Hope Sykes arrested 1/20/2010

[dodie20]

I think the real issue here is that we all know she is collateral damage to the Ron and Misty show. Anyone that has followed the scanner thread for five minutes or watched the booking website for Putnam KNOWS that they are not busting every petty drug transaction and booking them on trafficking charges.

She did commit the crime. She did make bad decisions before hand and she made really ignorant comments on tape that bit her in the *advertiser censored* with the judge, but we all know if she wasn't Ron's cousin and she wasn't with Misty that night she would not be getting ready to do a fifteen year sentence.

Donna has a private attorney right? One that is not being paid by the state? I highly doubt you will see her convicted of trafficking. She will get the charge down to something else that doesn't have a minimum or she will beg the court to let her go to treatment for a deferred prosecution.

No one in their right mind takes a plea that involves a trafficking charge in Florida. Even the defense attorney websites in the area all say the first thing they do in a trafficking case is try to get it changed to a possession charge. That in and of itself is considered a victory.

Legally what happened to Hope is fair and just and exactly what the law the local voters put in place calls for. I have major issues with cases that I think only poor and uneducated citizens would be victims of. When they hauled Tommy in on the gun the charge I thought they were taking advantage of him being poor and dumb. When Lisa was extradited I felt the same way. Of course part of me says whatever it takes to break the case, but when I step back and know a more affluent and educated citizen would NEVER be hauled in on those charges because an hourly attorney would have them out in a matter of hours it is hard for me to stomach.

And I think Hope is an absolute victim of not being educated enough to defend herself and not affluent enough to hire an attorney.

I agree with almost everything you posted. It makes me sick to see a young petty drug user/dealer sentenced so harshly. It's not fair based on what others get for the same crimes. & unlike what a lot of people think , there are ways to get around these mandatory minimum sentences. Ron's criminal background proves that. This sentence makes me very nervous about justice in that area & about the Haleigh case. My daughter had assault charges filed against her, & she had to go to court. My daughter is brutally honest & never lied about what she did. Legally, this case was cut & dried. She was guilty. But, she had a good lawyer, is in college, is a star athlete, & is a college majotette. & it didn't hurt that she's very beautiful. She showed up in court, & what should've resulted in a criminal record, fines, court costs, & maybe probation, resulted in nothing. She literally got away with beating up 2 young women. nevermind that they deserved it-legally, my daughter should've been toast. So, having a decent lawyer is a must, & making a good impression is a must. & I feel sorry for anybody who isn't able to do that. (except those 2 women)

 

[grace60]

I will always feel the sentence was fair. I will bet my last nickel all these people knew exactly what the penalties were if they got caught. They were not selling just a few pills and god only knows if a few people or more may have died if the UC officer did not get them first. Hope was 19 years old. A high school drop out who was caught with drugs before the latest being 2 weeks before the big bust. She was shoplifting and IMO she would have stolen from anyone to get $$ for drugs. OH and she was also a stripper, so she says. This is not anyone I want in my neighborhood after a few years in prison and rehab. She will have opportunities while she is in prison to get her GED and more education or training and counseling. If she stays away from any illegal drugs offered her in prison she will be very clean when she gets out. As I stated before she will still be young enough to have a career and a family. She said she made bad choices, well now she has a chance to make better choices. She was not sentenced to hard labor breaking rocks 12 hours a day. Also IIRC she may start out in a larger prison with more hardened criminals but in time if she proves herself trusty worthy and follows the rules she could be transferred to a minimum risk facility where life may be easier.
MOO

 

[nnglas]

"but I don't think Hope was a big time dealer. I think she was in the wrong place with the wrong people"

1.) Hope had prior drug arrests
2.) Hope wasn't just "in the car" - she got out of the car with Misty to go and get the pills.
3.) Her actions made her a part of the crimeof trafficking per the way the laws are written.

By the age of 19 I was taking care of a house, a husband and two babies - not uncommon in those days when married within weeks of graduating high school.

So I don't consider 19 to be a "teenager" - even though the number still has a "teen" at the end. Especially one someone who works at a strip club, because that would sure grow you up fast.

Come on, Hope knew exactly what was going down that day. And I'd bet a lot of other days too.

And from who did they get these pills from? Why no arrest for them? They arrested Donna Brock. Why not the other people who supplied them with these pills to sell to the undercover? Unless I missed it somewhere? Hope is collateral damage. She is in jail because who her family is and their connection to this case. How is that fair? Unless, like I said, they arrested the people who's houses they were picking the pills up from.

 

[dodie20]

And from who did they get these pills from? Why no arrest for them? They arrested Donna Brock. Why not the other people who supplied them with these pills to sell to the undercover? Unless I missed it somewhere? Hope is collateral damage. She is in jail because who her family is and their connection to this case. How is that fair? Unless, like I said, they arrested the people who's houses they were picking the pills up from.

I agree with you. Right after this bust, LE said there would be more arrests. Well, I'm still waiting. Drugs make young girls do unexplainable things. My daughter went to school with a shy, slightly mentally challenged girl, & was her only school friend. After they graduated, this girl got caught dealing meth. She had finally made friends & 'fit in'. Since then, she has lost custody of her drug addicted baby, & this once cute girl walks around town with no teeth. A lot of young people are drawn to the drug crowd, simply because they want friends.

 

[4Jacy]

And from who did they get these pills from? Why no arrest for them? They arrested Donna Brock. Why not the other people who supplied them with these pills to sell to the undercover? Unless I missed it somewhere? Hope is collateral damage. She is in jail because who her family is and their connection to this case. How is that fair? Unless, like I said, they arrested the people who's houses they were picking the pills up from.

Donna Brock took Misty to a dentist she knew and it was discussed that they got some drugs from him. Was this throughly investigated? I never heard any more about it. Also, could some of these drugs have come from TN (due to her accident) or GGS (because of her age?) tia

 

[aoibhinn]

I think the sentence in this case does not fit the crime. It would be appropriate for someone trafficking a substantial quantity of drugs not someone sitting in a car while a transaction took place. I am aware of her priors and the fact that she's probably a lost cause. But, I'm afraid, all it will do for Hope is exacerbate her situation. The way society chooses to deal with these problems is very short-sighted.

In general, targeting these entire families and dragging them up in front of the courts will only serve to marginalise them further and cement the dysfunction in any of their future generations. It doesn't solve any problems, it just makes it worse. The entire extended family is so notorious at this stage they will find it very hard to gain any future employment, if they wanted to turn their lives around. They now have no choice but to turn completely to crime and lean on welfare, as they have been doing. A drug record is the end of the road, ruling out even a new start in most other countries.

Framing drug dealers is fine IMO, but only if it's used on actual drug dealers. Addiction is a disease and the use of drugs should be de-criminalised. Again, only my opinion. Rehab is for addicts and jail is for traffickers. Most addicts, especially those out of work, choose to sell a small amount of drugs to fund their habits, instead of stealing and other petty crimes. I might be wrong, but it appeared to me that this group are addicts, not real drug-traffickers. They were middle-men for an undercover cop and it seems they would not have been able to catch them in the act otherwise. You can tell by the videos that these transactions were a big deal for them. If these folk were really trafficking drugs, they would have been able to use surveillance. I do understand the special circumstances involved, of course, and the desire to incarcerate some of the group, at any cost.

I think this sentence has sent out a potentially dangerous message to small-time dealers in Florida. Any junkie that acts as a middle-man to fund their habit, would now think twice before doing it again. They would be very wary of exposing themselves to a minimum 15 year sentence. Robbery, say house-breaking, petty theft or preying on an old lady's handbag, would look like a far better option. If they did get caught the sentencing is much more lenient. You can make all the laws you want, but there will still be drug addicts. The threat of the death penalty in some countries doesn't even act as a deterrent.

LE never seem to catch the drug lords and those who move drugs, big time. It's the addicts and drug mules at the bottom of the chain that are targeted. That solves nothing at all. Surely they should be addressing the root of the problem. They also need to concentrate more on the doctors who freely prescribe pain medication unnecessarily or those medical professionals who knowingly support the doctor shopping scams. It seems that if you are wealthy and/or educated, different laws apply. In Europe, we don't have this problem with pharmaceuticals because they are simply not prescribed, albeit in the most serious of cases, i.e. terminal cancer. Anything less, i.e. wisdom tooth/root canal, will not secure you an strong opiate painkiller. Other abusable pharms, like valium or xanax are prescribed very sparingly. In the US, the ease at which one can procure these very strong meds and the quantities of pills that are available to any member of the general public is, frankly, very shocking.

Apologies for being a bit off-topic and the wordy post, but this problem could be fixed so easily, at least at the pharmaceutical end which seems to be such a monumental problem over there, and I can't understand why they choose to ignore the obvious solutions. Look at the sorry mess it has made of two entire extended Florida clans.

 

[dodie20]

I think the sentence in this case does not fit the crime. It would be appropriate for someone trafficking a substantial quantity of drugs not someone sitting in a car while a transaction took place. I am aware of her priors and the fact that she's probably a lost cause. But, I'm afraid, all it will do for Hope is exacerbate her situation. The way society chooses to deal with these problems is very short-sighted.

In general, targeting these entire families and dragging them up in front of the courts will only serve to marginalise them further and cement the dysfunction in any of their future generations. It doesn't solve any problems, it just makes it worse. The entire extended family is so notorious at this stage they will find it very hard to gain any future employment, if they wanted to turn their lives around. They now have no choice but to turn completely to crime and lean on welfare, as they have been doing. A drug record is the end of the road, ruling out even a new start in most other countries.

Framing drug dealers is fine IMO, but only if it's used on actual drug dealers. Addiction is a disease and the use of drugs should be de-criminalised. Again, only my opinion. Rehab is for addicts and jail is for traffickers. Most addicts, especially those out of work, choose to sell a small amount of drugs to fund their habits, instead of stealing and other petty crimes. I might be wrong, but it appeared to me that this group are addicts, not real drug-traffickers. They were middle-men for an undercover cop and it seems they would not have been able to catch them in the act otherwise. You can tell by the videos that these transactions were a big deal for them. If these folk were really trafficking drugs, they would have been able to use surveillance. I do understand the special circumstances involved, of course, and the desire to incarcerate some of the group, at any cost.

I think this sentence has sent out a potentially dangerous message to small-time dealers in Florida. Any junkie that acts as a middle-man to fund their habit, would now think twice before doing it again. They would be very wary of exposing themselves to a minimum 15 year sentence. Robbery, say house-breaking, petty theft or preying on an old lady's handbag, would look like a far better option. If they did get caught the sentencing is much more lenient. You can make all the laws you want, but there will still be drug addicts. The threat of the death penalty in some countries doesn't even act as a deterrent.

LE never seem to catch the drug lords and those who move drugs, big time. It's the addicts and drug mules at the bottom of the chain that are targeted. That solves nothing at all. Surely they should be addressing the root of the problem. They also need to concentrate more on the doctors who freely prescribe pain medication unnecessarily or those medical professionals who knowingly support the doctor shopping scams. It seems that if you are wealthy and/or educated, different laws apply. In Europe, we don't have this problem with pharmaceuticals because they are simply not prescribed, albeit in the most serious of cases, i.e. terminal cancer. Anything less, i.e. wisdom tooth/root canal, will not secure you an strong opiate painkiller. Other abusable pharms, like valium or xanax are prescribed very sparingly. In the US, the ease at which one can procure these very strong meds and the quantities of pills that are available to any member of the general public is, frankly, very shocking.

Apologies for being a bit off-topic and the wordy post, but this problem could be fixed so easily, at least at the pharmaceutical end which seems to be such a monumental problem over there, and I can't understand why they choose to ignore the obvious solutions. Look at the sorry mess it has made of two entire extended Florida clans.

a lot of what you say has really been bothering me abour this case. I'm not convinced they would have been traffickers without the under cover's prompting. It seems he was their only customer? I too would like to see some video of them selling to someone else. People can say what they want about how they were probably dealing elsewhere, but I want some proof. Surely if they were, LE got video. I'm especially concerned with Hope's involvement because a 15 year sentence for all I saw, is ridiculous. I'm suspicious of where they got these pills. Since there have been no new arrests, as promised, I'm beginning to think the pills originally came from the undercover cop.

 

[rotterdam]

I think the sentence in this case does not fit the crime. It would be appropriate for someone trafficking a substantial quantity of drugs not someone sitting in a car while a transaction took place. I am aware of her priors and the fact that she's probably a lost cause. But, I'm afraid, all it will do for Hope is exacerbate her situation. The way society chooses to deal with these problems is very short-sighted.

In general, targeting these entire families and dragging them up in front of the courts will only serve to marginalise them further and cement the dysfunction in any of their future generations. It doesn't solve any problems, it just makes it worse. The entire extended family is so notorious at this stage they will find it very hard to gain any future employment, if they wanted to turn their lives around. They now have no choice but to turn completely to crime and lean on welfare, as they have been doing. A drug record is the end of the road, ruling out even a new start in most other countries.

Framing drug dealers is fine IMO, but only if it's used on actual drug dealers. Addiction is a disease and the use of drugs should be de-criminalised. Again, only my opinion. Rehab is for addicts and jail is for traffickers. Most addicts, especially those out of work, choose to sell a small amount of drugs to fund their habits, instead of stealing and other petty crimes. I might be wrong, but it appeared to me that this group are addicts, not real drug-traffickers. They were middle-men for an undercover cop and it seems they would not have been able to catch them in the act otherwise. You can tell by the videos that these transactions were a big deal for them. If these folk were really trafficking drugs, they would have been able to use surveillance. I do understand the special circumstances involved, of course, and the desire to incarcerate some of the group, at any cost.

I think this sentence has sent out a potentially dangerous message to small-time dealers in Florida. Any junkie that acts as a middle-man to fund their habit, would now think twice before doing it again. They would be very wary of exposing themselves to a minimum 15 year sentence. Robbery, say house-breaking, petty theft or preying on an old lady's handbag, would look like a far better option. If they did get caught the sentencing is much more lenient. You can make all the laws you want, but there will still be drug addicts. The threat of the death penalty in some countries doesn't even act as a deterrent.

LE never seem to catch the drug lords and those who move drugs, big time. It's the addicts and drug mules at the bottom of the chain that are targeted. That solves nothing at all. Surely they should be addressing the root of the problem. They also need to concentrate more on the doctors who freely prescribe pain medication unnecessarily or those medical professionals who knowingly support the doctor shopping scams. It seems that if you are wealthy and/or educated, different laws apply. In Europe, we don't have this problem with pharmaceuticals because they are simply not prescribed, albeit in the most serious of cases, i.e. terminal cancer. Anything less, i.e. wisdom tooth/root canal, will not secure you an strong opiate painkiller. Other abusable pharms, like valium or xanax are prescribed very sparingly. In the US, the ease at which one can procure these very strong meds and the quantities of pills that are available to any member of the general public is, frankly, very shocking.

Apologies for being a bit off-topic and the wordy post, but this problem could be fixed so easily, at least at the pharmaceutical end which seems to be such a monumental problem over there, and I can't understand why they choose to ignore the obvious solutions. Look at the sorry mess it has made of two entire extended Florida clans.

I totally agree with you. I grew up in Europe ( The Netherlands) where individual pot use is practically legal. Heck, here in the USA you can even get arrested for owning a bong. Although they are tough on opiates, prescription type of pills in Holland.
Pharmaceutical abuse of prescription pills is geared towards profits IMO. Heck, they even advertise on TV to ask your doctor for that kind of stuff. A centralized nation wide data base could easily stop the doctor's shopping/overprescribing. But that would cut into the pharmaceutical companies profits.
Hope Sykes' 15 years sentence is draconian and absurd, she is barely 19 years old. It is not that long ago when she was a 5 year old like Haleigh. Maybe Haleigh was done a favor in this callous profit driven society. Not serious of course but think about it. Hope is still a kid IMO. She did not murder anybody, how can you justify a 15 year sentence. I know , pills can kill too, but the average drunken driver that actually kills people, gets a lot less.
I have a 20 year old son( no criminal record) but I am aghast how many of his high school graduated friends have drug arrest records( possession and /or paraphernalia). BTW, half of them are unemployed including my son. The balance mostly have temp jobs with no benefits.
Sorry to be kind of O/T and I will probably be told to get back to Holland if I do not like certain aspects of my adopted country.

 

[rotterdam]

a lot of what you say has really been bothering me abour this case. I'm not convinced they would have been traffickers without the under cover's prompting. It seems he was their only customer? I too would like to see some video of them selling to someone else. People can say what they want about how they were probably dealing elsewhere, but I want some proof. Surely if they were, LE got video. I'm especially concerned with Hope's involvement because a 15 year sentence for all I saw, is ridiculous. I'm suspicious of where they got these pills. Since there have been no new arrests, as promised, I'm beginning to think the pills originally came from the undercover cop.

Am pretty sure that pills were also bought from an undercover. But maybe not all.

 

[GER]

You can only be arrested for owning a bong IF the bong has residue in it from illegal drugs...otherwise it would be illegal for selling bongs in the tobacco shops here...

FWIW... There were at least ONE big bust outside of a Palatka Pharmacy where a DR. Prescription pad was obtained at time of arrest I believe...this was like a couple of days or a week after the unholy five's arrest... I could be wrong, but there could've been at least one other...

Point is, WE wouldn't know if these arrests of others were involved with RC/MC/DB/HS/TC and their arrests...but it could very well be!

 

[drip~drop]

I totally agree with you. I grew up in Europe ( The Netherlands) where individual pot use is practically legal. Heck, here in the USA you can even get arrested for owning a bong. Although they are tough on opiates, prescription type of pills in Holland.
Pharmaceutical abuse of prescription pills is geared towards profits IMO. Heck, they even advertise on TV to ask your doctor for that kind of stuff. A centralized nation wide data base could easily stop the doctor's shopping/overprescribing. But that would cut into the pharmaceutical companies profits.
Hope Sykes' 15 years sentence is draconian and absurd, she is barely 19 years old. It is not that long ago when she was a 5 year old like Haleigh. Maybe Haleigh was done a favor in this callous profit driven society. Not serious of course but think about it. Hope is still a kid IMO. She did not murder anybody, how can you justify a 15 year sentence. I know , pills can kill too, but the average drunken driver that actually kills people, gets a lot less.
I have a 20 year old son( no criminal record) but I am aghast how many of his high school graduated friends have drug arrest records( possession and /or paraphernalia). BTW, half of them are unemployed including my son. The balance mostly have temp jobs with no benefits.
Sorry to be kind of O/T and I will probably be told to get back to Holland if I do not like certain aspects of my adopted country.

I think her sentance is harsh too. It may have helped if she didn't lie to the Judge and kept herself very quiet.

o/t I would so so love to see Holland during tulip time. I've seen pix but can only imagine the true beauty!

 

[aoibhinn]

Since there have been no new arrests, as promised, I'm beginning to think the pills originally came from the undercover cop.

Respectfully snipped ^^

Am pretty sure that pills were also bought from an undercover. But maybe not all.

I did hear this mentioned and was very surprised. I was always under the impression that they could not do that or did not do that. I'd like to see confirmation on that.

FWIW... There were at least ONE big bust outside of a Palatka Pharmacy where a DR. Prescription pad was obtained at time of arrest I believe...this was like a couple of days or a week after the unholy five's arrest... I could be wrong, but there could've been at least one other...

Point is, WE wouldn't know if these arrests of others were involved with RC/MC/DB/HS/TC and their arrests...but it could very well be!

Respectfully snipped ^^

While it's great to get an illegal script off the street, it's still not nearly catching the big drug merchants. The ones with the yachts that donate funds to our politicians. The ones that pay off coastguard and customs. The ones that slip backhanders to the DEA. etc.

However, it wouldn't surprise me if those arrests were all connected. They probably swooped on the entire group that they became aware of during the sting. Remember, they were brought to residences in the UC car.

 

[Crosby87]

This was her third intent to sell arrest within 7 months. This was a mandatory minimum sentance. She is not a "teenager" for the period of all 5 of her arrests she was a legal adult responsible for her own actions. Looking at the above posts it is rather obvious she caught a break for the first arrest. Shoplifting and trespass in an occupied structure. In other words she was banged for burglary but the SA went a little easy on her that time. THAT was her one shot that would be viewed as a youthful indiscretion. Neither the state, the county nor any branch of government, Law Enforcement or the general public has any obligation to offer provide or mandate any sort of counciling, rehab, rehabilitation. That is a judgement call by that public official we do in fact call "the Judge". Now that recording of her telling her mother that she outright lied to the judges face probably did not to much to give him the impression that he should apply his discretion in this case. Judicial discretion is just that. Discretion. It should be used rarely and only when the judge feels that there is a clear and compelling reason to do so and take a chance on an individual. Judges discretion, particularly in the lessening of charges or sentancing should not be the norm.

You state that she should challenge appeal on the basis of statistical deviation, or if her sentance was outside the norm. It was outside the norm for the charges she faced and pled no contest to. It was halved. And dropped to the absolute minimum that sentancing rules would allow the judge to go on the charges. Yes he could have used his special powers of discretion to give her a pass into a youthful offender program. But his obligation in this regard is to the people of Florida, not to her. He is not a social services councilor. he is a criminal court judge. There is nothing that he saw in her record or in the testimony given to make him think that she would be a worthwhile investment in his judicial discretion, nor not continue to be an ongoing problem to the citizens of Florida.

Now she may have been poorly served by her lawyer. Although based on that phone call with her mother, it sounds more like she simply opted to not pay any attention to him until it was too late, and listen to "jailhouse lawyers", relatives, and others with conflicting interests rather than her own lawyer. Once again. She is a legal adult. She has the right to ignore her lawyer. The judicial system is not a set of training wheels for life.

When people are overwhelmed and distraught, they can seldom focus and concentrate when new complex information is presented to them. I believe Hope was experiencing an emotional crisis when she talked to her mother and she was confused and couldn’t think straight. A lot of people are ignorant of the legal system and I believe she was frustrated by her inability to grasp what was going and what she needed to do to look out for her best interests. She didn’t graduate from high school so she isn't highly educated. I think Hope's confession in Court indicate she was sincerely sorry for what she had done and she was determined to stay out of trouble and focus from hereon on becoming a physical therapist. Being incarcerated often brings people to their senses. I do not agree that Judge LaRue exercised discretion when he sentenced Hope to 15 years in jail. When the Judge heard the conversation between Hope and her mother, I believe he had a knee-jerk reaction based on emotions and he retaliated by imposing a sentence that was unwarranted. IMO, Judge LaRue’s ruling was vindictive and a miscarriage of justice.

 

[annmarie62]

When people are overwhelmed and distraught, they can seldom focus and concentrate when new complex information is presented to them. I believe Hope was experiencing an emotional crisis when she talked to her mother and she was confused and couldn’t think straight. A lot of people are ignorant of the legal system and I believe she was frustrated by her inability to grasp what was going and what she needed to do to look out for her best interests. She didn’t graduate from high school so she isn't highly educated. I think Hope's confession in Court indicate she was sincerely sorry for what she had done and she was determined to stay out of trouble and focus from hereon on becoming a physical therapist. Being incarcerated often brings people to their senses. I do not agree that Judge LaRue exercised discretion when he sentenced Hope to 15 years in jail. When the Judge heard the conversation between Hope and her mother, I believe he had a knee-jerk reaction based on emotions and he retaliated by imposing a sentence that was unwarranted. IMO, Judge LaRue’s ruling was vindictive and a miscarriage of justice.

I TOTALLY agree w/your post!!! I think 15 years, esp. for a TEENAGER, is absurd. I sincerely feel that Hope did NOT understand the ramifications of her "nolo" plea; just because something is "explained" to someone, that does not automatically mean they truly comprehend that explanation. A lot of uneducated people fall into the trap of signing whatever is in front of them because they are too embarrassed to admit they don't understand what they have read. To explain further, many are in such a state of fear and confusion that they simply don't understand how to even go about asking for help/clarification. I have tutored many teens who have huge gaps in their educational histories- some left school at 16 or 17 and are now trying to get GEDs, some were very poorly "home-schooled", some refused to attend classes for special help because of the stigma, etc. This doesn't mean they are stupid, but many are highly ignorant when it comes to manners and basic social skills, and their parents are even worse. I have known MANY young people who have gotten involved w/drugs from all types of homes/backgrounds... the thing is, we often don't hear much about the ones who have money and connections, the ones who come to court polished and acting remorseful, the ones who know how to please the judges, sincere or not. THESE types have PAID attorneys who have spoken to the judge in chambers before the case is even called; sometimes they don't even have to enter the courtroom- their atty. represents them. For the exact same charges, one person will get community service and rehab, while another will go to jail for months or years even because they can't afford bail/court costs/fines, etc. My neighbor recently paid a lawyer $8,000. to make a simple possession (pot) charge "go away" for her grandson. It took three years but she could afford it and her grandson is a college student who cleans up well. Sorry if O/T but I think these scenarios relate to Hope's situation. Of course she's no angel but to be sentenced FIFTEEN YEARS at NINETEEN?? I hope she has a successful appeal and serves less time, much less, and gets some help.

 

[raisincharlie]

<snip>

I do not agree that Judge LaRue exercised discretion when he sentenced Hope to 15 years in jail. When the Judge heard the conversation between Hope and her mother, I believe he had a knee-jerk reaction based on emotions and he retaliated by imposing a sentence that was unwarranted. IMO, Judge LaRue’s ruling was vindictive and a miscarriage of justice.

Are you aware of the "scoresheets" that are used in determining sentencing for drug trafficking in FL ? For Judge LaRue to be nothing but vindictive, he would have to lie on those sheets, I seriously doubt that happened.

 

[PorcineGranny]

For those that feel agrieved at Hope's sentence, let me put your mind at ease. She will appeal, the sentence will be reduced. Its just the way the game is played. This is one of those times in life where she is learning and learning alot if she thinks about it. Her mother who has raised this good for nothing child with a chip on her shoulder is certainally not going to let her be put away for 15 years. Although by the way her life is progressing now it might be a good thing.

I don't think Hope is going to wise up, I think she will get out in a few years, probably won't sell, but will use. She will not make her life better, maybe have a few drug addicted children.

But what I wish is that she would jump on this, finish HS in jail, take a vocational course so that she could find a decent job, never use drugs or alcohol again. Oh, that is my prayer and wish for Hope.

 

[Bobbisangel]

Why didn't Hope graduate from high school? In Court, Hope apologized for letting her family down but why in the world did her legal guardians allow her to drop out of school? I think if it was mandatory for all children to complete high school, some of these problems would disappear.

It isn't as easy to force a child to go to school as it would seem. Some kids just refuse to go. A parent would have to drag them out of bed...throw them in the shower...dress them kicking and fighting...throw them in the car and then drag them into the school kicking, fighting and screaming. A child can even be court ordered to go to school and still refuse to go. I raised a granddaughter like that. Short of abusing her to make her go to school I could not make her go. She could have cared less what the judge said about being court ordered to go. I don't know if Hope's mom was raising her alone but when it is just you and the child and you have no man standing beside you helping you cope with the child it is impossible to make them do what they should. I'm sure it is hard for parents who have never had problems with their kids to understand. Most will say "if that was my kid......" They should just be thankful they don't have those problems with their kids and not judge what they don't understand.

Thank God my granddaughter got sent to dentention for 3 weeks and while there she did a lot of thinking...took her GED without studying for it and passed every test...when she got out she told the judge that she was going to treat he Nana better and that he would not see her in his court again...he hasn't! She was 16 yrs. It's to bad it didn't work like that for Hope but it seems she just got more defiant. Now she is heading for prison. Her mom sounds like a good mom and a hard working woman. Hope made her own choices from a young age or it sounds that way to me. Hope's attitude was defiant right up until the judge sentenced her to 15 years in prison. We probably will hear about her when she gets out....as she said "just wait until I get out" or words to that affect.

 

[Crosby87]

For those that feel agrieved at Hope's sentence, let me put your mind at ease. She will appeal, the sentence will be reduced. Its just the way the game is played. This is one of those times in life where she is learning and learning alot if she thinks about it. Her mother who has raised this good for nothing child with a chip on her shoulder is certainally not going to let her be put away for 15 years. Although by the way her life is progressing now it might be a good thing.

I don't think Hope is going to wise up, I think she will get out in a few years, probably won't sell, but will use. She will not make her life better, maybe have a few drug addicted children.

But what I wish is that she would jump on this, finish HS in jail, take a vocational course so that she could find a decent job, never use drugs or alcohol again. Oh, that is my prayer and wish for Hope.

This remark just broke my heart.

 

[Natal]

Are you aware of the "scoresheets" that are used in determining sentencing for drug trafficking in FL ? For Judge LaRue to be nothing but vindictive, he would have to lie on those sheets, I seriously doubt that happened.

Presumably then if she got the mandatory minimum her score would have been "zero" or close to it. And if it was that low, then presumably even the judge likely thought that 15 years was too much. But, because of the phone conversation, he couldn't give her the alternative. I'm sure he feels bad about it but legally he had no alternative. The 15 year sentence is a consequence of poor legislation rather than poor judgement.

I think that there is probably an entire undercurrent going on in the legal system where most/all of these cases are swept under the rug by reducing to possesion or using the youthful offenders provisions because the justice system knows that these mandatory sentences are inappropriate. In Hope's case she had the misfortune of being in the Haleigh spotlight, so the rules couldn't be bent for her like they are for most everyone else.

 

[Natal]

For those that feel agrieved at Hope's sentence, let me put your mind at ease. She will appeal, the sentence will be reduced. Its just the way the game is played. This is one of those times in life where she is learning and learning alot if she thinks about it. Her mother who has raised this good for nothing child with a chip on her shoulder is certainally not going to let her be put away for 15 years. Although by the way her life is progressing now it might be a good thing.

I don't think Hope is going to wise up, I think she will get out in a few years, probably won't sell, but will use. She will not make her life better, maybe have a few drug addicted children.

But what I wish is that she would jump on this, finish HS in jail, take a vocational course so that she could find a decent job, never use drugs or alcohol again. Oh, that is my prayer and wish for Hope.

It can't be reduced. It is allready at the mandatory minimum.