Lee wrote

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> Mississippi Court Upholds Life Sentence
> for Pot Possession
> May 12, 2021
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> JACKSON, Miss. (AP) � The Mississippi
> Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld a
> life sentence for a man convicted of
> a marijuana possession charge because
> he had previous convictions and those
> made him a habitual offender.
>
> Allen Russell, 38, was sentenced to
> life in Forrest County in 2019 after
> a jury found him guilty of possession
> of more than 30 grams (1.05 ounces)
> of marijuana.
>
> In Mississippi, a person can be
> sentenced to life without parole
> after serving at least one year in
> prison on two separate felonies,
> one of which must be a violent
> offense. Russell was convicted on
> two home burglaries in 2004 and
> for unlawful possession of a
> firearm in 2015.
>
> By law, burglary is a violent
> offense in Mississippi, whether
> or not there is proof that violence
> occurred.
>
> That was not the case when Russell
> was sentenced for home burglary in
> 2004. Then, burglary was only
> considered a violent crime if there
> was proof of violence. The law
> changed in 2014.
>
> In his appeal, Russell argued that
> a life sentence constitutes �cruel
> and unusual punishment and is
> grossly disproportionate" to his
> crime of marijuana possession.
>
> https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2021-05-12/mississippi-court-uph
> olds-life-sentence-for-pot-possession
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