Ronald Cummings, drug trafficking charges

[Whisperer]

The State of Florida and Ca. have very serious problem in the U.S. Florida has made it much easier to get drugs because of the drug clinics. I am glad the legislature cracked down and handed out mandatory minimums. It is the only way to clean up the State. There is no other way....sorry. The druggies have a bad life style and the chain must be broken.

By now, drug criminals should know what the mandatory minimum is. They are stupid, if they don't and belong exactly where they are.

I think rc knew it was just a matter of time before his drug history caught up with him...stupid, stupid man/child. He could have done more time if they would have arrested him for bedding a sixteen year old when he was 25.

These people are exactly where they belong. Good for the State of Florida for cracking down. I think we have a couple hundred thousand in jails here...many for drugs. I personally am glad they are locked up.

 

[Whisperer]

I believe all the States should pass the Three Strikes Law. When it was passed out here, crime dropped, big time. If you haven't learned by your second arrest, there is no hope. Lock them up and throw the key away.

It is the bleeding hearts and their complaints about criminals locked up that have caused many criminals to walk. I have read thousand of files. I hadn't seen any w/o a history of bad acts.

As far as Hope goes. She earned her sentence. She knew what the law was and she was on probation....stupid stupid girl.

 

[krkrjx]

We have the Three Strikes law here and it is really something. There are defendants here who upon conviction of a crime that would mandate a sentence of maybe five years go away for LIFE! Three Strikes here (and I assume in other states) means the first two convictions may give way to leniency, but the third conviction is the one that does them in.

Some here say it is unfair but in my state the judge is required to tell the perp about the 3X law and to warn them that the next time they will go in for good. If they choose to ignore that, they deserve whatever comes down.

It is interesting that Croslins/Cummings/Sykes/Brock did not go for a jury trial. Had they held out for that, they might have all gotten plea deals to reduce their charges so that mandatory mins would not apply. Even without plea deals, juries might have been less likely to send Sykes and Brock away for 15 years, and juries can nullify a law in their deliberations if they do not accept the law or think it appropriate for the case at hand. And a lot of FL citizens do not agree with the mandatory minimum laws for small time drug sales. Yes, they voted for the mandatory minimums, but that was back when everyone believed those laws going in effect would catch the big-time dealers. Some big timers have been caught but far more small timers have been incarcerated due to mandatory sentencing--not exactly what the citizens had in mind when they voted for the mandatories.

I do not think a jury would have nullified the law, however, for Misty, Ron, and Tommy. That's JMO, but I believe the majority of people in that area know they were involved in Haleigh's demise, either in the actual deed or in the cover-up. But Donna and Hope, I think a jury just might have had some sympathy for them.

 

[dodie20]

We have the Three Strikes law here and it is really something. There are defendants here who upon conviction of a crime that would mandate a sentence of maybe five years go away for LIFE! Three Strikes here (and I assume in other states) means the first two convictions may give way to leniency, but the third conviction is the one that does them in.

Some here say it is unfair but in my state the judge is required to tell the perp about the 3X law and to warn them that the next time they will go in for good. If they choose to ignore that, they deserve whatever comes down.

It is interesting that Croslins/Cummings/Sykes/Brock did not go for a jury trial. Had they held out for that, they might have all gotten plea deals to reduce their charges so that mandatory mins would not apply. Even without plea deals, juries might have been less likely to send Sykes and Brock away for 15 years, and juries can nullify a law in their deliberations if they do not accept the law or think it appropriate for the case at hand. And a lot of FL citizens do not agree with the mandatory minimum laws for small time drug sales. Yes, they voted for the mandatory minimums, but that was back when everyone believed those laws going in effect would catch the big-time dealers. Some big timers have been caught but far more small timers have been incarcerated due to mandatory sentencing--not exactly what the citizens had in mind when they voted for the mandatories.

I do not think a jury would have nullified the law, however, for Misty, Ron, and Tommy. That's JMO, but I believe the majority of people in that area know they were involved in Haleigh's demise, either in the actual deed or in the cover-up. But Donna and Hope, I think a jury just might have had some sympathy for them.

I will never understand why they didn't opt for trials.

 

[Whisperer]

The State of Florida and Ca. have very serious problem in the U.S. Florida has made it much easier to get drugs because of the drug clinics. I am glad the legislature cracked down and handed out mandatory minimums. It is the only way to clean up the State. There is no other way....sorry. The druggies have a bad life style and the chain must be broken.

By now, drug criminals should know what the mandatory minimum is. They are stupid, if they don't and belong exactly where they are.

I think rc knew it was just a matter of time before his drug history caught up with him...stupid, stupid man/child. He could have done more time if they would have arrested him for bedding a sixteen year old when he was 25.

These people are exactly where they belong. Good for the State of Florida for cracking down. I think we have a couple hundred thousand in jails here...many for drugs. I personally am glad they are locked up.

For the real logical people, when you think about it, it was drugs directly or indirectly killed Haliegh. Drugs kill many innocent children but people in their passion have tunnel vision...and are so worried about the druggies doing too much time...boo hoo! They knew the law, they broke it. If you can't do the time, then don't do the crime..

 

[Whisperer]

If you haven't read the files, then you just don't know what is going on. I can guarantee you that their files have pages and pages of arrests. They had two felonies and 102 misdemeanors....Get them off the street. If they haven't learned after the second felony and 10 and 100 misdemeanors how to behave in society...Lock em up!

Regarding the Satsuma 5. Tommy is the only one who could have received a lighter sentence. All the others got the bare minimum and in Ron's case, he got less than that. What could a jury do for them other than give them more time?

Regarding the three strikes...keep in mind, this is for FELONY, not misdemeanors. Does anyone have better ideas for these jewels of society that have committed THREE felonies. Poor babies, maybe we should give them probation...or maybe we can suggest Dorothy Clay Simms take them to her non-profit ranch for visionary and spiritual guidance?

 

[Whisperer]

I know what the intake process is into DOC and I do not think Ronald is having a good time. I say that with great satisfaction. He has been accostomed to a county jail and that is a tea party compared to real prison. He will quickly find that his bad boy attitude is not going to fly there. He can say, "Don't you know who I am?" and it will not matter.

I hope he is scared out of his mind. IMO, Ronald is a coward. He will very soon have to decide which gang he is going to hang with. This is hard time and he will not adjust to it easily.

MOO

Looks like you called that one LA! :floorlaugh:

 

[Whisperer]

Sometimes on "Lock up" on TV, it shows where I worked. At times I recognize some of the inmates. At least in CA, it is nothing like you think. From 8:00 to 5:00, all inmates can go anywhere they like. Cell doors are open and they can go to any floor, visit, work, talk, play games, go to therapy (offered all day) and school. There is always a MH staff available as the doors are open and they are on every tier. Inmates can talk with them whenever they like. Despite the fact that they are treated fairly well, there are many staff assaults. Some inmates are just plain crazy and unpredictable. The place I worked had the highest staff assaults in the system despite giving many privileges. This was due to the type of inmates housed there. Most of the population had a MH tag. Of course drug addiction and alcohol addiction is considered that so we had a huge population. As it stands now there are 4,000 inmates w/mental tags. They split the prison in the 90's, there used to be 8000. It's was a huge prison...

The only bad thing about the prisons is there is no air-conditioning and the mattresses are horrid. The smells are horrible too. We all had converted cells for our offices...fun..real fun. IOW, they removed the bed and toilet..Whoopie! Working an AD SEG unit is the pitts. There you get the worst of the worst...not fun....most are real angry in those cells.

 

[Whisperer]

Typical meal items include three to four ounces of meat, a half cup serving of vegetables, three-quarters of a cup of starch, three-quarters of a cup of salad with dressing, a bread item, a beverage and a dessert. A typical evening's fare may consist of a portion of baked, breaded chicken breast, rice pilaf, carrots, a salad, a dinner roll with butter, Iced tea, and pudding or gelatin. Not too shabby, right?
http://www.associatedcontent.com/ar...ood_what_are_americas_inmates_pg2.html?cat=51

If prisoners are getting killed, its not over food. They are getting killed because of guys like Ron who kill or hurt to get into a gang or something like that. I bet hes eating better than Haleigh ever did.

jmo

Thanks for the article Chablis :seeya:

It was interesting reading the part how prisoners learn to keep all their necessities in a box...and it works. They have all they need.

I think many people out here in Silcon Valley are better with their not needing stuff. Even Steve Jobs (RIP) didn't have a fancy home. He bought a mansion in Woodside but never lived in it. He eventually demolished it and was building a small home 5 bdrm 3 bath...very Zen-like, very simple. He lived in Palo Alto recently. I doubt he had a huge place. Steve Jobs had said, that is all he needs. He has no reason to impress anyone. It's a good lesson to learn. Simplify and you will feel lighter and happier.

 

[lil momma]

A few pills? There were multiple charges for multiple events which met the Florida standards for the sentences they received. And it doesn't take rocket science to understand that these were only part of the sales and drugs that these criminals participated in.

And there is a definitely link between drugs and other crimes, so it doesn't matter how/why they are off the street.

My only complaint is that taxpayers have to pay for them -- but then we're paying for a lot of deadbeats on the streets too.

ITA

BBM

Morning Titan!

i agree, and to top it off, there HAD to be more than just a few pill exchanged in order for it to be a "trafficing" charge, otherwise they would have just been charged with possession.

JMO

 

[Chablis]

Even without plea deals, juries might have been less likely to send Sykes and Brock away for 15 years, and juries can nullify a law in their deliberations if they do not accept the law or think it appropriate for the case at hand.

.

The Jury would decide guilty or not guilty and the sentence would be up to the Judge.

 

[titanfan62702]

If you haven't read the files, then you just don't know what is going on. I can guarantee you that their files have pages and pages of arrests. They had two felonies and 102 misdemeanors....Get them off the street. If they haven't learned after the second felony and 10 and 100 misdemeanors how to behave in society...Lock em up!

Regarding the Satsuma 5. Tommy is the only one who could have received a lighter sentence. All the others got the bare minimum and in Ron's case, he got less than that. What could a jury do for them other than give them more time?

Regarding the three strikes...keep in mind, this is for FELONY, not misdemeanors. Does anyone have better ideas for these jewels of society that have committed THREE felonies. Poor babies, maybe we should give them probation...or maybe we can suggest Dorothy Clay Simms take them to her non-profit ranch for visionary and spiritual guidance?

Build a fence around Chicago (or some other problem area) and stick 'em all there to find for themselves, pay taxes, etc.

 

[krkrjx]

If you haven't read the files, then you just don't know what is going on. I can guarantee you that their files have pages and pages of arrests. They had two felonies and 102 misdemeanors....Get them off the street. If they haven't learned after the second felony and 10 and 100 misdemeanors how to behave in society...Lock em up!

Regarding the Satsuma 5. Tommy is the only one who could have received a lighter sentence. All the others got the bare minimum and in Ron's case, he got less than that. What could a jury do for them other than give them more time?

Regarding the three strikes...keep in mind, this is for FELONY, not misdemeanors. Does anyone have better ideas for these jewels of society that have committed THREE felonies. Poor babies, maybe we should give them probation...or maybe we can suggest Dorothy Clay Simms take them to her non-profit ranch for visionary and spiritual guidance?

A jury could have voted not guilty as charged. I don't think they would have for Ron, Misty and Tommy, but possibly would have looked at Donna and Hope and thought, "There but for the grace of God..." and "This mandatory minimum law is ridiculous..."

But even with a guilty jury verdict they would have been no worse off since they all got their minimums (except Ron and Tommy who got higher than the minimum on one trafficking charge--probably due to the numbers on their sentencing score sheets). I just think with a jury trial they had at least a chance of things turning out differently than they did pleading out as charged. I mean, pleading guilty is usually done to a LESSER CHARGE when the evidence is strong. Most perps are not encouraged by their attorneys to plead as charged FGS! Ron pled to lesser charges, and that's why he didn't get 25 years. He got his minimum on two charges he plead guilty to, and a little higher than his minimum on his third pled charge. His deal was made out to be something special but in fact such deals are made all the time between prosecutors and perps. All the time. So why didn't they all hold out for one--even if denied they would have been no worse off.

JMO.

 

[Chablis]

A jury could have voted not guilty as charged. I don't think they would have for Ron, Misty and Tommy, but possibly would have looked at Donna and Hope and thought, "There but for the grace of God..." and "This mandatory minimum law is ridiculous..."


JMO.

They were on tape in black and white selling drugs, no one would dare bring that into court, these juries are not there to give relief and say, we saw him on the tape but he looks nice so we will pretend we didn't see what we did and set him free, thankfully thats not how the jury system works! Thats why no one went to trial, only the dumbest criminal on the planet would take that gamble, I thought for sure Ron would, but there is no disputing the evidence!

jmo

 

[krkrjx]

They were on tape in black and white selling drugs, no one would dare bring that into court, these juries are not there to give relief and say, we saw him on the tape but he looks nice so we will pretend we didn't see what we did and set him free, thankfully thats not how the jury system works! Thats why no one went to trial, only the dumbest criminal on the planet would take that gamble, I thought for sure Ron would, but there is no disputing the evidence!

jmo

Gamble? They pled out and were handed mandatory sentences. Guilty by jury would have also given them mandatory sentences. But, holding out for jury trial MIGHT have led the state to offer some kind of charge reduction.

And it is legal for a jury in Florida to nullify a law and declare not guilty even in the face of evidence. The state cannot appeal a jury verdict--this is why so many plea deals are made. Prosecutors left and right will say, "You can never know in advance what a jury is going to do."

 

[titanfan62702]

Gamble? They pled out and were handed mandatory sentences. Guilty by jury would have also given them mandatory sentences. But, holding out for jury trial MIGHT have led the state to offer some kind of charge reduction.

And it is legal for a jury in Florida to nullify a law and declare not guilty even in the face of evidence. The state cannot appeal a jury verdict--this is why so many plea deals are made. Prosecutors left and right will say, "You can never know in advance what a jury is going to do."

If we didn't know it before this summer, we learned it big time.

 

[krkrjx]

if we didn't know it before this summer, we learned it big time.

amen !!!

LOL that's supposed to be in caps but for some reason won't post that way.

 

[Chablis]

Gamble? They pled out and were handed mandatory sentences. Guilty by jury would have also given them mandatory sentences. But, holding out for jury trial MIGHT have led the state to offer some kind of charge reduction.

And it is legal for a jury in Florida to nullify a law and declare not guilty even in the face of evidence. The state cannot appeal a jury verdict--this is why so many plea deals are made. Prosecutors left and right will say, "You can never know in advance what a jury is going to do."

The State had the UC words and tapes to back up what they all did, why would the State be intimidated, if anything they probably wanted them to go to trial. I have never seen a jury do the actual sentencing unless its about the DP.

 

[OneLostGrl]

If you haven't read the files, then you just don't know what is going on. I can guarantee you that their files have pages and pages of arrests. They had two felonies and 102 misdemeanors....Get them off the street. If they haven't learned after the second felony and 10 and 100 misdemeanors how to behave in society...Lock em up!

Regarding the Satsuma 5. Tommy is the only one who could have received a lighter sentence. All the others got the bare minimum and in Ron's case, he got less than that. What could a jury do for them other than give them more time?

Regarding the three strikes...keep in mind, this is for FELONY, not misdemeanors. Does anyone have better ideas for these jewels of society that have committed THREE felonies. Poor babies, maybe we should give them probation...or maybe we can suggest Dorothy Clay Simms take them to her non-profit ranch for visionary and spiritual guidance?

I've committed and been convicted of 3 felonies. I've also turned my life around, no longer do drugs (I didn't do street drugs, mine were straight from the legal drug pushers ) or commit any crimes. I have raised a law abiding, drug free child almost into adulthood (my son is 17), taught him to have respect for the laws, even if they are dumb and make no sense to him.. have taught him to respect his fellow man. I have held him accountable for his actions and have taught him coping skills so if he should ever run into issues in his life he will know how to cope properly and not use self defeating coping mechanisms as a way of life.

I have been with the same man, my husband and son's father, since I was 19 years old, I take care of my mother and my father in law who can no longer care for themselves and I am enrolling in college in about 2 weeks.

Shoulda kept me locked up in a sound proof cell, muzzled for the rest of my life.. that would have really been better for society and tax payers. :crazy:

 

[OneLostGrl]

Gamble? They pled out and were handed mandatory sentences. Guilty by jury would have also given them mandatory sentences. But, holding out for jury trial MIGHT have led the state to offer some kind of charge reduction.

And it is legal for a jury in Florida to nullify a law and declare not guilty even in the face of evidence. The state cannot appeal a jury verdict--this is why so many plea deals are made. Prosecutors left and right will say, "You can never know in advance what a jury is going to do."

IMO had they held out the charges might have been lowered and they could have pled to lower charges because most states can't afford trials and will avoid them if they can. I was facing 15 years but kept holding out, refusing to plea- telling them, bring me to trial. After dragging my feet for a couple years, demanding a trial they lowered the charges and gave me 6 years probation and a suspended sentence. The courts are broke and trials cost a lot of money especially if you are indignant!