The Young Family

[Key West]

Patricia Young

24 years 8 months - Charged with possession and conspiracy to distribute
marijuana, career criminal enterprise, abetting.

Clyde Young, Jr.

15 years - Charged with possession and conspiracy to distribute marijuana, career criminal enterprise.

Clyde and Patricia Young and their eight children were living on the border of Mississippi and Alabama on land surrounded by the property of a wealthy businessman, J.P. Altmire. In 1988, Altmire wanted to purchase their land. When they refused to sell, he wrote letters to lawyers, prosecutors, and the local sheriff branding the family a bunch of "troublemakers."

The Youngs refused to budge and in August of 1988, their eldest son was arrested for cultivating marijuana on Altmire's property. Their house was torn up with pick shovels and dogs. The police seized all the money in the house, including the children's piggy banks and a 90-year-old uncle's social security check. No drugs were found.

The following year, the house was raided again and the whole family was arrested, including the old uncle, Clyde's mother, sisters and brothers. At the indictment, the Young's learned that "drug residue," a scale, and a notebook containing first names and references to amounts were found in a 1986 raid at the hunt club owned by Clyde's mother.

The Young's trial judge was Altmire's former lawyer and friend, Charles Butler. Butler did not allow the defense to admit the 36 letters Altmire sent to local authorities. Prosecution witnesses included the police chief's grandson who was facing a long prison sentence for three prior drug convictions, a witness facing 40 years for drug trafficking, and one who is now serving a seven-year sentence for perjury. Experts testified that the handwriting in the seized notebooks was not that of Patricia Young.
Clyde and Patricia Young and four of their children were found guilty of possession and conspiracy to distribute marijuana in an on-going criminal enterprise. Clyde was given 26 years. Patricia got 24 years, 8 months. Their four children received 15, 10, 5, and 3 years each.

http://www.hr95.org/Young.html