Location, location, location
In Tennessee, where you happen to commit a particular crime will affect the fine you receive:
The Alcoa Police Department is using a new law to discourage drug violations in the city.
Police Chief Ken Burge issued a warning: “If you manufacture, sell, buy or possess to sell drugs in designated drug-free zones, your offense will be aggressively prosecuted and may cost you much more money.”
A law in effect for some time designated schools and areas within 1,000 feet of school property as “drug-free zones” and made drug transactions within those zones more serious crimes than similar activity in other locations.
The Tennessee General Assembly passed a law that took effect July 1 increasing the number of locations designated as drug-free zones. The original law specified “public or private schools.” The new law adds pre-schools, child care facilities, public libraries, recreational centers and parks.
The new law regarding drug-free zones provides fines ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, depending on the offense, in addition to the fines usually imposed for drug convictions.
I understand the desire to keep drugs out of schools and such but that shouldn’t carry that much more weight.
December 13th, 2005 at 11:19 am
And the location shouldn’t matter.
December 13th, 2005 at 11:23 am
Does this mean they are going to prosecute and enforce drug laws less, elsewhere??
December 13th, 2005 at 1:18 pm
If they can pull this off, the might be able to set a precedent. Remember, we still have the “Gun free school zones” Federal BS hanging over our heads. It’s sister law was struck down by the supremes, but since no one has tried to prosecute under this new, nearly identical statute, no one has standing to challenge the law. Nice little bit of legal hocus pocus there.
If enforced, it would prohibit interstate transport of firearms, because plenty of schools are within a thousand yards of interstate highways
Of course, striking down unconstitutional laws is a high priority of our pro-gun, flag wrapped, unquestionably patriotic congress-critters. 🙂
December 13th, 2005 at 1:33 pm
California has a death penalty, unless the killer had the good sense to murder his victim in Frisco, in which case it doesn’t. Well, technically, it does, but the D.A. won’t seek it.