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The two Fashion Institute of Technology students who were busted last December for coke dealing (to undercover cops, no less) were given probation for their felony cocaine possession raps. However, Mackenzie Dippenworth was unhappy with being branded a felon, saying, "It's the ugliest, most disgusting word in the entire language," adding, "I look in here, and I don't see a felon. I don't. I see a girl who made a mistake."
Judge Roger Hayes pointed out that she and friend/co-defendant Christina Scafa could be "prisoners" instead—oh, snap! Hayes also said, "Is this a life-affecting event? Yes. But does this mean your life is washed away? Far from it."
Dippenworth and Scafa were accused of buying drugs at Chelsea nightclubs and then selling them at the dorms. However, their lawyers claimed they were being set up and there were also questions of sloppy police work. Scafa's lawyer said yesterday, "My client right now is relieved to be closing this chapter of her life."
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a felony precludes these girls from almost any kind of normal job for the rest of their lives.I think this sentence is rediculous.
no jail time for dealing blow? tell all the non-rich and non-white people in jail for up to 12 years how ridiculous this sentence is. they should be so lucky.
and as far as sloppy police work.. you say as though there is another kind.
What they SHOULD have got, IMO, are looooong community service sentences as well as remediation classes showing the effects of drugs and drug users. Perhaps even a misdemeanor + jail time would have been appropriate too.
I just think that jail here is a walk in the park compared to having to explain their felonies for their entire lives to every employer or landlord who requires a criminal background check.
Trust me, these girls are getting what's cominig to them and more so. A felon is a scarlet letter that never fades away.
Currently, you are 100% correct about what a felony conviction means.
However, with millions of Americans walking free with a felony record, this will change. It's not smart to keep tabs on people like this 15 years from now if they don't commit any more non-violent crimes, pay taxes and hold a job.
Yeah, well, in the meantime, when these chicks are 30 and look back on how stupid they were during all of this they will be unemployed, living at home doing nothing with their lives. Oh, well, maybe they can marry a rich guy. That's a hell of an option for a young life.
Lifelong felony convictions for non-violent crimes are a joke. And while commons sense dictates that these will be turned over one day, I wouldn't count on it.
I mean, I think that they can't even vote now. Right?
Jeesh.
Can't do the time, don't do the crime.
I'm sure your outrage meter is off the scale Matty for the 50 kids from the BX that got felony raps this weekend for slinging rock on the corner.
How the fuck did the prosecutor let them skip jail?
Because they're young, white, and female.
Ding Ding Ding! You Win!
However if they were cute and not fat, they would'be gotten off with a misdemeanor.
Indeed. NYC justice at work.
Blind Justice? Color justice.
Going to the heart of this problem. The answer is not jail time. Decriminalize drugs and take the profit out of it and a lot of this would go away.
What planet are you from? Yeah sure I want half the city to be freaking high on cocaine, heroine, LSD, and marijuana every weekend. Who is going to pay for the police presence on every single corner to watch for doped up drivers and people who go insane under the influence? Who is going to pay for the mental facilities for people who can't function? Grow up.
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah...sure...the reason half of people aren't addicted to drugs is because they're illegal! I mean, obviously, if crack was legal, I would totally be a crackhead living in the gutter! So would you! Obviously!
Ha! That response to Mr Mel was fascinating on so many levels. It's almost like you're playing the foil or setup man purposely.
But the best part gotta be "grow up." Great stuff! As if the ignorant "let's criminalize all drugs except the most widely abused one" position is somehow more mature than advocating an even-handed, sensible drug policy.
Bravo!
"let's criminalize all drugs except the most widely abused one
I did not say that. We already have legal drugs that we can abuse. Why add more to the list? Your position is to add more because "what's one more?". What is "an even-handed, sensible drug policy" that you speak of? Make sure all drug makers get their fair share of potential drug abusers' cash? Yes, do grow up.
They probably would have gotten off with far less if they hadn't acted all non-nonchalant about it as though it were "no big whoop" when they were arrested and afterwards in front of the press and the publicmedia. I'd be curious to hear how they acted during all court proceedings.
Just look at the picture. They were laughing their heads off, thinking what they did was just a joke. Nothing serious. Believe me, these girls will be in trouble again soon enough. Their comments above show no remorse and they haven't learned their lesson. Look at how they're still self-centered. Oh, boo-hoo, "felon" is the worst word in the world. Not even close. I can think of a hundred worse ones off the top of my head, most of which would also apply to these girls.
You're right. Felon is wrong. Repeat felon will be the correct term soon enough. Mark my words.
Meant for Matty at [1].
It's important to have money for a good defense lawyer. Ask Chris Brown and OJ Simpson.
This has nothing to do with race, but has a lot to do with money and social class.
it has always been that way. America has two sets of laws in this country, one for the elite and another for the regular people.
What will happen to their fashion careers?!!!!
I can't help but think that if they: 1) weren't white; and 2) couldn't afford lawyers; that they would've done jail time.
Just another in-your-face illustration of the fact that there is no such thing as "justice" in a country that is ruled by monied, connected and privileged WASPs.
If they were black or a man they would have been in prison.
She said "No prison can hold me!" and the judge took one look and agreed.
and there's no such thing as white privilege.
"(to undercover cops, no less)"
Why's that "no less," implying that it's a rare way to be arrested? It's the way dealers are caught. Generally with repeated undercover buys, you're a step up the ladder than just busting a guy spotted making a handoff on the street.
What's the "normal" sentence for something like this? i know the prosecutor in the article said he wanted to give them 6 months in jail, but i'm curious.
"closing this chapter in her life" my ass, btw.
one of them clearly didn't use enough of it herself.
Mam, "fat fuck" is far worse than "felon"
this is a funny case, the jist is two undercover cops sweettalk two insecure naive fat chicks in a nightclub into getting some coke which turns into a drug dealing bust.
crime drama or comedy?