Amendment 11-Bring my brother home
Donation protected
When someone is sentenced to 25 years in prison, everything changes. You pretty much grieve the life of a person you love because, although you can talk to them and see them occasionally, the things we take for granted are gone: family dinners, phone calls to him for advice, birthdays, graduations, holidays, experiencing new life and death.
In 2002, my brother, James, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for possession of a total of 48 pills. The charge was trafficking hydrocodone. My brother was not a trafficker. My brother had/has a problem.
James and I are 18 years apart in age, so although my family tried to shelter me, I was very aware of the disease he was fighting. Leading up to his arrest, James was in and out of treatment centers struggling with his addiction. I was in 10th grade and aware of his struggles, but I did not realize how devastating this news would affect our family.
When James was first sentenced, I wrote him a letter explaining how his addiction had affected my life from such a young age. That letter changed our relationship forever. He had to regain trust and prove that things were going to be different: not just in 25 years but now.
Since that time, that is what he did. He worked and he grew as a person. He has furthered his study in air conditioning and is now licensed with the highest passing grade in his class. He also obtained his bachelor’s degree in biblical studies. Instead of being the person we worry about, he is now the person we bring our worry to. He truly is a changed man.
In 2014, for the crime James was convicted of, there was a change in the law that changed the mandatory minimum of the crime. Today, someone charged with the same crime would be ordered to serve 7 years, instead of the 25 James was sentenced. Unfortunately, that law did not apply to him because it could not be retroactively applied due to verbiage in a statute.
This means that James is serving over TRIPLE the amount of time someone today would have to serve. This is why Florida’s Amendment 11 was so important. Before this amendment, retroactivity was not constitutionally possible. After January 8th when Amendment 11 goes into effect, we will have our first real opportunity to get James home. And we would love nothing more than to bring him home. James has currently served about 16 years of this sentence, more than halfway through what he was ordered to serve, more than DOUBLE what someone today would serve.
James, my big brother, is so deserving of this opportunity to come home. He needs it, my mom needs it, and my family needs it. For 16 years we have been living a nightmare, but finally, there is the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel. We just need to be able to afford an attorney to help us. If you can, please help by donating even a $1 to help us cover the cost of the legal fees we have to pay, to bring my brother home.
Thank you,
Adriana
In 2002, my brother, James, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for possession of a total of 48 pills. The charge was trafficking hydrocodone. My brother was not a trafficker. My brother had/has a problem.
James and I are 18 years apart in age, so although my family tried to shelter me, I was very aware of the disease he was fighting. Leading up to his arrest, James was in and out of treatment centers struggling with his addiction. I was in 10th grade and aware of his struggles, but I did not realize how devastating this news would affect our family.
When James was first sentenced, I wrote him a letter explaining how his addiction had affected my life from such a young age. That letter changed our relationship forever. He had to regain trust and prove that things were going to be different: not just in 25 years but now.
Since that time, that is what he did. He worked and he grew as a person. He has furthered his study in air conditioning and is now licensed with the highest passing grade in his class. He also obtained his bachelor’s degree in biblical studies. Instead of being the person we worry about, he is now the person we bring our worry to. He truly is a changed man.
In 2014, for the crime James was convicted of, there was a change in the law that changed the mandatory minimum of the crime. Today, someone charged with the same crime would be ordered to serve 7 years, instead of the 25 James was sentenced. Unfortunately, that law did not apply to him because it could not be retroactively applied due to verbiage in a statute.
This means that James is serving over TRIPLE the amount of time someone today would have to serve. This is why Florida’s Amendment 11 was so important. Before this amendment, retroactivity was not constitutionally possible. After January 8th when Amendment 11 goes into effect, we will have our first real opportunity to get James home. And we would love nothing more than to bring him home. James has currently served about 16 years of this sentence, more than halfway through what he was ordered to serve, more than DOUBLE what someone today would serve.
James, my big brother, is so deserving of this opportunity to come home. He needs it, my mom needs it, and my family needs it. For 16 years we have been living a nightmare, but finally, there is the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel. We just need to be able to afford an attorney to help us. If you can, please help by donating even a $1 to help us cover the cost of the legal fees we have to pay, to bring my brother home.
Thank you,
Adriana
Organizer
Adriana Caruso Friedman
Organizer
Fort Lauderdale, FL