In 2012, Ronald Hammond was found guilty of selling marijuana with a value of $20 and received a sentence of 20 years in prison as a result of the charge.
This situation is not as ridiculous as it may sound at first glance. When Ronald was caught for the second time, he was already serving probation for his first offense, which involved the sale of drugs for a total of $40. As a result of this relatively minor incident, Ronald was sentenced to 20 years in prison for violating the terms of his probation.
The History Behind the Drug Charges Against Ronald Hammond
When Ronald Hammond appeared in court in Baltimore on a charge of possessing 5.9 grams of marijuana, the judge laughed at the case and Ronald Hammond’s appearance. According to the transcript of the case that took place in 2012, District Judge Askew Gatewood told the prosecutor that it was a ridiculous decision to send a man to jail for possessing such a small amount of marijuana.
The money contributed by taxpayers would be used to provide him with food, clothing, and other amenities while he was incarcerated. At the municipal jail, Hammond was handed a sentence of 20 years for racketeering conspiracy and attempted murder, the same as that handed down to Black Guerrilla Family gang boss Tavon White for the same crimes.
Hammond was given the advice by Gatewood to enter a guilty plea, and Gatewood promised to pardon him in exchange for a small fine. However, a few months later, Hammond would be sentenced to 20 years in prison as a result of the case. In spite of being on probation at the time, Hammond was arrested and charged with distribution after he allegedly sold $40 worth of crack cocaine to an undercover police officer.
Circuit Judge Lynn Stewart-Mays handed down a sentence of 20 years to Hammond for his involvement in that case. The judge also cautioned Hammond that he would be subject to the entire term if he violated the terms of his probation.
Is Ronald Hammond Still Currently Detained Behind Bars?
According to the clause of his arrest, Hammond is currently incarcerated but will most likely be released in the year 2028. However, due to the fact that he has not been seen in public since the occurrence, it is currently unknown what state he is in. Since Hammond was arrested for marijuana possession, the General Assembly has passed a bill that will make it legal to possess up to ten grams of the drug.
In 2015, the House of Delegates voted in favor of a bill that would exempt marijuana from the probation violations of Delegates, but the Senate voted against the proposal and killed it. On the other hand, even if the law were to be revised, it would not be relevant to Hammond’s case going forward. A maximum fine of one hundred dollars may be imposed for possession of less than ten grams of marijuana.
Wikipedia entry for Ronald Hammond, as well as his Case biography
In 2015, a news article stated that Ronald had already reached the age of 31. In the year 2022, he will therefore be 38 years old. At the time of his arrest, he and his girlfriend were expecting their first child together. Many people have the opinion that some of the laws could, in the end, completely devastate someone’s life, despite the fact that they have only committed minor offenses. Ronald experienced something very similar, and it was due to the fact that he was in possession of a very small amount of marijuana.
Hammond asserted that he had struggled with substance abuse throughout his entire life. He grew up without a father while other members of his family fought against their addiction to drugs. He and his siblings were placed in foster care, and while he was a student at Pikesville High School, he was involved with a group of students who enjoyed going out and having fun.
Between the years 2003 and 2008, he was taken into custody nine times, and during that time, he was found guilty on four separate occasions; two of the convictions were for theft, and the other two were for the possession of illegal drugs. Regarding any of his other four offenses, Hammond had never served a sentence in prison that was longer than two months.
