It's worse than that. In Florida, it's okay for a 16-year-old and a 23-year-old to have sex. But the next year, the same two people having sex is a criminal act (because, now it's a 17-year-old and a 24 year old). Another year later, and everything is cool again - because BOTH are "adults". Here's the statute:
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/inde......
Also, there's the whole "child pornography" thing. There's a case where a 16 year old girl sent naked pictures of herself to her 17 year old boyfriend. Someone in the girl's family got wind of it and raised a stink. BOTH TEENS WERE CHARGED, the girl with creating "kiddie porn" and the boy with receiving/possession. Incidentally, do you know that if someone sends you "kiddie porn" pictures, and you delete them, you can still be charged if the pictures can be "resurrected" from your computer? Technically, someone could send you an ENCRYPTED file that you can't even read, or you could just click on a web page link, and a file could be downloaded to your computer you cannot even read. But you're guilty, because the law does not care how the images got on your computer. There's no limit on size of the images either. So imagine the smallest detectable image of "kiddie porn" being on your computer in encrypted form - and making you susceptible to millions of dollars in fines and decades in jail even though you have no idea the file exists. This is the current state of the law.

Here are some teen "kiddie porn" story links:
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-......
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/11/16/......
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/......
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensla......
http://campbelllawobserver.com/2013/07/s......

You think I'm kidding about being prosecuted for images you didn't even know were on your computer? Check this out: http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/01/16/......

We had that Trayvon Martin circus just down the road from here. I watched most of the trial. When the prosecution opened, I thought, "There's something wrong here. The prosecution is supposed to put on witnesses that are adverse to the defendant." In effect, all the witnesses testified for the defense! It was such a slam-dunk case, I couldn't imagine there being any dissension in the jury room… except for one thing. The jury was all female. From the time it was selected, I said that was Mark O'Mara's biggest mistake - allowing an all-female jury.

As it turned out, I was right. Fortunately, the majority of the jury were not whack jobs, but in post-decision interviews it was pretty clear that with a few changes, the jury could have hung or returned a guilty verdict - despite the overwhelming evidence of a purely righteous shoot.

Why should there be any penalty at all associated with marijuana? Or any other drug, for that matter?

Look, if you decide to put marijuana, or LSD, or cocaine, or heroin or any other drug into your system, isn't that YOUR choice to make (and not the government's)? The government doesn't intercede when you smoke a cigarette (which is far more dangerous) or eat a doughnut (and we know that obesity is a much bigger problem in America than smoking dope).

What about freedom? What about personal choice? What about the fact that there may actually be beneficial aspects to smoking pot?

There are two arguments here: The first is that a person should be free to do to themselves what they want to do. We tolerate overeating, obesity, diabetes, self-inflicted heart disease, sloth, tattoos, sex-change operations, drinking alcohol… but draw the line at pot?

Second, there's the utility argument: Pot's less damaging than alcohol or cigarettes, or overeating. Do you want to ban booze and cigarettes and create a "food police"? Or are you just inconsistent?

About the only drugs I might exert some control over would be antibiotics - and that only because people taking them "until they feel better" create a breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant disease (like the antibiotic-resisitant tuberculosis that's flooding over our southern border with the invasion of criminal aliens). But if someone wants to burn up their brain, or their body or give themselves a heart attack - why is it YOUR business?

Of course, people should be held responsible for their ACTIONS regarding other people. If you use PCP and attack someone, you go to jail. But the most common form of violence among pot smokers is ripping open a bag of Doritos. So why any penalty at all?

I say teach victims better marksmanship. Instead of a bullet in the leg and a bullet near the spine, how about a whole magazine in the face?

The recidivism rate for dead criminals is precisely zero.

The victim in this case got things under control in the best possible way - he shot his attacker. The only down side is he didn't kill him.

Well, it ended for Marvell when he met a guy with a .40cal. You'll recall it ended for Trayvon Martin when George Zimmerman blew his punk ass away.

Start killing these perps and the "game" will end.

I would think a trained professional. They manage to find someone to administer lethal injections, don't they?

On the money - "But I also believe that if you're sentenced to 5 years incarceration, then you shouldn't have to worry about being raped, beaten, enslaved or otherwise abused. The incarceration is your sentence, not anything the other prisoners do to you."

I'm a firm believer in corporal punishment; I don't believe long-term incarceration, as much as politicians like it, does anything to deter criminals.
But I also believe that if you're sentenced to 5 years incarceration, then you shouldn't have to worry about being raped, beaten, enslaved or otherwise abused. The incarceration is your sentence, not anything the other prisoners do to you.

I would like to see the whipping post and stocks brought back. Say you're charged with drunk driving. You're given a choice of 30 days in jail, or a month of weekends sitting in the stocks in front of the courthouse, in full view of the public (with a guard to see you stay healthy.)

First offense marijuana trafficking... a year in jail or 10 lashes, your choice. (not being precise, here, just giving the idea).

This way your punishment is over and done with, you keep your job, your bills stay paid, your family is intact, and you remember it.

Oh, and if you are given a prison sentence, and you act up... your life is forfeit. Prison riot? Just shoot them. I recently saw a video where a group of prisoners cornered a guard and were beating hell out of him. Put him in the hospital before 3 other guards could get there, and it was a free-for-all.
Uh-uh. Firing slits in all the walls. You attack a guard, you get shot, dead. Period. Instead they just got additional time.

I’m a firm believer in equal punishment for equal crimes, or eye for an eye. Prison just a vacation now, a short stay with a warm bed, free meals and nothing to do but learn how to be better criminals. The courts have their own problems but the incarceration system needs to be changed. I say catch the thugs, erect a few stocks in the center of town, put the thug in the stock, hang a sign next to them explaining their convicted crime and then call it a free punishment zone. That would change the minds of quite a few of these idiots.