From the Siegelman camp, on the 7th Anniversary of his sentencing.

Draconian sentencing reflectes more on the judge than the judged The draconian sentencing of Don Siegelman gives him insight to over sentencing of non-violent drug offenders Many people remember 7 years ago today when Don Siegelman was sentenced. Even people who believed that he was guilty were shocked. You probably remember with horror that he was handcuffed, shackled, and rushed out of the courtroom without being able to say good-bye to his family. Many of his first weeks in prison were spent in the hole. He was handled like a mass murderer. This over-the-top treatment elicited a gasp from even conservative sympathizers who sat up and took notice. This was the moment those unconvinced of the partisan nature of the prosecution considered seriously the possibility of misconduct on the part of the Justice Department in Alabama. The judge also gave Governor Siegelman 3 times over the sentencing guidelines, even sentencing him for crimes for which the jury found him not guilty. So former Governor Siegelman is sympathetic with his fellow inmates who are over sentenced! What he did not know then was how widespread it was. We really look forward to the upcoming appeal for Don Siegelman. A lawyer and Alabama Attorney General, he believes in the American justice system, despite everything that has happened to him. The granting of a new trial will give the Siegelman team a chance to clear his record and clear his good name. He is one of the lucky ones. But for some prisoners, an appeal is not an option. A long shot is Executive Clemency. More realistically, many inmates are hanging their hopes on smarter sentencing retroactivity! For Governor Siegelman, he will stay the course, see this appeal through to the end. And in the meantime, he will help his fellow prisoners in any way that he can! But keep executive clemancy in mind for another day. Please help Governor Siegelman help the non-violent drug offenders who are crowding our prisons. If you have not done so already, send an email to your lawmaker in support of reducing excessive non-violent drug sentences.