Insight: Florida man sees 'cruel' face of U.S. justice

alkieanon's picture
Submitted by alkieanon on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 11:36

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Insight: Florida man sees 'cruel' face of U.S. justice: Quartavious Davis is still shocked by what happened to him in federal court two months ago. "My first offense, and they gave me all this time," said Davis, a pudgy African American with dreadlocks who spoke with Reuters at the Federal Detention Center in Miami. "Might just as well say I'm dead." Davis was convicted of participating in a string of armed robberies in the Miami area in 2010. His accomplices testified against him, saying he carried a gun during their crimes and discharged it at a dog that chased them after one of their burglaries. But Davis was not convicted of hurting anyone physically, including the dog. Davis would occupy no place at all in the annals of crime if not for his sentence. Now 20 years old, he was sentenced to 1,941 months - almost 162 years - in prison without the possibility of parole.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/04/us-usa-justice-sentencing-idUS...

alkieanon's picture

alkieanon

Wed, 07/04/2012 - 11:45

Only if the NADB clowns in the Sunshine State can make alcoholism a crime.

Clara's picture

Clara

Wed, 07/04/2012 - 12:07

Where was it indicated that he was an alcoholic? He was bipolar with a learning disability. 7 armed robberies... I must have missed it. Being an alcoholic isn't a crime, but armed robbery is...

Remember Christopher Stevens when you vote.

live_free_or_die's picture

live_free_or_die

Wed, 07/04/2012 - 12:11

That poor guy has 162 years or so to do the 12 steps in prison.

Alcoholics Anonymous: MyNotGodHasItCovered®
http://www.expaa.org/
http://bereanresearch.com/
http://badrecovery.blogspot.com/
NOT AA:
Rational Recovery, SOS, HAMS
http://alcoholabusesolutions.com/

Clara's picture

Clara

Wed, 07/04/2012 - 12:15

I didn't say I believe it was fair, but I never read where he was blaming his behavior on alcoholism or ever said he was one... The article I read only has that he was bipolar, collecting SSI, and he had a learning disorder.

Remember Christopher Stevens when you vote.

live_free_or_die's picture

live_free_or_die

Wed, 07/04/2012 - 12:18

I did not see any way this is related to alcohol either CLar, but it was posted by alkie, who has admitted to being insane at one time. Go figure!

Alcoholics Anonymous: MyNotGodHasItCovered®
http://www.expaa.org/
http://bereanresearch.com/
http://badrecovery.blogspot.com/
NOT AA:
Rational Recovery, SOS, HAMS
http://alcoholabusesolutions.com/

alkieanon's picture

alkieanon

Wed, 07/04/2012 - 12:36

Nope, try again:
http://www.orange-papers.org/forum/comment/45026#comment-45026

Pennywise's picture

Pennywise

Wed, 07/04/2012 - 12:21

Notice he was convicted in federal court under federal law; not a Florida state court.

In light of that, I wonder why the article included this:

TOUGH PROSECUTORS

It is not clear why prosecutors decided to throw the full weight of the law at Davis.

Florida, though, has a history of "very zealous" prosecutions, according to Marc Mauer, executive director of the Washington-based Sentencing Project, which advocates for reform in the criminal-justice system.

For example, Florida leads in the number of juveniles sentenced to life without parole for lesser crimes than murder, sentences the Supreme Court declared to be unconstitutional in 2010. Florida and other states are now trying to determine how to resentence or grant parole to inmates affected by that ruling.

According to a recent study by the Pew Center on the States, Florida was first, among the 35 states reporting, in increases in time served in its prisons from 1990 to 2009.

In one recent, highly controversial Florida sentencing, Marissa Alexander, an African-American woman in Jacksonville with no previous criminal record, was sentenced to 20 years for firing a pistol twice into the air while trying to ward off an attack by her abusive husband. Denied the protection of Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law, the 31-year-old mother of three was convicted of aggravated assault, a felony, and given the mandatory sentence for anyone who fires a gun in commission of the felony.

Davis's sentencing has not generated the same degree of public interest.

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid."