BBSNews 2003

BBSNews - 2003-02-12 -- This is the sight that will greet Webster Alexander as he arrives for sentencing on March 10th. "Let Us Remember That Justice Must Be Observed Even To The Lowest." Webster is an Alabama teenager arrested for selling marijuana. His first offense. He faces 26 years behind bars. He is no "kingpin." He sold four ounces of marijuana on four separate occasions over a month to an undercover officer who was posing as a high school student. Webster did not sell the marijuana at school and the undercover officer like as not actually drove for these buys, and he faked smoking marijuana to seem real as well. BBSNews first reported on this story Tuesday. Webster's cousin contacted BBSNews with details about a protest to be held at the courthouse on sentencing day and we will be covering this issue until some sanity in the American judicial system is restored. We are on the brink of war with Iraq, states are in a budget crisis, the economy is worse than ever and we are facing some of the most serious warnings about terrorism in our nation's history. The case of Webster Alexander illustrates just how badly skewed some folks values have become. It is terrorists that America's law enforcement, judiciary and political leaders should be concerned about. This young man has graduated high school, is working as a bricklayer and is enrolled in community college. The only "message" being delivered in this case is one of increasing unfairness. It is ludicrous in this age of terror threats and increasing US security vulnerabilities that a teenaged boy should be subject to 26 years in prison for the moral equivalent of selling four packs of regular cigarettes obtained from the corner convenience store.

Moulton Alabama is seven miles north of Double Springs. A place well known to Eastern Band American Indians, and a rare occurance in the natural scheme of things being named after two freshwater springs found next to each other.

Webster's cousin got in touch with BBSNews and wrote: "My name is David Story. I am writing you in hopes that you may help me. I am organizing a protest for the young man, Webster Alexander, which you have wrote about on your website. This protest will be held at Lawrence County Courthouse in Lawrence County Alabama on March 10, 2003, the day of Mr. Alexander’s sentencing."

This page will be the page at BBSNews where we will keep up with Webster's case. David provided these photos for this story, and he is asking for anyone who is interested to email him. BBSNews will continue to update this page with the latest news about Webster's plight and we hope for a common sense outcome and not the travesty of justice that currently appears to be looming.

For those that don't know the US, this is just a little town out in the country. The detailed and in-depth story that prompted our coverage began at The Birmingham News. There, Carla Crowder revealed the story this past Sunday. She wrote about the undercover officer showing how devious the whole episode was, "Alexander's 1976 Ford pickup was unreliable, so the agent gave him rides home to make the buys. Alexander usually lit up a joint. The agent had to fake it. "I would simulate, blow out instead of inhaling. It made a lot of smoke and it looked real good," he said."

She talked about the countryside where Webster lives and works. The countryside you see here.

Let's give our support to this young man who is facing so much prison time for an offense comparable to selling four packs of regular tobacco cigarettes. Write Webster's cousin David and volunteer to do something for the effort. BBSNews stands behind Webster Alexander, and it's a shame that in this day and age of constant vigilance and the need for preparedness against the real threat, terrorism that we even have to take time out to defend anyone against such an unfair and completely arbitrary fate. Let's not fail in showing our support.

Michael Hess is the Editor of BBSNews in Charlotte, NC. Write to the editor here. Not all submissions are published. Or visit the completely new BBSNews Blog and Forum on our front page - Please Participate in BBSNews!