Mayó.2009
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Page A5
J ustice
Drug Sentence Disparities Tackled
Equalizing
penalties for
powdered v.
crack cocaine
( AP) -- The Obama adminis­
tration has jo in e d a federal
judge in urging Congress to end
a racial disparity by equalizing
prison sentences for dealing
and using crack versus pow­
dered cocaine.
"Jails are loaded with people
who look like me," U.S. District
Judge Reggie Walton, an Afri­
can-A m erican, told a Senate
Judiciary subcommittee hear­
ing last week.
Assistant Attorney General
Lanny Breuer said the adminis­
tration believes Congress' goal
"should be to completely elimi­
nate the disparity" between the
two forms of cocaine. "A grow­
ing number of citizens view it
Judge Reggie Walton
as fu n d a m e n ta lly unfair,"
Breuer testified.
It takes 100 times more pow­
dered cocaine than crack co­
caine to trigger the same harsh
mandatory minimum sentences.
Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois
Democrat who chairs the sub­
committee, said, "Undercurrent
law, mere possession of five
grams of crack — the weight of
five packets o f sweetener —
carries the same sentence as
distribution of half a kilogram
of powder or 500 packets of
sweetener."
Durbin said more than 81 per­
cent o f those convicted for
crack offenses in 2(X)7 were Af­
rican-American, although only
about 25 percent of crack co­
caine users are African Ameri­
cans.
Congress enacted the dispar­
ity during an epidemic of crack
cocaine in the 1980s, but the
senator said lawmakers erred in
assuming that violence would be
greater among those using crack.
Breuer said the best way to
deal with violence is to severely
punish anyone who commits a
violent offense, regardless of
the drug involved.
"This administration believes
our crim inal laws should be
tough, smart, fair," Breuer said,
but also should "promote pub­
lic trust and confidence in the
criminal justice system."
Walton said, "We were mis­
taken" to enact the disparity.
"There's no greater violence in
cases before me."
Testifying on behalf of the
Ju d icial C onferen ce o f the
United States, the policy-mak­
ing arm of the federal judiciary,
Walton added that jurors have
expressed an unwillingness to
serve in crack cocaine cases
because of the disparity.
President Barack Obama had
called for such a change while
cam paigning for the W hite
House.
Breuer said the government
should focus on p u n ishing
drug trafficking networks, like
the cartels wreaking havoc in
M exico, and those w hose
crimes include acts of violence.
The Obama administration is
also seeking to increase drug
treatment, as well as rehabilita­
tion programs for felons after
they're released from prison.
Sojourner Truth Honored at Capitol
Bronze bust enshrines
former slave, leader
(AP) — Michelle Obama says she hopes
abolitionist Sojourner T ruth would be
proud to see a descendent of slaves as
America's first black first lady.
Mrs. Obama made the comment April 28
as she helped unveil a bust of Truth, the
first black woman to be honored with a
statue at the Capitol.
"I am proud to be able to stand here on
this day," the first lady told the audience
of mostly women.
Truth is a former slave who met with
Abraham Lincoln and was an early cru­
sader for women's right to vote and an end
to slavery.
Mrs. Obama said her two young daugh-
First lady Michelle Obama honors
abolitionist Sojourner Truth during
the unveiling a bust o f Truth at the
U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
ters will now be able to "see the face of a
woman who looks like them" when they
visit the nation's Capitol.
The sculpture will remain on permanent
display in the Capitol Visitor Center, called
Emancipation Hall in part because slaves
helped build the Capitol.
Truth met presidents Lincoln in 1864 and
Ulysses S. Grant in 1870, and delivered her
famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech at a
women's rights convention in Akron, Ohio,
in 1851. She tried to vote on two occasions,
but was turned away both times. She died
in November 1883 at her home in Battle
Creek, Mich
Few minority women are enshnned in the
Capitol. There are several statues of Ameri­
can Indian women, but no Asian or His­
panic women, according Donald Ritchie, a
Senate historian.
Spring Revival
at
Northwest Voice For Christ Ministries
A Community Church
“The Gospel Revealed“
Merkley Backs Anti-Hate Crime Law
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-
Ore., has joined Sen. Edward M.
Kennedy, D-Mass„ to co-spon­
sor the Matthew Shepard Lo­
cal Law E nfo rcem en t H ate
Crimes Prevention Act of 2009.
The bill will enable the Jus­
tice Department to assist local
authorities in the investigation
and prosecution of hate crimes
by authorizing grants to meet
the extraordinary expenses of­
ten involved in investigating
and prosecuting these cases.
“Hate crimes are
At the fed eral color, religion, national origin,
not ju s t crim es
level, the Matthew gender, sexual orientation, gen­
against individuals,
S h ep ard
H ate der identity, or disability.
they are crimes tar­
“Senator Kennedy has long
Crimes Prevention
Act empowers the been a leader in defending the
geting entire com ­
m u n itie s,” said
T reasury D epart­ rights of all Americans, no mat­
Merkley. “They are
ment and the Jus­ ter their race, creed, or sexual
effo rts to ex p loit
tice Department to orientation,” said Merkley. “I
and inflame our dif­
increase personnel am proud to join him in support­
fe re n c e s and to
to better prevent ing legislation to give state and
deny America's fun­ Jeff Merkley
and respond to al­ local law enforcement the re­
dam ental prom ise
legations o f hate sources and support they need
that every person should be crimes - crimes that target vic­ to prevent and prosecute hate
tims on the basis of their race. crimes.”
treated equally.”
DNA Solves 1976 Murder
Ace Tavern security video
shows a man suspected o f
using a knife to rob the
tavern, located at 88 6 8
N.E. Sandy Blvd.
Tavern
Robbery
The Portland Police Bureau,
in cooperation with C rim es
Stoppers, is asking for your
help in solving a tavern robbery
caught on tape.
On Tuesday, July 22,2008, a,
1:58 a.m., a lone suspect robbed
the Ace Tavern, located a, 8868
N. E. Sandy Blvd.
The victim was getting ready
to close the bar when the sus­
pect, armed with a knife, ap­
proached her and dem anded
money from the till. The sus­
pect took the money and left
on foot eastbound on N orth­
east Prescott Street.
The suspect has been identi­
fied as John Roy Ferguson, 45.
Call 503-823-HELP(4357)or
leav e a tip o n lin e at
crimestoppcrsoforegon.com.
T he
P o rtla n d
P olice east Portland apartment.
It was the oldest homicide
Bureau’s Cold Case Homicide
Unit and the Oregon State Po­ solved by the Cold Case Unit
lice Crime Laboratory have and the oldest D{4A match ever
solved the 1976 murder of Rosa obtained by the crime lab.
At the time of her death, the
C innam on, an 80-year-old
woman who was murdered Medical Examiner’s Office de­
during a robbery of her south­ term ined that Cinnamon had
T erry F amily
died from asp hyxia due to
manual strangulation.
Police said it appears that
Warren was living in Cinnamon s
neighborhood and did no, have
any connection to her. Warren
forced his way into the victim's
residence and murdered her.
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Patfin/1 f.d u
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Oregon I ícense t'O-3644
Amy S Terry
Oregon I ícense I S-O39Î
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day:
the night eometh, when no man can work. John 9:4