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Alleged Columbia Dealers Don't Want To Do More Time

201101_opivydavid.jpg
Harrison David, relaxing in happier times.
The five Columbia students charged with running a drug ring out of school dorms and frats had returned to court today. The five, all out on bail, showed up for a "calendar call" in which their lawyers spoke a little in their defense. The whole thing was over in less than half an hour and the gang is next due in court on March 1. Which doesn't mean a few interesting tidbits about the quintet of alleged dealers didn't slip out!

For instance, remember Harrison David? The son of "surgeon, media personality and international caregiver" Dave E. David and the last of the kids to make bail? What's he been up to? Well, DNAInfo reports from court that the 20-year-old has "been sent to live in Florida with a former city Department of Correction official who's a friend of the family, to give him a 'more structured environment,'" according to his lawyer (we would watch that reality show). So really, he argued, the alleged dealer doesn't need to be heading back to prison anytime soon. Because his family is really upset and, well, jail "pales in comparison to the damage that's already been done." We mean, of course! Why should a boy with a near-perfect SAT score go to jail?

And David wasn't the only member of Operation Ivy League who had an interesting excuse for why they shouldn't be sent to the slammer. Christopher Coles lawyer argued that the 20-year-old only started dealing to pay for his marijuana addiction and that he should be sent to a drug treatment center instead of doing time. Further, his life is now "in disarray" as he attends rehab back with his family in DC.

Meanwhile, prosecutors say they haven't finished making their case and that additional charges based on evidence from the December 7 raid will be brought to grand jury soon. They have not said which of the students will get the additional charges or what they will be.

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Comments [rss]

  • Inconcievable de Impublishable

    Those sound like good arguments. If I were the prosecutor, I'd be doing some covert surveillance of these corrective situations in Florida and DC, though.

  • TimeDown

    The Manhattan's District Attorney's office doesn't have the authority nor the money to do something like that for what, contrary to the media hype, is really just another trivial drug case. That's more of a federal tactic but its doubtful the feds care about something like this.

  • Guest

    what a friggin' joke this all is. "operation ivy league" has got to be the most trumped up "drug ring" bust of all time.

  • I believe this clip really gets to the heart of the marijuana addiction "debate":
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

  • Must be nice to be rich!

  • Marijuana addiction...hahahaha. Funny how it's only addictive when you need an excuse for something.

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