Life Imprisonment Commuted to Eight Years.
That is the Price of Selling Crack Cocaine and That is the Price of Supporting the Enablers of Soft on Crime Agendas
Imagine being caught trafficking crack cocaine and getting a five year suspended sentence and a four month diversion program. One would think the average person would be scared straight. Imagine being convicted of six more felonies the year after that reprieve, earning over 150 years of prison sentences, yet being back out on the street ten years later but not before escaping prison and earning another felony for the escape. And rather than learn a lesson from the grace shown to you, you go right back to dealing drugs and are sentenced to life in prison until suddenly you are released by the Pardon and Parole Board for no reasons at all.
Meet Larry Eugene Lawton, first bush with the law was in April of 1990 on CF-1990-1823 which was three counts of various drug trafficking offenses. An attempt is made to change his status from being charged as an adult to juvenile court, which is denied, and Lawton pleads guilty to all three charges and gets a five year suspended sentence except the first four months in some sort of diversion program. But Lawton is a busy boy and earns five more felonies convictions before a year is out so his suspended sentence is revoked. Lawton or his family does pay something on the court costs each month with the occasional hiccup and warrant being issued.
Next conviction was in February of 1991 on CF-1991-989 which was possession of a firearm after a felony conviction. By the time he pleads guilty he has five other felonies that he had been sentenced on, multiple sentences on each felony of course. By 2005 Lawton appears to be out of prison as he is paying a small amount on his court costs and fees.
The next conviction was CF-1991-2442 trafficking crack cocaine. After a conviction Lawton serves the sentence along with the other five felony sentences and is out by 2005 and pays on his fines for a couple of years.
A few months after his cocaine arrest, Lawton was arrested on CF-1991-3636 , another crack cocaine bust. He pleads out to 15 years in prison to be served concurrently with the other five felonies. The record shows that he must be out by 2001 because he is ordered to make a payment plan with the court.
Just a month after the previous arrest Lawton is arrested on CF-1991-4437 , a bail jumping offense. He earns a ten year sentence, one of the six sentences that keeps him in prison till 2001.
A month after the bail jumping arrest he is back in jail on CF-1991-4439 , his second bail jumping offense and another ten year sentence earned.
Then another month after that last bail jump arrest he is charged under CF-1991-4878 , his sixth felony case for that year, which is yet again another bail jumping charge. That bondsman was really good catching him three times in a row. Another ten years sentence and it seems that Lawton was out by 2001 and making plans to pay off his debt with the court.
While serving the six sentences Lawton makes a seventh felony conviction, CF-1996-7641 , this time for escaping from prison. There doesn't seem to be any time added to this sentence but he was already serving close to fifty years and he is out on the streets in April of 2001.
Lawton either laid low the next five years or was really good at not getting caught. His next arrest was for CM-2006-182 , a misdemeanor stalking case. The case wound up being dismissed which is not unusual in these cases.
The next court file on Lawton was a protective order, it appears Lawton was quite love struck and being very persistent but the order was denied by the court.
Lawton once again behaved himself till 2011 when he was busted again on drug trafficking, CF-2011-241 , four counts of various offenses involved for selling crack cocaine. After a trial the jury finds Lawton guilty and sets down the following sentences: COUNT 1 TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE AND A $25,000.00 FINE, COUNT 2 FIFTY (50) YEARS, COUNT 3 FIVE (5) YEARS AND COUNT 4 A $10,000.00 FINE By December of 2012 this career drug trafficker is in Lexington and should be there for life.
Before this point in his career he has accumulated over 150 years of prison sentences and paid eight years before being released so that was used against him in this conviction on the sentence phase. As a life sentence is counted at fifty years he adds another 115 years to his record so he is over 265 years were they to be served in a consecutive manner.
Lawton appeals, or his indigent attorneys appeal and makes numerous motions for post conviction relief, all are denied including one in August of 2019. The jury, the appeals court and the district court's judgment is to keep this career drug trafficker locked up for the rest of his life.
Then along comes the Pardon and Parole Board to commute this life sentence to twenty years which makes Lawton eligible for release in April of this year. Lawton is considered a non violent criminal despite the fact that at his last trial he attacked his own attorney and threw an object at the prosecutors, requiring five deputies and a taser to bring the man down. At the time of his arrest Lawton was in possession of 198 doses of crack cocaine and in possession of over $2000.00 in small bills from drug proceeds, which at the then market price of a rock of crack cocaine would be around 100 does of crack sold before he was arrested.
The consequences of SQ 780 are upon us in full force. Despite the fact that the amount of crack cocaine seized in this arrest was above the current level to classify the crime as felony drug trafficking the career criminal is being set loose upon society to find another drug source and generate dozens of more drug addict. And should he be caught again Lawton will know that he faces mere misdemeanors with no cost for bail bonds, no cost for attorney fees, no need to pay off court fines and fees. And despite that it was a history of drug trafficking convictions that earned Lawton a life sentence, if SQ 805 passes any past convictions will not be able to be used to enhance any sentence Lawton earns for selling drugs.
