10-time felon gets 10-year sentence for crack dealing
SEATTLE -- A 10-time felon who was arrested for dealing crack just five months after being released from prison was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison.
Devin Jennings was arrested in Downtown Seattle last August after police watched him sell crack cocaine to several customers, according to prosecutors.
The 35-year-old resisted arrest, threatened officers and damaged a police cruiser while en route to jail, police say. After taking him out of the cruiser, officers found a stash of crack in the back seat that Jennings had tried to hide.
At the time of his arrest, prosecutors say Jennings had been out of federal prison for just five months. He had been serving a 100-month prison term for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Prosecutors say Jennings has a long history of drugs and violence that includes 10 felony convictions and nearly 20 non-felony convictions.
In asking for the 10-year sentence, prosecutors wrote, "In light of Jennings' extremely long, and often times violent, criminal history, the United States believes that a substantial term of imprisonment is appropriate.
Devin Jennings was arrested in Downtown Seattle last August after police watched him sell crack cocaine to several customers, according to prosecutors.
The 35-year-old resisted arrest, threatened officers and damaged a police cruiser while en route to jail, police say. After taking him out of the cruiser, officers found a stash of crack in the back seat that Jennings had tried to hide.
At the time of his arrest, prosecutors say Jennings had been out of federal prison for just five months. He had been serving a 100-month prison term for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Prosecutors say Jennings has a long history of drugs and violence that includes 10 felony convictions and nearly 20 non-felony convictions.
In asking for the 10-year sentence, prosecutors wrote, "In light of Jennings' extremely long, and often times violent, criminal history, the United States believes that a substantial term of imprisonment is appropriate.
I can see it now:Â "KOMONEWS 2024: Seattle - 11 time felon gets 11 year sentence for crack dealing"
So when are the courts and prosecutors going to get a clue with this felon? Apparently never.......he should never be allowed to walk the streets again. Probably won't matter though, he will find a way to deal in prison. The court system is failing the honest citizens of Washington.
Here is your liberal agenda at work. 35 years old, 10 Felony convictions and he was out walking around. Few years from now he will be out again and start all over.
Yeah ten felonies deserves a noose around your neck.....
At least she was doing what she was supposed to be doing on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and that's working!
 @Laurie she?
 @Komo Dragon  @Laurie I think the post was meant for the prostitute who was lured into selling her trade right at the police station on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. It rings a bell...
The problem with our country is that our JAIL SYSTEM compared to the rest of the world is a luxery retreat. We treat our prisoners better than we treat our homeless and law abiding citizens who are down on their luck. You hear about food banks being low on food and homeless dying because of the cold, but do you ever hear of a food shortage at jail or a prisoner dying because of climate conditions. Jail is no longer a deterrent because we as a society are more concerned about a criminals well being than the poor guy on the street corner trying to live within the rules, and until that changes guys like this don't really care if they go back to jail 100 times they get better treatment inside jail than their life out side of jail
 @whocares I totally get what you are saying and I have heard this same argument many times before, but I am sure that it is easier and takes less resources if the herds of people in prison are domesticated.  In doing so, there needs to be some stability and continuity within the environment.  Managing a prison is probably a very complex process.  You really have to understand the psychology of humans and how groups of them function in such a situation.  Humans are pretty resilient; if they want something, eventually they will get it.  Taking away the want by providing just enough may thwart unfavorable situations, especially when you are dealing with thousands of long-term inmates.
 @31F  @whocares Ship 'em all off to North Korea. Problem solved.
What even happened to the "Three Strikes Law"? This turkey should be doing life in the slammer with no parole. He has been through the system so many times I am surprised the Judge didn't know him by sight when he came in. What about those idiots on the parole board? Are they stupid or something? There is no way this joker will ever clean up his act. Either hand him an anchor in the middle of the Pacific or turn the lock and throw away the key on him.
 @LongBeachBum I had to look it up myself. Under the Persistent Offender Law/Three Strikes Law, not all felony crimes count. Here's the RCW: 9.94A.030 of the Revised Code of Washington.
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Whatever the case, he clearly has no plans of stopping. I'm sure he has connections inside and out of the prison system. Probably hones his skills & makes new connections inside.
 @LongBeachBum my guess is, three strikes applies to three times the same violation
The new "10-for10" package deal - you know what they say:Â You make it on volume!!!
Funny how that only adds up to 10 years. Can only imagine how many more he'll try to add to that when he gets out.
But he was just turning his life around
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Good lord, a 10-time, violent felon in possession of a stolen firearm, and he gets another 10-year term? Â The system is beyond broken.
Once you have one felony there's virtually no way out of the endless cycle of crime. Time for this one to get a life sentence.
He doesn't qualify for 3 strikes?
What happened to the 3 strikes rule?
What a lousy dealer.
just a way to make sure that our police officers, prosecuters and judges have something to do in seven and a half years, sentence him to another term. Why do we allow this and pay their way. An island in the middle of the ocean looks like a good place to start housing him ... let him figure out shelter, food and other essentialsÂ
For everyone who wants to put people away over and over again, sure looks like your way is working. How long is it going to take for you to understand that no matter who you put away and no matter how long. THEY ONLY COME OUT HARDER. The next time you read about a crime and you all want to say throw the book at him, always remember what you have to deal with once they are out.Â
@Just my say ..think about it...those in prison do not re-offend. Only when they get out do they offend.
 @Seahawksman You think they are walking around in prison being angles? That is not what is happening. They do re-offend, it may not be the same crime that put them in there, but whatever they are doing is a crime.Â
 @Seahawksman So you want life time sentencing for everyone no matter what the crime? Well, if that happen we need to build more prisons, spend more money from taxes on inmates. They cost about $10,000 a month to house them.
@Just my say...my point is, if they stayed in prison (like they should)...they would not re-offend.
How about we just put them all down instead?
 @Just my say So, what are you suggesting for alternatives? Â
 @Datsuyama  You will probably will not like my idea, but we need to find the criminals that have done major time, the ones that were in and out, that are no longer leading the life that they once had. The ones that turned their life around. We need to ask them what work for them, and what needs to change. We can use that to our advantage. Their is not going to be a "past" criminal out there that will not know how to help people that are in the same boat as they once were. They will not act like we are crazy for wanting to know because they know what kind of hate, demons, or whatever you want to call it, these people are filled with. These guys that have been out and change their life are wanting the same for everyone. Something work for these few guys or gals, but what was it? If we start there, we will have the upper hand on whats working and whats not. We will also be able to learn why one is always in and out of prison. After learning what we need to know, we will be able to mold our system into a working system.Â
@Just my say...look outside, what color is the sky where you are?
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.....yet Christine SAID she was tough on crime... riiiight.  So, twenty strikes and you're....you're...you're gonna be in big trouble, Buster!! Boy, oh, boy!!   Put this idiot DOWN!
How much crime does one have to commit to get locked up for life?!!
Once again, the lame-ass judicial system here keeps churning them in and out. Â 10 felonies and he gets a light sentence for that? Plus he attacked the police officers, and gets a sentence that will get him out in 6-7 years. Unreal. This is why you have have so much crime up here... Â too many felons walking around reoffending and being spit back out. Â Whine all you want about places like California, but they take their 3 strikes law seriously. Â
Does'nt Washington have a three strikes law ?
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 @jlw2168 I was just reading up on it. Apparently the powers-that-be in washington believe that.. say.. a purse snatcher who violently punches a woman in the face is not a "serious felony," so that person wouldn't qualify.  They have watered it down, AND this State is so famous for refusing to try anything in the first degree, that the "Second degree" loophole in the 3-strikes law, is used all the time.   Why didn't they charge him with the other things he did that night, like attack the officers?  So dysfunctional.Â
 @jlw2168 It's more like 15 or 20.