quote:Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah... helped secure the release of Atlanta R&B producer Dallas Austin from a Dubai jail after a drug conviction, the senator's office confirmed Saturday.
On the one hand, I don't really think personal recreational use of drugs by adults should be a crime -- certainly not one punishable by imprisonment.
On the other hand, Senator Hatch is a well-known figure in the US war on drugs and it seems a bit out of character for him to pull strings to get someone a pardon after a conviction on a drug offense.
The WP is making the case that it's got something to do with personal connections or a kind of "brotherhood of musicians" but I don't see anything to really back up either of those statements.
One wonders if the guy was in a US courtroom whether Hatch would've tried to do anything for him. And, if not, what's the deal with helping him out in Dubai?
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quote:Originally posted by Bob_Scopatz: On the other hand, Senator Hatch is a well-known figure in the US war on drugs and it seems a bit out of character for him to pull strings to get someone a pardon after a conviction on a drug offense.
Seriously. I remember seeing this on the news a couple days ago, and my only reaction was "What the heck?" And I really dislike the idea of politicians (particularly my politicians) using their power to pull favors for people. Is Senator Hatch going to start springing everyone with a drug conviction out of jail, or only people who are somehow important to him?
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