Pubdate: Sat, 24 Sep 2005 Source: Berkshire Eagle, The (Pittsfield, MA) Copyright: 2005 New England Newspapers, Inc. Contact: http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/897 Author: Mary Hart Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Sawin SCHOOL-ZONE CHARGE IS EXTREME OVERKILL I find the prosecution of Kyle Sawin (and the other six defendants) using a mandatory school-zone drug charge to be extreme overkill. The seven boys accused of selling small amounts of marijuana deserve to have a fair, thoughtful trial with sensible consequences. What would be sensible? How about community service, probation, drug counseling, etc.? In addition, I live in South County and have never, ever considered the downtown parking lot to be a school zone. I would contend that none of these boys knew that either. They were not standing in front of Searles Middle School selling pot to 12-year-olds. District Attorney David Capeless can at any time during this trial lower the charges to not include the school-zone charge that carries the two-year mandatory sentence. Lowering the charge would also give the judge the option of sentencing these boys to appropriate punishments, if found guilty. The real sadness of this is that we all make mistakes and most of us have gone on to be great assets to our communities. Two years in jail will do nothing to help these boys or others caught in the mandatory laws. MARY HART Stockbridge - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake