Judge bans cameras from courtroom.
John Dowdy and Marshall Fisher watched sadly as Madison County Circuit Judge Brad Mills sentenced Dowdy's son, John Dowdy III, to serve 30 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to possessing a large amount of MDMA with the intent to distribute the illegal drug. However, he will be eligible for parole after serving only 25% of his sentence.
A Madison County grand jury indicted
Dowdy in September 2022 for aggravated trafficking in controlled
substances, possession of meth with intent to distribute, conspiracy to
distribute MDMA, possession of alprazolam with intent to distribute,
conspiracy to distribute alprazolam, and possession of
tetrahydrocannabol. The indictment alleges Dowdy was caught with 200
grams of MDMA, between 40 and 2,500 dosage units of alprazolam. and
between 10 and 30 grams of tetrahydrocannabol.
The grand jury indicted Caleb Cartwright and Bardin Boyd with Dowdy on the third count, conspiracy to distribute MDMA. Cartwright pleaded guilty. Circuit Judge Brad Mills sentenced him to serve 10 years in prison but suspended the sentence and placed him on supervised probation for five years. Boyd is Dowdy's uncle. He pleaded guilty to sell or distribute MDMA. Judge Mills sentenced Boyd to serve twenty years in prison (although it is a 25% crime.) but suspended 15 years of the sentence.
A large number of Dowdy's friends and family filled the courtroom as Judge Mills passed judgment on young John. Dowdy sat stoically before Lady Justice while his attorney, John Collette, toned down his usual courtroom theatrics in a matter suited for well, his white seer-sucker suit.
Judge Mills kept the hearing brief as he eschewed the usual practice of allowing supporters of the disgraced to make impassioned pleas for mercy to the Court. He simply said a stack of letters were submitted on behalf of Dowdy. Judge Mills said the letters would suffice as he had read them all.
Collette argued his client immediately cooperated when arrested. The lawyer argued Uncle Boyd was the real culprit, calling him the leader of an international drug ring. Acknowledging his client's guilt, Collette said it was not fair for prosecutors to recommend a thirty-year sentence for Dowdy when Boyd is only serving five years in prison.
Assistant District Attorney Todd McAlpin pointed out the grand jury indicted Dowdy for trafficking. He said Mr. Collette was trying to have it both ways as he argued for an open plea while reaping the benefits of "plea'ing" down the charges. The prosecutor said "Either we have a deal or we can plead open", hinting at bringing back the trafficking charge or going to trial. Mr. Collette responded the Court was not bound to follow the sentence recommendation.
Judge Mills pondered it all for a moment. "I could say a lot," he said. The judge noted Dowdy, not Boyd, was charged with trafficking although he called Boyd a "drug dealer." The Court said Dowdy was clearly a drug addict but "his hands were dirty. He was more than a worker bee. He was wanting to learn the business." Judge Mills said Dowdy was "brazen" about his desire to become a drug dealer as he didn't even try to use the usual drug dealing code words in his texts.
The Court acknowledged Boyd's sentence but held his sentence should have no effect on Dowdy's fate.
Judge Mills sentenced Trey John Dowdy, III to serve 30 years in prison for possessing between ten and thirty grams of MDMA with intent to distribute, He sentenced him to serve ten years in prison for conspiracy but suspended all of the sentence. Dowdy must serve a probation term of five years upon release.
The conviction was not Dowdy's first brush with the law over drugs. Dowdy was busted in 2019 for trying to obtain drugs through a phony prescription in Byram. Byram police turned the case over to the Hinds County District Attorney in June 2020. However, Dowdy was allowed to enter the pre-trial diversion program and his record was expunged. Unfortunately for those in the courtroom today, the young man did not learn his lesson.
Dowdy will serve his sentence in the custody of MDOC even though his father asked the Court to consider other options at the April 24 hearing. A sobbing former MBN Director begged Judge Mills for mercy towards his son. He said a fentanyl addiction nearly ruined his son and that he was merely a mule for his uncle. The former Director pleaded with Judge Mills to place his son in a trusty program at a county jail. He said he put many people in prison as an MBN Director and in his current job as a Pike County prosecutor. Thus he was fearful for his son's safety. Earlier post.
The business of sentencing concluded, deputies led Dowdy away to life behind bars.
Judge Mills banned all cameras from the courtroom.
Kingfish note: Through it all, former MBN Director and DPS Commissioner Marshall Fisher sat next to his former underling in support of the drug dealer. The same Fisher who advocated a hard-line approach to drugs. He led the charge to require prescriptions for over the counter drugs such as Sudafed. Lock them up and throw away the key was his approach. Meanwhile his deputy called drug users "sissies."
They didn't have the same tone today in Court as they somberly watched if all from a different point of view.
36 comments:
Prison for thee, treatment for me. What a sad display of the futility of the war on drugs.
“A sobbing former MBN Director (John Dowdy) begged Judge Mills for mercy towards his son. He said a fentanyl addiction nearly ruined his son and that he was merely a mule for his uncle (Bardin Boyd).”
WOW! They sure tried to make it sound like ole John Dowdy III is “such a good boy” and make this all Uncle Boyd’s fault.
If tough guy former MBN Director John Dowdy had a set of nuts, he would have told the judge to sentence his dumb ass son to an even longer term.
Pigs: they have one set of rules for the commoner, but another set of rules for them.
What post are you reading, 3:52? I see no mention of 'treatment'.
He's a young man who will have a new profession when he walks out the gates.
FYI typo = It's tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), not tetrahydrocannabol
I am sending prayers to John. As a father, I am fortunate to not have had this issue, and I cannot imagine what he is going through.
I salute Marshall. He doesn't approve of what Dowdy's son does/did. But he stands by his colleague.
I hope the boy cleans up. I hope he finds help.
This isn't a time to gloat.
Must be tough to face the consequences of your actions. I’m betting this is Daddy Dowdy’s first time experiencing this.
Sad day as drugs along with alcohol have ruined many families. I pray this young man turns his life around.
The only person that can clean up an addict is the addict himself/herself. And, from my personal experience with a family member, the addict has to be truly saved by Christ.
Maybe Rankin County will go back & take a look at the Pennington Case?
Between the suspensions and the 25% of time required they might as well have just slapped his wrist real good. What a joke.
Judge Mills and all like minded Judges are needed in Hinds County. $400,000 salary for each Judge and the Capital City will be crime free in a year.
The criminals will be pleading their pants back up to their waist!
5:20, It's right there in the post:
"The conviction was not Dowdy's first brush with the law over drugs. Dowdy was busted in 2019 for trying to obtain drugs through a phony prescription in Byram."
I'd like to point out this guy is not a "boy." He'll be 30 years old this month.
And 200 grams of MDMA is a grown-up quantity of ecstasy. That's about 1,000 high-dose tabs, with a retail value of about $30,000. They didn't tell us how many Xanax pills he had, or what dose, but I bet it was a lot.
This is someone who made a decision to become a professional, large scale drug dealer. This is NOT someone who peddled a few to feed his own addiction. Where's the outrage??
I agree. What a joke. Daddy will make sure he gets premium trustee status and he’ll be in a dorm room with tv, Xbox etc. and will be out in couple years. He’ll be able to get high more there than in the free world. Just like McMillans son got to do.
That would be surprising. The current administration is in no mood to do Fisher any favors whatsoever. Spent too much time cleaning up his messes.
9:53
KF you are exactly right ! Tindell isn’t a rubber stamp like his predecessor. He will make the right moves !!
John Dowdy the dad deserves no favors. He advocated god a double standard to benefit his kid.
I’m pasting this again because it perfectly sums up the whole matter:
“ "The conviction was not Dowdy's first brush with the law over drugs. Dowdy was busted in 2019 for trying to obtain drugs through a phony prescription in Byram."
I'd like to point out this guy is not a "boy." He'll be 30 years old this month.
And 200 grams of MDMA is a grown-up quantity of ecstasy. That's about 1,000 high-dose tabs, with a retail value of about $30,000. They didn't tell us how many Xanax pills he had, or what dose, but I bet it was a lot.
"The conviction was not Dowdy's first brush with the law over drugs. Dowdy was busted in 2019 for trying to obtain drugs through a phony prescription in Byram."
I'd like to point out this guy is not a "boy." He'll be 30 years old this month.
And 200 grams of MDMA is a grown-up quantity of ecstasy. That's about 1,000 high-dose tabs, with a retail value of about $30,000. They didn't tell us how many Xanax pills he had, or what dose, but I bet it was a lot.”
Do the crime, serve the time.
I do wonder, if asked, what would be Fisher's reason for being there.
Did he think his presence would influence the judge? Did he speak during the character witness phase? Was he simply supporting a friend, the father? Had he had a come-to-Jesus moment and reversed his 'hang em high' personna?
7:04
I bet his dad has a nice garden with his weekend help!
The War on Drugs has been a very, Very expensive failure. People who want drugs can still get drugs. The only accomplishments of the War on Drugs have been unrestrained street violence, dead LEOs, militarization of our police forces, and the ever-increasing cost of investigation, prosecution, and incarceration. From a strictly financial perspective, the major function of the DEA, MBN, etc., has been the protection of the illegal drug trade. Does no one remember their history lessons about prohibition in the early 20th century? Refresher: PROHIBITION DOESN'T WORK!
10:22, Some things have changed in the last 100 years. For example, two of the drugs this guy was accused of trafficking did not even exist back then.
That said, heroin was illegal through alcohol prohibition, so maybe that would be a better example.
Drug addiction isn’t going to be cured by lengthy prison sentences. Marshall Fisher never pushed for rehabilitation vs. incarceration. Maybe this is a hard way to teach a lesson - an addiction will not be cured by incarceration. You’re simply letting real criminals an opportunity to victimize drug addicts and create new hardened criminals. Our system is broken. The sooner we admit that the faster we can create a better system.
Same judge that sentenced Dowdy to 30 years while Cartwright gets no jail time? If so, something there doesnt smell quite right.
3:32: See the comment at 9:15 p.m. This particular set of charges can't be blamed on this guy being an a drug addict.
2 years would be sufficient.
Of all the conventions I went to & sat thru Fisher acting like a hardass on drug dealers, reading this shows me the man he really is. All talk. No wonder.
John Dowdy,the father, walked out on his wife and 6 kids several years ago.. John, III, never had a chance.
The family reunions will be weird at the Boyd place I guess. Dowdy the younger calling Bardin an international drug dealer to try to avoid his stretch. Bardin blaming it on Dowdy and the good Dr still out on bail for his federal charges for bullying people who have had to face the most difficult choice of their lives.
There is such a massive amount of disfunction in this extended family. The Patriarch and matriarch present as if they are second in command to the almighty. If karma exists it is swinging hard at them right now for how they have passed so much judgement through the years on others in the community.
I guess when there are 4 children and 40+ grandchildren the odds are some of them will turn out to be what we have here.
@ 10:06 Dowdy grew tired of the disfunction of the "cult like" crew. He simply wanted to remove his family from this and the wife chose the "church" If you know a little of the dynamic you would likely cut him some slack on that end.
Now, asking and crying for forgiveness for the son when he took pleasure in seeing it happen to others, while he was in command, that is a different story.
10:04, As long as you're going to put all that out there, why don't you provide some names for those of us not in the loop?
Not going to mention names but there are a couple of compounds around Hinds county were the families live in large numbers. They have three hobbies, Growing vegetables, Protesting clinics and producing/adopting kids. it's really kind of sad. All homeschooled and taught mostly of the evils of todays society.
30 years geez, I think it’s a 💯 percent chance 5 would fix him
@ 10:04 Bardin never blamed anything on Dowdy. The matriarch and patriarch are two of the best people on this earth and are far from judgmental. They lead people to Christ and they do it with love and no judgement. I can say the same for the doctor. Good family that goes through stuff just like anyone else.
@10:04 Bardin never blamed anything on Dowdy. The matriarch and patriarch are far from judgmental. They lead people to Christ out of love and from no place of judgement. I can say the same for the doctor. Good family that is going through a hard time just like everyone else does. I will say they have all handled it with grace though.
@4:12pm and 4:16pm you know the dr so well, ask him to tell you about summer 1987-ish at traceway park…. something that still should be answered for 30+ years later.
@ 10:06. There are other families where fathers have left their families. The younger Dowdy had the same chance in life as his siblings had and they are not facing time in prison. Your remark that his father "walked out on his family", does not excuse his son's criminal drug activity. You're just trying to make an excuse for the younger Dowdy's choices he made.
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