In the fall of 2012 I stood trial in federal court. All of the charges against me originated from my ownership of a state legal medical marijuana company in Montana. Even after many years in prison my memories of the trial are vivid. Going to trial in federal court is like a bloody battle for your freedom. The stress is palpable and my perception of time slowed down. The adrenaline rocked my body, my mouth was so dry my tongue was stuck to its roof like plaster. While standing in front of the judge and jury I felt alone. Then as my former business partners, some staff members and friends testified against me, I knew I was alone.
I hear them called by many names; informant, rat, and snitch are just a few. In prison they are the lowest form …show more content…
Overcharging is the practice of charging a defendant with multiple crimes, of such severity, that the defendant will not go to trial, even if they are innocent. This can best be understood with a simple example. Imagine if every time you were speeding, you were issued a speeding ticket, as well as a ticket for reckless driving and charged with attempted vehicular homicide... Now the crime of driving faster than the posted speed limit could turn into many years in prison, especially if the crime has a mandatory minimum sentence. Anyone facing such a prison term would plea guilty to speeding in exchange for the more severe charges being dismissed. For the federal prosecutors that is not enough, they also want you to testify against other drivers you know. This example makes clear why the conviction rate in the federal courts is above 95%. Most people are extorted into taking a plea deal and turning into a snitch in the process. This is a common practice in the federal system. Unfortunately this takes away your right to a trial and removes the jury and judge from the …show more content…
I never accepted a plea deal and I did not cooperate with law enforcement in any way, while many of my co-defendants did. Some of the witness ' against me were never even indicted. They worked with law enforcement before the raids on our company, and the level of cooperation was so significant that they didn 't even face charges. Had we all stood together and defended one another the case could have been very different. Like most snitches, the snitches in my case were manipulated through extortion, by threatening and overcharging. This remains a common practice in the federal criminal justice system. In the snitch system often the most guilty are set free or receive a lesser sentence. My personal experience has given me a detailed inside view of this system.
I know my experience can help you and others. Thank you for your continued support and interest in my case. Please take the time to visit http://www.freechriswilliams.com/. Share and comment on this and other stories to spread the word and help change this broken criminal justice
I hear them called by many names; informant, rat, and snitch are just a few. In prison they are the lowest form …show more content…
Overcharging is the practice of charging a defendant with multiple crimes, of such severity, that the defendant will not go to trial, even if they are innocent. This can best be understood with a simple example. Imagine if every time you were speeding, you were issued a speeding ticket, as well as a ticket for reckless driving and charged with attempted vehicular homicide... Now the crime of driving faster than the posted speed limit could turn into many years in prison, especially if the crime has a mandatory minimum sentence. Anyone facing such a prison term would plea guilty to speeding in exchange for the more severe charges being dismissed. For the federal prosecutors that is not enough, they also want you to testify against other drivers you know. This example makes clear why the conviction rate in the federal courts is above 95%. Most people are extorted into taking a plea deal and turning into a snitch in the process. This is a common practice in the federal system. Unfortunately this takes away your right to a trial and removes the jury and judge from the …show more content…
I never accepted a plea deal and I did not cooperate with law enforcement in any way, while many of my co-defendants did. Some of the witness ' against me were never even indicted. They worked with law enforcement before the raids on our company, and the level of cooperation was so significant that they didn 't even face charges. Had we all stood together and defended one another the case could have been very different. Like most snitches, the snitches in my case were manipulated through extortion, by threatening and overcharging. This remains a common practice in the federal criminal justice system. In the snitch system often the most guilty are set free or receive a lesser sentence. My personal experience has given me a detailed inside view of this system.
I know my experience can help you and others. Thank you for your continued support and interest in my case. Please take the time to visit http://www.freechriswilliams.com/. Share and comment on this and other stories to spread the word and help change this broken criminal justice