Johnson Commutes Drug Sentence

T

The420Guy

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Saying the case is a great example of the failure of the war on
drugs, Gov. Gary Johnson on Tuesday commuted the sentence of an
Otero County woman sentenced to 25.5 years in prison for forging
prescriptions for Tylenol with codeine. Maryann Gomez-Velasquez
currently at the New Mexico Women's Correctional Facility, has
already served more than three years of her sentence.

"This is clearly a case where she has done no harm to anyone
arguably other than herself," Johnson said. "She received a harsher
sentence for her nonviolent crimes than those who kill others in
DWI-related incidents. I find it hard to believe any New Mexican
believes justice is being served by Maryann Gomez-Velasquez's
25.5-year sentence."

[snip]

Pubdate: Thu, 4 Jul 2002
Source: Santa Fe New Mexican (NM)
Copyright: 2002 The Santa Fe New Mexican
Details: MapInc
 
I am Mary's only daughter and oldest child and wanted to say thank you, to whomever it was that posted this message. She made New Mexico state history with the efforts of her assistant attorney (whose name escapes me) for her commuted sentence. When we were at trial, I was only about 12/13 when it happened and our whole world got turned upside down. "Im not coming home." was her response to my brother and I when we asked when she was coming home. She had a few jail stints for the same crime since she was about 18. Her father in law was a pharmacist and was always open for business, which was a huge role in her future demise.

In 2002, I was in high school and received from her that she was on her way out to California (after her imprisonment my brother and I were sent to live with my aunt, dad was also in jail at the time) and I was a mix of emotions. It was good for the first few years- she held down a good job, relationshiop with her kids was healthy- she was clean and sober- until she moved to Las Vegas. Shee got wrapped up in an old relationship and he introduced her to heroin and meth, as well as the "night life" in Las Vegas. And as a poor, addicted woman on the Vegas streets- we can kinda know where this is going. Anyhow, after some abuse and personal neglect, she moved back to Cali on my expense, with a promise of doing better. It wasnt before long when I was called by CVS and was told she was trying to use my name to get scripts. Same ol Mary. So, I distanced myself from her. By now she has an insatiable addiction to heroin and getting her fix- so much that she turned my brother on to it. Fast forward to 2012, my father calls my fiance and tells him that he needs to see me immediately. Freaking out I call him back and he tells me my mother has died- it was an intoxicating mix of meth and methadone. Mary Ann, the woman of whom you have spoken, had failed. She was released to the world and was not prepared for any of it, breaking promises she thought was appropriate because of her release from prison. I said it then, and Ill stand by it FOREVER- the best place for her was Grants NM Prison. She was the light: she was clean, funny, artistic, helpful, joyful, and all around a "good mother". Grounded us when we were in trouble, daddy sent her report cards before we even saw them, we sent her gifts and photos... THOSE were the days.

So, I thank you, stranger- for even knowing her name enough to type it out all those years ago. When I google her name this is the only thing that come up. Thank you for reading this- whoever you are.
-Stacey xoxo





Saying the case is a great example of the failure of the war on
drugs, Gov. Gary Johnson on Tuesday commuted the sentence of an
Otero County woman sentenced to 25.5 years in prison for forging
prescriptions for Tylenol with codeine. Maryann Gomez-Velasquez
currently at the New Mexico Women's Correctional Facility, has
already served more than three years of her sentence.

"This is clearly a case where she has done no harm to anyone
arguably other than herself," Johnson said. "She received a harsher
sentence for her nonviolent crimes than those who kill others in
DWI-related incidents. I find it hard to believe any New Mexican
believes justice is being served by Maryann Gomez-Velasquez's
25.5-year sentence."

[snip]

Pubdate: Thu, 4 Jul 2002
Source: Santa Fe New Mexican (NM)
Copyright: 2002 The Santa Fe New Mexican
Details: MapInc
 
I am Mary's only daughter and oldest child and wanted to say thank you, to whomever it was that posted this message. She made New Mexico state history with the efforts of her assistant attorney (whose name escapes me) for her commuted sentence. When we were at trial, I was only about 12/13 when it happened and our whole world got turned upside down. "Im not coming home." was her response to my brother and I when we asked when she was coming home. She had a few jail stints for the same crime since she was about 18. Her father in law was a pharmacist and was always open for business, which was a huge role in her future demise.

In 2002, I was in high school and received from her that she was on her way out to California (after her imprisonment my brother and I were sent to live with my aunt, dad was also in jail at the time) and I was a mix of emotions. It was good for the first few years- she held down a good job, relationshiop with her kids was healthy- she was clean and sober- until she moved to Las Vegas. Shee got wrapped up in an old relationship and he introduced her to heroin and meth, as well as the "night life" in Las Vegas. And as a poor, addicted woman on the Vegas streets- we can kinda know where this is going. Anyhow, after some abuse and personal neglect, she moved back to Cali on my expense, with a promise of doing better. It wasnt before long when I was called by CVS and was told she was trying to use my name to get scripts. Same ol Mary. So, I distanced myself from her. By now she has an insatiable addiction to heroin and getting her fix- so much that she turned my brother on to it. Fast forward to 2012, my father calls my fiance and tells him that he needs to see me immediately. Freaking out I call him back and he tells me my mother has died- it was an intoxicating mix of meth and methadone. Mary Ann, the woman of whom you have spoken, had failed. She was released to the world and was not prepared for any of it, breaking promises she thought was appropriate because of her release from prison. I said it then, and Ill stand by it FOREVER- the best place for her was Grants NM Prison. She was the light: she was clean, funny, artistic, helpful, joyful, and all around a "good mother". Grounded us when we were in trouble, daddy sent her report cards before we even saw them, we sent her gifts and photos... THOSE were the days.

So, I thank you, stranger- for even knowing her name enough to type it out all those years ago. When I google her name this is the only thing that come up. Thank you for reading this- whoever you are.
-Stacey xoxo

Thank you for sharing this with us. :peace:
 
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