21 year old gets life for heroin sale that killed teen

Skyline_GTR

Skyline_GTR

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Man gets life for deadly heroin sale


Updated: July 19, 2006

GRAND RAPIDS - Eugene Atkins, who sold a Grandville teen a lethal dose of heroin, was sentenced today to life in prison.

Atkins, 21, was convicted in federal court on five counts involving the sale of heroin and today received his sentence.

Matthew McKinney, 17, died after buying and using heroin in December 2004. His friend, Christopher Perrin, admitted he was with McKinney during the buy and the use, and pled guilty to lying to authorities about his involvement. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

Atkins was identified as the supplier.

A group called The Millions More Movement has vocally criticized the charges against Atkins, and they were at today's sentencing.

"Judge (Robert Holmes) Bell has been somewhat tricked by the prosecution in their withholding of evidence and I don't feel it's been a fair sentencing," said Kenny Muhammad of the Millions More Movement.

They say they plan to continue fighting the sentencing.

Previous stories from 24 Hour News 8:

Prosecutors say Atkins turned down plea deals

Prison sentence begins Friday for man convicted in connection with teen's death

Courthouse protesters support drug dealer

Charges of racism in heroin trial

Controversy brews over charges in heroin death


Link
 
Man I was just thinking about this kind of thing the other day.

The guy may have sold him the heroin, but it was the teen that took the lethal dose of it. His decision. His choice. His consequences.

Don't get me wrong, I feel for the kid, and his family. It's a very tragic thing to happen, but people gotta look at the bigger picture here.

If I went to the LCBO (Liquor store) and bought 5 bottles of vodka, then drank myself stupid and got alcohol poisoning and choked on my vomit, should the cashier that sold me the alcohol be held responsible for my death?

I think not.

Just my two cents.
 
It seems obscene to me that a 21 year old has got life with no chance of parole for merely selling some heroin. He could have driven faster than the speed limit and run him over and killed him and got less time. :(
 
Skyline_GTR said:
He could have driven faster than the speed limit and run him over and killed him and got less time. :(
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...but the car dealer would have got life.
 
Tiesto said:
Yea. Whats up with all this stupid shit.

Honestly.

Like, where the fuck has LOGIC gone?

Dam.
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when did we ever have logic here in america?
 
DarthMom said:
Bartenders don't get life when they send drunks out on the road. this really is a travesty of justice.
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Exactly my way of thinking. These laws are just to focused on the war on drugs that it makes the people who make these decisions ignore logic. I think that's what all this is about, to scare us drug users/the dealers.
 
HE SHOULDNT HAVE SOLD HIM THE DRUGS!

He sold the kid the drugs that killed him, if he never sold him the drugs then maybe this kid would still be alive.

Take his oil.
 
DarthMom said:
Bartenders don't get life when they send drunks out on the road. this really is a travesty of justice.
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That is so stupid and i cant believe that everyone is thinking the same way!

Did the bartender walk him out and put him into a car and tell him where to drive? NO

He sold him some LEGAL alcohol, its HIS choice to get into the car and drive, not the bartenders.
 
c'mon man, that is a sad fact, but not reason for him to be incarcerated. do you think a salesperson/grocer should be jailed for selling a 12 pack that leads to a car wreck, or a bottle of vodka that leads to alcohol poisoning. the rationalization is the same really.
 
TheSimpsons said:
HE SHOULDNT HAVE SOLD HIM THE DRUGS!

He sold the kid the drugs that killed him, if he never sold him the drugs then maybe this kid would still be alive.

Take his oil.
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The kid chose to take it though, also he chose to abuse it. Dealer did nothing wrong imo, all he was interested in was making money.
 
TheSimpsons said:
That is so stupid and i cant believe that everyone is thinking the same way!

Did the bartender walk him out and put him into a car and tell him where to drive? NO

He sold him some LEGAL alcohol, its HIS choice to get into the car and drive, not the bartenders.
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What happens if the barman / store owner sold alcohol to an under age person (ie: an illegal sale) who then dies of alcohol poisoning?

Whatever your way of thinking, the punishment still does not fit the crime.
 
Skyline_GTR said:
It seems obscene to me that a 21 year old has got life with no chance of parole for merely selling some heroin. He could have driven faster than the speed limit and run him over and killed him and got less time. :(
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Yeah, right, it's obscene that a 21 year old got life in jail for "merely selling some heroin"

don't do the crime if you can't do the time, right? he's a smack dealer and now he's in jail.

if you're selling a drug that obviously can kill somebody, it's time to face the music when the drugs YOU sold someone kills them.
 
DarthMom said:
c'mon man, that is a sad fact, but not reason for him to be incarcerated. do you think a salesperson/grocer should be jailed for selling a 12 pack that leads to a car wreck, or a bottle of vodka that leads to alcohol poisoning. the rationalization is the same really.
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it's not the same thing at all.

he didn't die from doing heroin and crashing his car.
 
jimmyHIP said:
it's not the same thing at all.

he didn't die from doing heroin and crashing his car.
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I think the piece you quoted was in reply to TheSimpsons' "if he never sold him the drugs then maybe this kid would still be alive.". In which case it's exactly the same reasoning.
 
Yeah, right, it's obscene that a 21 year old got life in jail for "merely selling some heroin"

don't do the crime if you can't do the time, right? he's a smack dealer and now he's in jail.

if you're selling a drug that obviously can kill somebody, it's time to face the music when the drugs YOU sold someone kills them.
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Don't be absurd. Do you think tobacco manufacturers or shop keepers who sell tobacco should be prosecuted when that drug kills their customers (millions per year)? Do you think the pharmacist who supplies fentanyl to a customer with a prescription should be given life if they misuse it and end up dieing? Dude, most things can kill you it depends how they're used.

Heroin when used correctly isn't anymore inherently dangerous than a knife, a bottle of whisky, paracetamol or thousands of other everyday items that get sold every day. The UK government, through the National Health Service gives out 20,000 doses of heroin EVERY day to hospital patients. Would they do that if it was that dangerous?

Drugs like heroin, opium, and cocaine were all legal and OTC less than one hundred years ago. Do some research as to why they became illegal - I'll give you a hint - the main reasons weren't to do with the health implications.
 
This is serious!?

That is complete bullshit! I hope the Jury, and everyone who made this ridiculous sentence get hit by a bus!

He didn't kill the kid, he sold him heroin. People kill people with guns, should the person who sold the gun get life in prison?
 
jimmyHIP said:
it's not the same thing at all.

he didn't die from doing heroin and crashing his car.
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come back to me when your reading skills improve. i also said "dying from alcohol poisoning"


do you think a salesperson/grocer should be jailed for selling a 12 pack that leads to a car wreck, or a bottle of vodka that leads to alcohol poisoning.
 
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