Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Robed drug warrior hoisted with his own petard!

Oh man, this is beautiful:

A 67-year-old federal judge's wild relationship with a stripper started with a lap dance, prosecutors said, and quickly escalated into escapades of prostitution and gun-toting drug deals for cocaine and prescription pills.
...
(Jack T.) Camp, a Vietnam War veteran who was appointed by Ronald Reagan, built a reputation for handing out stiff sentences, including for drug convictions. He could face years behind bars on drug and gun charges. The judge's attorney has said he intends to plead not guilty.
...
He was a true Southern gentleman who was definitely tough with defenders — even more so in drug cases," said (defense attorney Page) Pate.
I am still a bit conflicted, though. Part of me thinks that if we're going to excuse drug cases in the name of calling a cease-fire in the War On Some Drugs we should be applying the same standards to Judge Camp as we would all the people he put behind bars. But there's another part of me, not so principled, that thinks that the book should be thrown at him and that he should be made an example of, pour encourager les autres, especially since he sat in judgment of others for doing exactly what he was caught doing. A better case might be made for this considering he is a public official entrusted with enforcing the laws of the land. Thoughts?