OT: Feagin Arraigned on Drug Charges

Submitted by Mgobowl on

I know we're only supposed to talk about players who play for Michigan, but the Freep clearly doesn't think so because they jumped all over this.

Justin Feagin was arraigned on conspiracy to deliver cocaine and faces up to 20 years in prison.

I hope this kid can get his life straightened out.

Link goes to Chicago Tribune article:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-fbc-michigan-feagin,0,3843767…

BeantownBlue

October 20th, 2009 at 10:58 AM ^

I'm not saying what he did was right. But this reminds me of all the ludicrous drug sentences that emerged in the '80's, putting thousands of low-level (mostly Black) offenders in prison for decades.

The kid was an idiot. But he shouldn't serve more than a year or two at most.

(BTW: How great is it that this discussion is OT?)

GoBlueScott

October 20th, 2009 at 11:49 AM ^

I know that newspapers LOVE to write out

"If convicted he could face 1 billion years in prison."

The reality is sentencing guidelines that basically "score" you upon conviction. So and so points for previous offenses, so and so points for what the crime was, so and so points for other circumstances.

That's not to say he won't see prison, but if he does he should have enough time once he's out to make something of himself.

(BTW: Totally)

NHWolverine

October 20th, 2009 at 9:53 AM ^

I hope that the kid can get his life together. One question I still have about Feagin: (I stopped following him after he was dropped) was he still a student at UM?

Erik_in_Dayton

October 20th, 2009 at 10:26 AM ^

He was still on the team when the alleged deal was made...I didn't read the Freep story, though, b/c I don't read the Freep...Anyway, I hope once all this is behind him he can get things straightened out. It's a shame to see a guy get derailed for the rest of his life b/c of a mistake he made when he was 19...

jblaze

October 20th, 2009 at 11:13 AM ^

From the article "Feagin faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to deliver less than 50 grams of cocaine."

My God, 20 years for 50 grams. That is absolutely ridiculous.

MichiganStudent

October 20th, 2009 at 11:41 AM ^

Well, he should have known. I think he deserves a second chance, but how dumb can you be? You're on a scholarship playing football at M and you decide to sell coke and get it from Florida through the mail. Very intelligent Feagin.

Good luck to him though.

Bob Probert Owns You

October 20th, 2009 at 2:26 PM ^

The article doesn't mention if it is powder cocaine (cocaine base) or crack. Hopefully, for Feagin's sake, it is only base, as the Sentencing Guidelines more vehemently punish crack offenses.

More useless knowledge from law school. Huzzah.

PurpleStuff

October 20th, 2009 at 4:04 PM ^

I'm guessing it was powder because I think crack is usually produced locally once the raw cocaine is shipped in (though I could have just assumed that from watching New Jack City). That being said, do you know if he is being charged locally or federally (since the Florida connection could get the Feds involved)? Also, does Michigan have mandatory sentencing for cocaine/heroin? If so, he is in a tough spot because the long required sentences rarely match up with the severity of the crime.

I hope he gets a good lawyer or is able to cut a deal for info on the other guys involved (e.g. the actual drug dealers). The kid made a big mistake but I don't think he deserves to spend years in prison and go through the rest of his life as a convicted felon (seeing as how he didn't actually sell any drugs).

Topher

October 21st, 2009 at 12:23 AM ^

(WARNING: LIBERTARIANISM COMING)

Im'ma let you finish, but "conspiracy" laws are screwed up. Mandatory sentencing too. Not to mention ladder-climbing prosecutors.

(YOU'VE BEEN WARNED)

As I understand the case*, Feagin "offered" to procure cocaine for someone, but never had the intention of doing it - he simply took the money and ran. That's not dealing drugs, that's not planning to deal drugs - that's called theft, or fraud.

Now theft and fraud are crimes, but they are different crimes than dealing drugs, or trying to actually deal drugs. Feagin took advantage of somebody's drug habit to rob him. He should be charged with theft of $600 (or whatever it was), not attempted drug dealing with years in prison.

I am not an anti-drug law crusader (turned in my libertarian party card ten years ago) but the more conspiracy laws go on the books, the more we are living in a thought-police state.

*If I'm off on these facts, I'll retract this post without complaint.

Snowden

October 21st, 2009 at 12:56 AM ^

WOOOOOOOO LIBERTARIAN PHILOSOPHY WOOOOOOOO EFF FIAT MONEY, GOLD STANDARD BITCHEZ WOOOOOOOOO RON PAUL 2008 WOOOOOOO THE WAR ON DRUGS IS IMMORAL WOOOOOOOO

Sorry bout that. I just felt like this part of the internet would be incomplete if we didn't have some hyperventilating unrealistic jingoing nearby.

(don't be offended libertarians: note the avatar- I'm poking fun from inside our survivalist cabin filled with Thomas Paine pamphlets, reprints of Walden's On Civil Disobedience, and World's Smallest Political Quizzes)

stankoniaks

October 21st, 2009 at 1:12 AM ^

Call it the Len Bias rules. It's incredible some of the minimum sentencing requirements for dealing and possessing crack. Basically 500 grams of powder cocaine is equivalent of 5 grams of crack. Minimum 5 years for possession, 10 for dealing. Incredible that some murders and rapers see less time than one someone who may possess or deal crack.

I still remember reading the Len Bias case in Civ Pro.