Pubdate: Fri, 09 Sep 2005
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2005 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Leslie Eaton
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?140 (Rockefeller Drug Laws)

SNYDER FAULTS MORGENTHAU ON DRUG LAWS

In her latest salvo against Robert M. Morgenthau, the Manhattan district 
attorney, his Democratic primary opponent, Leslie Crocker Snyder, unveiled 
a new advertisement yesterday that contends that his office thwarted 
efforts to change the Rockefeller-era drug laws. These laws, enacted in 
1973, impose long mandatory prison sentences on anyone, even a first-time 
offender, who is caught with a certain amount of drugs.

Last year, the State Legislature reduced the minimum sentences for drug 
offenders.

It also allowed those who had been convicted of the most serious felonies 
and sentenced to the longest prison terms to ask a judge for a new 
sentence. The commercial, called "Anonymous," is running on Time Warner Cable.

PRODUCER Jason McNaboe.

ON THE SCREEN A crossing signal displays the "Walk" icon (a little white 
stick figure), then changes to the "Don't Walk" icon (a red hand). White 
lettering on a black background says, "Thousands of New Yorkers are locked 
up unfairly due to the Rockefeller drug laws. Who is accountable for the 
slow pace of reform?" Against a red curtain, a dark figure appears, with 
his face blacked out like a secret informer on a television newsmagazine. 
He is identified as "Anonymous"; under a red line are the words, 
"High-Ranking N.Y. Law Enforcement Official." The ad ends with a jerky, 
blurry shot of Mr. Morgenthau and the words "After 30 years, it's time to 
hold him accountable."

THE SCRIPT In an electronically altered voice, the mystery man on the 
screen says: "I'm a high-ranking law enforcement official in New York 
State. I view it as my responsibility to report the facts of what took 
place at meetings where a representative of Mr. Morgenthau's office was 
instrumental in opposing Rockefeller drug reform. Robert Morgenthau's 
office, through his representative, Kristine Hamann, was a key part of that 
effort."

ACCURACY Until last year, Mr. Morgenthau's office was not in the vanguard 
of those trying to change the Rockefeller drug laws - but neither were any 
of the 61 other district attorneys' offices. (Their state association 
opposed most proposals to loosen the laws as recently as 2002.) Indeed, 
many politicians began to pay attention to the issue only after the Albany 
County district attorney was defeated in 2004 in large part because of his 
support for the Rockefeller laws. While Mr. Morgenthau is influential in 
Albany, it seems a stretch to blame him for the persistence of these laws.

The mystery man spoke to a reporter on the condition that his name not be 
revealed, because people in his position are not supposed to be involved in 
politics. He is indeed a high-level official in the criminal justice 
system. Ms. Hamann, whom he mentions, has long been Mr. Morgenthau's 
legislative liaison.

But her reported opposition to changing the laws is hard to evaluate 
without information about when the meetings occurred and what the proposals 
in question were.

SCORECARD The Rockefeller laws are highly unpopular in many areas of New 
York; a poll commissioned by Ms. Snyder before her campaign began (and 
before the Legislature changed the laws last year) found that changing the 
laws was a potent issue among voters.

But like Mr. Morgenthau, Ms. Snyder could be accused of being a 
Johnny-come-lately to this issue.

In her autobiography, published in 2002, she writes that the Rockefeller 
laws "are not necessarily as draconian as their opponents describe them."
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman