(credit: Aurich Lawson)
Two leading US non-profits dedicated to reforming drug laws have said that Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht's sentence of life without parole should be thrown out and that he should be remanded to another judge for re-sentencing.
Ulbricht was convicted last year of conspiracy drug-trafficking charges, as well as distributing false IDs, computer hacking, and money laundering. He admitted to founding the Silk Road darknet marketplace, but his lawyer said it was later handed off to others. Ulbricht is appealing his conviction and his sentence.
"Life sentences are exceedingly rare in the federal criminal justice system, particularly for individuals, like Mr. Ulbricht, with no prior criminal record," write lawyers for the Drug Policy Alliance in an amicus brief (PDF) filed yesterday. "This is particularly true for people convicted of drug offenses, including drug trafficking. In 2013, life sentences were imposed in less than one-third of one percent of all drug trafficking cases... Life sentences are typically reserved for people who committed violent crimes."
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