Oklahoma citizens can breathe a lot easier now that the "notorious drug dealer", Patricia Spottedcrow, was arrested, found guilty, and sentenced to 12 years in prison for the sale of 3 marijuana cigarettes to a police informant.
PATRICIA SPOTTEDCROW, MUGSHOT:
NOTE: Links to sources/credits, if not otherwise listed: please click on the photo or text that is in orange. This will bring you to the source.
Patricia Spottedcrow - her Mother Starr and two of her children::
Back Ground Story: Kingfisher County, OK; On Dec. 31, 2009, "Spottedcrow and her mother, Delita Starr, 50, sold a “dime bag” of marijuana to a police informant at Starr's home in Kingfisher. A month later the "informant returned and bought "two dime bags", for $20. According to several news sources, it was Patricia's mother, Starr, who made the sales. At one point it is alleged "Starr asked one of the boys to run and get change." In order to "avoid breaking-up the family, the judicial system/powers to be, in this case chose to punish Patricia, only with prison time; that way "the children's Grandmother, Starr, would still be there for the children growing up."
History of the term, "Dime Bag".
A "dime-bag" of marijuana, in the 1960's - 1970's was a baggie in which there was an index finger's worth of marijuana; or that's 1/4 oz equals 7 grams; cost $10.
A full ounce then cost $40, and was a baggie four fingers full of herb. The marijuana during those years came from one of several overseas sources: Mexico - Acapulco Gold; or Jamaica - Jamaican; Panama - or "Panama Red"; Columbia - or simply "Columbian"; or Thai Stick, from Thailand. Those were the common varieties available at the time for $40 an ounce. A full ounce is 28 grams.
In the 1980's, due to Reaganomics; the "War on Drugs", the dwindling availability of previously described varieties, the prices either increased, or the product became unavailable. Domestically grown cannabis took the place of foreign sources, especially cannabis from California, called sinsemillia (without seeds) sinsemillia.
"Dime bags" disappeared completely, replaced by a more potent, crystalline "bud" packaged in aluminum foil. The potency of the THC increased substantially thanks to the "War on Drugs"! The price of a gram increased to around $60 or more. The price of a "dime bag" of leafy herb and bud like that in the old days, if available, increased to around $40, a 1/4oz.
By the 1990's, the cannabis collective caught up with the demand and the more familiar domestically grown, marijuana, began to show up on the US market once again. It was not highly prized as was simply called "domestic" or "dirtweed", as many remembered the herb of the 60's and 70's. The price was no longer $10 a quarter oz. either, but rather, began at $60 a 1/4 or more, and rose to $80 to $120 a 1/4oz by the year 2000.
By the late 20th century the majority of cannabis would come from within the USA, or Canada. The "Drug War" in Mexico now as a result has little to do with most US consumers, except perhaps our friends in the southern states.
How do I know this? I worked in several colleges and public schools from 1975 to 2000. Then in late 2004 while assisting in the search for Brianna Maitland, interviewing friends and people she knew, I found it important to establish her sources for marijuana, and other drugs, that people in her area were consuming. I know where the "shit" comes from. Maybe the DEA should hire me, but I'd naturally reject their offer... as I don't believe recreational drug use is a criminal issue, rather, I believe the use of recreational drugs in this country is at most a mental health issue, if an issue at all.
On Dec. 31, 2009, the $10 worth of marijuana Patricia Spottedcrow alledgedly sold to a police informant would have amounted to less than a gram of marijuana, or in practical terms, she sold the informant a "joint". And a week later the same informant returned to purchase $20 worth of marijuana, or two joints, by today's cannabis commodity prices.
According to the following story, Patricia wasn't even the person to make the sale, her mother Starr was: http://newsok.com/how-31-of-pot-gave-mom-a-10-year-prison-sentence/article/3542585#ixzz1EXydQk1l
Marijuana transactions:
"On Dec. 31, 2009, Spottedcrow and her mother, Delita Starr, 50, sold a dime bag of marijuana to a police informant at Starr's home in Kingfisher, court records state.
Starr handled the transaction and asked her 9-year-old grandson, ”Spottedcrow's son” for some dollar bills to make change for the $11 sale. Two weeks later, the same informant returned and bought $20 of marijuana from Spottedcrow."
"The two women were arrested for drug distribution and because Spottedcrow's children were in the home, an additional charge of possession of a dangerous substance in the presence of a minor was added."
“It just seemed like easy money,” said Spottedcrow, who says she is not a drug user but has smoked marijuana. “I thought we could get some extra money."
Spottedcrow was unemployed at the time from a nursing home where she had been working. Spottedcrow had worked as a certified nursing assistant and certified medical assistant but was unemployed and did not have a stable residence at the time of her arrest, a report states. The family lost their Oklahoma City home for not paying bills.
Read more from this Tulsa World article at: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=487&articleid=20110220_11_A1_CUTLIN556620&archive=yes
Spottedcrow's mother Starr made the original sale, but due to her mother's poor health, Patricia took the blame for the sales when the pair were arrested.
The two women were arrested for drug distribution and because Spottedcrow's children were in the home, an additional charge of possession of a dangerous substance in the presence of a minor was added.
The women were each offered plea deals of two years in prison. But because neither had prior convictions and the drug amounts were low, they gambled and entered a guilty plea before a judge with no prior sentencing agreement.
Starr received a 30-year suspended sentence with no incarceration, but five years of drug and alcohol assessments, and a fine of $8,600. Spottedcrow was sentenced to 10 years in prison for distribution and two years for possession, to run concurrently. She will be up for parole in 2014.
Former Kingfisher County Judge Susie Pritchett, who retired in December 2010, said "the women were conducting an extensive operation which included children in the business. It was a way of life for them", Pritchett said.
Considering these circumstances, "I thought it was lenient", Pritchett said. "By not putting the grandmother in prison, she is able to help take care of the children". In addition, A presentencing investigative report prepared by the Department of Corrections rated Spottedcrow's risk of re-offending as highly likely, and recommended substance abuse treatment while incarcerated.
Well, duh... who the hell takes "Reefer Madness" seriously!!!?
Patricia Spottedcrow joins the ranks of equally notorious marijuana villians such as Timothy Leary, David Bowie, Willie Nelson, and GOP Lawmaker, Robert Watson.
"Dr. Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was a highly influential American psychologist and writer, known in later life for advocating advanced research into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelic drugs. A hugely controversial figure during the 1960s and 1970s, he defended the use of the drug LSD for its therapeutic, emotional and spiritual benefits, and even believed it showed incredible potential in the field of psychiatry. Leary also popularized the phrase "Turn on, tune in, drop out". Both proved to be hugely influential on the 1960s counterculture. Largely due to his influence in this field, he was attacked by conservative figures in the United States, and described as "the most dangerous man in America" by President Richard Nixon."
Robert Watson is your typical hypocrite! Much like anti-prostitution warrior Eliot Spitzer. Who was caught with his pants down with the now infamous "Client 9", Ashley Dupre, Call-Girl Extraordinaire:
Eliot Spitzer, ex-governor of NY with his very attractive wife:
So, what exactly did Patricia Spottedcrow do to deserve a 12 year sentence for the sale of three joints? #1, she wasn't a governor or senator. #2, this isn't America, "the Land of the Free", it's China. #3: Someone has to be the poster-child for "drugs are bad"!
To President Obama and all you other law-makers out there in the USA? Where's the friggin' SCIENCE in your decision-making and policies? Marijuana - "A Dangerous Drug"??? I really don't think so! So why the hurt cast onto millions of otherwise law-abiding citizens? It's Time to stop hurting American Citizens with your Witch-Hunts!
PATRICIA SPOTTEDCROW, The MARIJUANA WITCH of OKLAHOMA:
Drink your booze and smoke your tobacco... do whatever your esteemed status lets you do...
BUT PLEASE...
STOP THE HURT!!!
To Be Continued...
This is just typical of politics today make an example of a poor woman with children trying to support her children. Go ahead and let these rich wall street types bring our country down into the worst recession since the great depression. They end up getting rich and no one goes to jail. They leave this country in a shamble and they don't even feel guilt. This poor woman gets her family split up and is left with a fine that is enormous for her and her family and this was a victimless crime. I personally think this Judge should go to Jail and send the rednecks who voted for 'em a healthy fine.
ReplyDeleteYou have that correct, Mary. However I think this is more a textbook example of how our current judicial/legal system is extremely biased and out of touch with reality, AND SCIENCE!
ReplyDeleteIronically many still believe use, possession, sale, or gift of marijuana is NOT a victimless crime. I have a very hard time with that concept - because if that's true, literally anything provided by God could be deemed a crime, including the use, possession, sale or gift of water.
The victim is made by the law... in the case of water - the wealthy and powerful would be exempt; the average citizen: criminals. We might soon see the day where water is available by a doctor's recommendation!
Many other's believe the judge should be the one to go to jail, from what I've read at various forums. What about the informant? Is it "right" to solicit "drugs", and if their are children around, isn't the informant putting them in danger just as much as the dealer?
Doesn't second hand smoke from tobacco put a child in grave danger also?
Thanks once again for your thoughtful response and comment...
If only I could live to see the day politics of this sorts disappears. Our Founding Fathers had a dream... and look what the dream's become? Very sad.
Well written and interesting post Bob.
ReplyDeleteI read this yesterday, but did not have a chance to comment until now. It would be difficult to find someone who does not believe that Ms. Spottedcrow's sentence was ridiculous. I mean the woman's poor judgment aside (making sales from a home with small children--increasing the liklihood that violent criminals looking for a quick score of cash and product would strike), a small time dealer with no prior arrest history has no business being sentenced to 10.
I read where the recently retired judge argued that the arrested offense was only the tip of the iceberg and that Spottedcrow was much more heavily involved in drug trafficking. Well, that is fine to believe that, but the CJ system is not intended to punish individuals for what one "thinks" they are involved--rather to deal with those offenses where a conviction is gained.
I like how no one talks about the 2 year deal she was offered and turned down, in which case she probably wouldve been out of jail within 6 months. If she doesnt get in trouble during her current sentence, she'll be elgible for parole in 4 years. She had marijuana on her on the day she was in court for her sentencing. She had already lost her house in OKC, because of unpaid bills, and was previously a nurse but was currently unemployed. Hmm, I wonder why she lost her job. Obviously this lady isn't fit to even have her own kids, much less take care of herself. Its her own fault that she got what she did.
ReplyDeleteJonathan...
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your visit and your comment. In response, I myself didn't discuss the plea deal she was offered as it's discussed in several of the linked articles.I personally felt her decision to reject the plea deal was rational given she had no prior convictions, and the quantity of marijuana she sold to the informant was negligible, three joints. Considering OK law, that did qualify her for two years in prison anyway, however she felt personally, the quantity of marijuana involved was at best a sentence of probation, if she presented herself to the judge, in which case, she may have been able to stay with her family, and take it as a lesson learned. Such was not the case.
RE: the house and job, now there I feel personally you are being biased, as thousands of very hard working, good people have recently lost their homes and jobs due to the greed and wrong-doings of "The Wall Street Gang". We do not know why she was unable to keep her house or job, and to assume it was irresponsibility on her part, given the Great Recession, is unfair.
That she had a small bag of marijuana in her pocket the day she was going to prison, yes, that is pretty dumb, but but who doesn't do dumb things in life?
Presidents do dumb things, so do they not deserve to have children and families? Governors have affairs and relationships with prostitutes, are they also not to have families?
Patricia, at most was naive. The judge, in this case, was inept and imposed a punishment that did not fit the crime. That is not the America I was brought up to trust. And it is not the America Patricia will ever trust again either.
Since I started my blog in 2009, after working with another blogger, and getting the feel for blogging, I have been intrigued by my numbers. And what posts are most popular. This post for instance, since I wrote it in 2011 has been #4 of my top 5 posts. Re-reading it, and the comments, I can see why so many visit this post. Humbly, I think truly it is one of my best ones. And the story of this woman is something I think many of us can identify with. 624 people have visited this post. Sure, my "Freedom Rider's" post has accrued 4816 views since I wrote it around the same time.But my average post, out of 352 that I published, perhaps on an all-time average maybe 25 - 50 views.
ReplyDeleteThat is why I'm hear tonight to see what makes this my #4 post? And it's like almost reading it from afar as I don't remember writing it, nor responding as I did to Jonathan. I don't mean to be hard on him, as we all have a right to own own opinions. The The message I take from his response to the post and my comment back, is as there was no evidence presented proving any large scale operation, her 10 year + 2 (for possession in court) is ludicrous. I understand Jonathan's POV, as I do Slam Dunks concerns, however I think as a society are finally seeing how cannabis no more dangerous that other activities that are legal or that a governor may feel they are the exception to the law, and why... ? It's a little thing in our "US Bill of Rights... that the punishment shall fit the crime". Rather than hug and promote our Constitution and Freedom as Americans, we often fall blindly into lock-step with whatever lawmakers feel to them is right. When they may be wrong. How are we to know? Research first, judge later.