Grads of $35K-per-year prep school ran massive drug ring

Parent Cafe
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<p>Bay, I so agree with you. It’s been alarming to me how with the way things have escalated in terms of media with the computer, phones and other apps and social media, so that the presumption of innocence which is a very important part of our legal system and social justice is being ignored. The old lynch mob is back with a vengeance.</p>

<p>Bear in mind, I have not saying this just in terms of this case. These people deserve to have the charges levied against them and should be treated every bit like others without their advantages, publicity, etc have been. They certainly will NOT likely to have certain mitigating factors that some do which often come in play with sentencing, </p>

<p>But the whole thing of the way publicity works, concerns me greatly.</p>

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<p><a href=“Inquirer.com: Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes”>Inquirer.com: Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes;

<p>from the above article</p>

<p>“…Besides marijuana, authorities said, the pair also peddled cocaine, hash oil, and ecstasy.”</p>

<p>“…Authorities said the pair enlisted student dealers and customers at their alma mater, the Haverford School, and at Lower Merion, Harriton, Conestoga, and Radnor High Schools - all considered among the state’s elite. The network also allegedly sold drugs at a few colleges…”</p>

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<p>Around here, though marijuana is not legal, if you are caught 1 oz of the stuff, it’s like a speeding ticket in terms of penalty. It’s being a DEALER where the penalties can be very harsh or Driving under the influence. And being a dealer is defined in the quantity you have on you not intent or profit.</p>

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<p>That’s because this is a COLLEGE-ORIENTED website, with an entire section devoted to prep schools. </p>

<p>Honestly, the “pass” people are willing to give white-collar criminals [or just white (alleged) criminals, in this case] is astonishing. In our community’s schools some of the biggest drug dealers are known to be kids from wealthy families. They are not just “making a mistake” or “being stupid” when they sell drugs to other kids. They are endangering and sometimes ruining the lives of others. Yet people never ascribe the names to them that they would to similar offenders of other backgrounds, or write them off as societal failures. They somehow deserve a chance for redemption that is not offered to certain other criminals. I am not saying posters here think this way, but rather that it’s a common distinction made by both the general public and the legal system.</p>

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<p>" We don’t have 7 page threads about drug busts of this magnitude that involve the type of people that are usually in them,"</p>

<p>Of course not. They’re not unusual. But, I agree with Sally. This isn’t all that unusual, either. It’s usually covered up.</p>

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<p>Yes, this is a COLLEGE ORIENTED website, but the same goes all over the internet. Believe me, take another such ring without the pedigreed dealers and it gets squat in the way of attention comments anywhere. Not many care a bit. It’s dog bites man, and that’s that. It’s often just listed in a the crime blotter part. Not headlines with photos and all the rest of the info.</p>

<p>No pass is being asked for these people. In fact, I absolutely feel and have so stated, that these type of drug dealers are of more direct danger to us. A high school, college kids is not likely to go stand at the corner of Hunts Point or whereever in the Bronx to go look for some drugs to try out of curiousity. He will get them from fellow students and others that he has some point of contact, recognition and trust. These are the ones that bring 99% of the drugs to kids who don’t already live in crime infested areas where this is too often just another home business. </p>

<p>Yes, they will probably get better than those in the ghetto. First of all, they will likely get better attorneys. Their attorneys will likely be better connected as are the families which can make a big difference. Their priors will come into consideration, and it’s unlikely they have a criminal record (maybe because they were never caught, but that does not bear any weight in the judicial consideration) The may have character witnesses. There is a bigger chance that they strike a chord with the DA or judge who may well have kids with such issues, or siblings or other family members. Mom and dad and family will show up at court for support, there will likely be rehab and counseling promised with many assuring they see compliance with them. So yes, they will have a better chance than some ghetto criminal with a rap sheet who just exudes “bad”. They also just might have a better chance in reality of getting over this.</p>

<p>I know some young people, one quite well who got hit like this and did some hard time. Ten years later, finished at a like LAC with good grades, and is currently working a "good " job, living a “good” life and has stayed on the straight and narrow to all appearances. The chances of that happening for some of these folks in the poorer areas is just about zilch. Yes, the opportunities were bought for this person by parents, I can tell you that right now, and it worked. Doesn’t always, but the chance is there, and it isn’t with some of these who don’t have that kind of help and support. They are often right back into business after getting out My very dear friend was a public defender and is now a criminal attorney and has worked in some of the most crime infested areas of NYC, and she can tell you straight out what the odds are with different social econ groups. Her life has at times depended upon her judgement in these things.</p>

<p>In many ways, I look at this public “outing” as sitting in the stockade in the old days as part of the punishment, but yes, it is likely these young people will do more time in counseling sessions, AA, rehab than in jail and if they were of a different socio/econ, it would be the other way around.</p>

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<p>Of course not. I don’t care at all whether some anonymous person on the internet takes me seriously. Am I supposed to?</p>

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<p>Look, I don’t think any of these kids is beyond redemption, but if the allegations are true, regardless of whether or not they’re eventually prosecuted and convicted, I reserve the right to judge them harshly on an internet forum catering to college and prep school choices!</p>

<p>Regardless of their individual backgrounds (and I suspect some of them were at The Haverford School on athletic scholarships and likely weren’t from affluent homes), they all were young men of privilege, which they squandered if the allegations are true. </p>

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<p>^I don’t disagree with what you are saying. Sadly, people EXPECT certain types of people to be petty drug dealers due to their background, hardships, lack of opportunity or other reasons. The reason this is more of a story is that the players allegedly involved are people who seem to be squandering some of their inherent advantages by turning to crime. It’s the same with the affluenza kid, or the Mayflower Madam, or the Menendez brothers, or any other Lifetime Channel-worthy story. :)</p>

<p>Of course, if this story hadn’t gone public people might say that the kids’ wealthy parents were paying to keep it out of the press. And some of them are the same people who criticized the African-American kid who got into all eight Ivies and went on TV to talk about it. The rules of “appropriate” media exposure are complicated, aren’t they?</p>

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<p>Right, but you don’t know if they are true, so your right is not exercisable under your own terms.</p>

<p>Prosecutors routinely file 101 trumped-up charges, which yes are <em>allegations</em> only, in hopes of getting defendants to plea to a lesser charge and have the whole thing dispensed with.</p>

<p>While these 11 young people may in fact be guilty of doing everything wrong under the sun, you really have not earned the <em>right</em> to judge them yet, if you have any respect for our legal system.</p>

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<p>I don’t think so, when it comes to “appropriate” media exposure. They go for what sells and what sells is the clicks and comments. No consideration for the subjects at all. </p>

<p>As for expectations of certain types due to socio econ, I won’t go that far. I can honestly say that I do not expect someone just from their address, their soci econ situation to be involved in criminal activities, and neither do those I know who are screening applicants with such profiles. If anything, unless it comes to getting some money from them, we look for those who could use a slight boost. </p>

<p>BUT, if one finds a drug dealing ring in certain areas that have been in place for a while, and one KNOWS this is a common business in that area, it’s just a fact that a larger number of those so caught, will go right back there. Their options are that much more limited. The history and stats are right there. </p>

<p>If someone with monetary resources has a child who gets caught in something like this, there would often be a lot of family focus on not just getting the kid off as lightly as possible on the criminal charges, but get into entirely a different direction. Read “Orange is the New Black”. The author is effusive in terms of thanking those in her life who supported her during her prison stay and wanted her to get into a good life afterwards. Not the case for those who don’t have that support system. IT’s not just little children who need a “village”. </p>

<p>Edited to add, that in every case I know, there is no “cover up” Sometimes it’s a matter of luck as to what the media discovers and what they play up. Most of them do check the blotters regularly looking for a story I know what should have been some big time stories over the years, that were NOT covered up, but by luck not discovered, whereas sometimes the news get hold of them. </p>

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<p>Innocent until proven guilty does not apply to public opinion. People get this confused for some reason. Opinions are allowed. </p>

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<p>Why does the Duke case and its affluenza lynch mob come to mind?</p>

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<p>^^^ This.</p>

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<p>I don’t compare this to the Duke case at all, and it did not even come to mind. These are grads of an expensive prep school. How many of them were grads of that school and where are they even going to college? I don’t even remember from the article. </p>

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<p>I agree that this is being publicized because the defendants are upper middle class+ white kids who attend t wealthy suburban high schools and selective LACs. I think that overall the publicity is a good thing because young people from this sort of background are more likely to be deterred from engaging in this sort of conduct by this kind of publicity than are young people who don’t have the same options.</p>

<p>The ring leader, at least, is probably not a first time offender. According to news accounts, he was kicked out of Connecticut College for pot use and for manufacturing phony IDs. He’s in jail, apparently unable to meet the $1 million bail. </p>

<p>There is a news story that says that the colleges were informed of the investigation but the high schools weren’t. Law enforcement officials said that when the high schools were notified, the news usually leaked before arrests could be made. <a href=“http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/mc-main-line-drug-ring-follow-0423-20140423,0,4941437.story”>http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/mc-main-line-drug-ring-follow-0423-20140423,0,4941437.story&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Brooks’ lawyer is playing up his shoulder injury. They will probably use it to reduce the sentence.</p>

<p>I don’t know why we say this case is not unusual. Drug use is not unusual, dealing a small amount for your friends is not unusual. But an organized drug dealing is not usual among kids with a bright future. </p>

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<p>BTW, Bay, when a defendant’s attorney admits his client is guilty, I don’t think I’m required to day the charges are only “allegations.” <a href=“Inquirer.com: Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes”>Inquirer.com: Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes;

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<p>Of course opinions are <em>allowed,</em> but that does not make them beneficial for anyone when it is done on a public forum about private citizens who as of the moment have not been proven to have done anything wrong. It is sad and counterproductive to our justice system, and destroys lives. </p>

<p>When someone proclaims that these young people are guilty (in their opinion), based solely on allegations of the prosecution released to the press, it is evidence of their support for a police state, which is not what we have hoped to establish here or intended to educate our citizenry to want.</p>

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<p>The Duke case involved upper-middle class (wealthy) white men who played lacrosse, just like the defendants in this case, and were crucified in the court of public opinion, here on cc, and by their own faculty, and were later proved to be innocent.</p>

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<p>Bay, the Duke case was a classic version of “he-said-she-said.” This one, not so much.</p>