibition just doesn’t work we have to ban drugs instead – isn’t that obvious?
Six months After marijuana becomes legal, and it will, people will look around and say:
“What the hell was all the fuss about for so many years?”
Nobody==quite so. Reminds me of a Saturday Night Live skit where an earnest person was talking about various problems in society==eg childhood malnutrition and the answer from the clueless cast member was: “Well, make it illegal.”
Much like Bush Jr’s foreign policy: just invade them.
It is rather obvious.
I have MS and smoking a joint is a recommended treatment for reducing spasticity (its taken me a long time to get this out as I have to practically hit three keys for every one you read [the wrong one, the backspace key and the key I meant to hit in the first place,), like it is for building appetite for people on chemo, like it is for reducing intra-ocular pressure for people with glaucoma.
Demonizing pot is an easy low-lying fruit for politicians and police.
They bullshit us and they know they’re bullshitting us (Show me a person with a pulse who hasn’t tried it at least once and I’ll show you a liar. [The ones in HR are the most hypocritical fellators.])
But we tend NOT to elect/appoint/anoint stoner politicians, sheriffs or pontiffs.
Well not knowingly anyway, a lot of the people I’ve worked with were a little giddy after lunch break and doused themselves with patchouli oil.
Some folks at the bank hung out at the loading dock where they had no business, but Brother’s were there communing with the herb. (I’m no saint either, but I’ve never enjoyed being stoned so it was easy for me to take pee tests. [With the kinds of banking IT services I provided, it was “either urine or you’re out“.])
#26 Three parking tickets – also repeat offender?
Where does it stop?
And you really think a life time in jail saves society money?
There are countless ways of harming yourself. Does society have the obligation of preventing people from buying rather harmless drugs?
What about alcohol? It kills way more people than pot. It creates way more social problems than pot. Yet it is legal.
You can eat yourself to death as well. It is quite legal and quite common. Stunningly, Twinkies quite probably kill more people than pot…
Are we going to build fences on all roads – so nobody can step in front of a car? What about a speed limit of 20 Mph. Better yet 10 Mph. Interestingly, some cities in Europe are seriously considering 20. They want everybody to be safe – I call it the nanny state.
I would rather spend the money teaching people to think for themselves and take some responsibility.
BTW – if you want to be stupid and buy and consumes drugs – why not? None of my or your business as long as it causes us no grief.
People too stupid have a go at the Darwin Awards. I seems to be good for the human race.
#16. “Sounds like Louisiana gave up trying to keep this guy out of prison.”
From everything I’ve read about New Orleans, they’ve essentially given up on criminal law enforcement.
They have law that effectively means that there is only a 60 day window for prosecuting a murder. If your buddies can kill or successfully intimidate all witnesses to the murder you committed, you’re a free man. These are called “60 day” murders. It’s why the murder rate is so obscenely high in the New Orleans area, even after the depopulation from Katrina.
I don’t see how you can compare pot to murder. Anyone who who has smoked pot and thinks it’s right to get a life sentence for it should be ashamed of themself.
#40, bobbo,
Ralph–what perspective do you display when you recognize the greater harm caused by legal alcohol but still want to keep the safer MJ illegal?
Fuck you asshole. If you want to read my posts fine, just don’t start the bullshit of suggesting there are messages in it I didn’t put there.
Gee, it’s really neat to see a 14-month-old chart on this idea. Whillikers!
Terminating him would be cheaper. I doubt that we will long be able to cover the bills on keeping the pot heads in cold storage.
The problem is he will most likely have to support himself and his habit by stealing or dealing if he gets out so hitting him in the head with a stick has serious attractions.
If he could support himself some way other than being a parasite I’d be a lot less hostile.
He was going to college to find richer buyers.
Contrary to what someone said, it actually is not easy to grow good quality MJ, according to a TV program I saw that showed (in a home lab) how to do it. It is possible to do on a large scale, but not “easy”.
The number of people addicted to MJ always amazes me.
I agree, change the law if that’s what the majority want. And if it causes a sh!tstorm, like I think it will, I’m moving to a state where it is illegal. One of the bad things about Hawaii is the high rate of use.
States rights, a good thing.
#49–Ralph==what message do you think I unfairly added? What you expressly said was: “I don’t favor wholesale legalization of pot.”
So, let me rephrase: “Ralph–what perspective do you display when you recognize the greater harm caused by legal alcohol but still you don’t favor wholesale legalization of pot?”
Quibble much?
A life sentence for a victimless crime, so sad. The only crime here is the lame ass laws across the country that make little sense. Its ok to drink legally at 21 which can kill you if you drink too much, is the cause for most domestic violence calls, and very much impairs driving if highly intoxicated, and don’t forget the hang over. Now pot does not kill you. It doesn’t make you want to beat up others. Im sure it can be dangerous while driving after to many bong rippers, but nothing like driving while intoxicated. Sure it can be a gateway drug for teens because they seek out dealers to buy pot and are then introduced to other drugs. I live in Alaska where supposedly its medically legal but there is no doctors who will prescribe it so whats the point of seeking a medical pot card. Its legal to have possession of a certain amount in your home, but no way to legally obtain it. And even if you have a pot card the feds can come after you if they choose to. I see nothing wrong with wanting to get a little high before a concert, a lazer light show, or while I’m sitting on a glacier enjoying the sights. The worst is when I want to take some on a beach vacation, I cant even hide it in my underwear cause the naked body scanners at the airport.
Who said alcohol is legal?
Under very limited circumstances it is legal.
But drive to a bar, down 3 in an hour, and walk out to your car. I bet if a cop was waiting in a nearby lot, you’d not get in your car.
30 years ago, just before I was allowed to drink, alcohol use was up to your judgement. Unless there was an accident, maybe.
What I don’t want to deal with is the MADD checkpoints, FOR MJ (MAMJD, MAJD, whatever) all over again. It took 20+ years for the “don’t drink and drive” message to sink into 90% of the population.
#51
The problem is he will most likely have to support himself and his habit by stealing or dealing if he gets out so hitting him in the head with a stick has serious attractions.
Pot isn’t addictive, contrary to what those against the use of pot claim. He was supporting himself
Washington State voters approved medical marijuana over ten years ago but left it to the Department of Health to determine how much a patient may have. Our then-Attorney General insisted that law enforcement have a seat at the table and it took the DOH many years to develop its policy (IIRC, 14 plants and 24 dried ounces).
Because the law was vague and unevenly enforced, our Legislature this year passed a clarifying bill with both Democratic and Republican support and the endorsement of, among others, the Seattle City Attorney. The former Attorney General, now Governor, vetoed it because the US Attorneys told her to. Now things are worse. It was a dumb move and she is a bad Governor.
We are trying to put an initiative on the November ballot decriminalizing marijuana and selling it in State-run liquor stores. Wish us luck.
I used to live in that area, and I believe its better off with someone this stupid off the streets. He’s lucky the Harry Lee isn’t around anyomore. The guy is 35 years old isn’t time to grow up? Great role model the kid will be better off in foster care and maybe forget about his father.
Never cared for the weed and didn’t like being around those that did it. They always seemed like a record played too slow, always a step behind. If New Orleans would crackdown on these offenses then maybe the city would clean up because the suburbs don’t put up with this stuff.
#58, cloewe
There is more pot in the suburbs than in the cities.
As far as being a role model, have you bothered to think about what a role model is? Just because you think you are better than others does NOT make you a role model.
2.5oz is a civil offense in Maine.
#59 I can see you took sensitivity 101. Sorry I know that a nutria would make a better role model than 35yr old Cornell is. It’s ok to think your better than others, stay humble, but express your opinion when you know your right. I know, we now have to give trophies to all the participants but the truth is some are better than others.
#61
Another one who thinks her shit don’t stink.
So how much do you pay each month for people to be your friend, or are you really that lonely?