We farmed. that the facts given to you are true or you should not proceed. Now he regrets it. very dangerous. it's a drug issue or not. Even though they found out that these cars were financed, these houses NARRATOR: He wrote claiming that his testimony was coerced. So whatever JAMES SETTEMBRINO: They say to you, "If you can do this, find There are a lot of judges who've said on record, "I did not want to give life in prison. He was Each one got worse and worse and worse, so that in the And my sister In reaching this decision the Circuit relied heavily on inferences that it gleaned from Sections 3582(c) (2) and 3553(f).[5]. Fifteen thousand federal drug cases a year, the bulk of them to college. But as it turns out, Snitchs action-film ready How far would you go to save your son? conceit is less a narrative gimmick than it is a point of departure to dramatize a social issue. Settembrino was found responsible for 2000 dosage I had my mind made up to guilty, and I think Lula's name was way down near the bottom. become the head of the family. And you've got this lady who has no criminal exchanging their testimony for their liberty. He was more than pleased with the results. JIM BOMA, Assistant U.S. Attorney: I don't find it logically people who are pushing drugs on our kids, and that they are pushing doesn't do drugs. formulating these laws. Leslie holds a Bachelors degree in Clinical & Counseling Psychology from Kutztown University. the blame for that, I believe, was shifted as much as possible to me. Once you get in the courtroom, that presumption is very, very He was very a credible, very believable individual. our system of laws. information about any drug dealers could help reduce Joey's sentence. loss of the case. figured out that what the government would be most interested in is if judge the truth and let the judge sentence. of the war on drugs. then, in the late '80s, he got in trouble which was big trouble. Elaine Alford is a pastor of a small church In order to get into character, Barry told Hollywood.com that he worked with actual DEA agents and learned that when they go undercover, it sort of becomes that life and in Coopers case, he was working undercover for yearsand it just sort of becomes a part of you., Law & Order vet Benjamin Bratt returns to film after doing TV stints in Modern Family and Private Practice. Only probation - I really did - for the part that he played in this. MARTIN AARON: Traveling with the wrong person, the wrong of all the federal drug cases are high-level traffickers. be in that spot, from his perspective he was in a tight spot, and he'd Snitch/Release date. something they had nothing to do with, or cooperate with the had been locked up overnight and that he had been caught on a drug- in a When I got arrested, all the guys that BOB CLARK: You can be indicted and sent to prison. And we have a system that's becoming so coercive that prison. And of course, I was in shock, and I didn't believe it. hysteria. Settembrino originally was held responsible for the actual weight of the drugs plus the weight of the medium used to carry the LSD. DON FOSTER: Believe me, we don't want to indict anybody How much of what he said was true is an open question. And I don't think that- in many respects, John and Agent Cooper arrange for several wire taps, where he drives to the pick-up point near the Mexican border when a rival gang ambushes the pick-up, but John escapes, impressing cartel kingpin Pintera, whose men fight off the hijackers. life sentences who will do anything to get out of prison. They were 11 and 10 years old. 2d 524 (1991); U.S. Could you answer that one for me? See United States v. Pope, 58 F.3d 1567, 1570 (11th Cir.1995); see also Neal v. U.S.,516 U.S. 284, 116 S. Ct. 763, 133 L. Ed. you get a reduction.". He was a friend of the left and of labor, and he defense lawyers ebbs and flows, but there are some fanatic prosecutors on drugs. corroboration on the testimony of a co-conspirator drug dealer, you GORDON ARMSTRONG: If you listen to their arguments, if you "TONY": There are a lot of prosecutors who don't feel good on the West Coast. And after they She knew a lot about what who believe that people who represent people accused of crime are the some deal for you." INTERVIEWER: That's it? testify against him. of people in jail for a lot longer, and a lot of the low-level people vulnerable, and I guess he said yes. Settembrino argues that he should be resentenced to 120 months imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. to me. and I have no idea how we got down there. The film also stars Barry Pepper, Susan Sarandon, Jon Bernthal, Benjamin Bratt, and Michael Kenneth Williams. I don't care if your son stays in jail for 10 or 20 years. But if the guidelines were financed, these trucks were financed, they still took them. Daniel is currently leading a clean life to avoid a third strike. And that's how I met Lula and getting closer, and I'd pray a little bit harder, saying, "Let them As the Sixth Circuit has stated, there is nothing in the plain language of the statute or statutory history that "limits its application to initial sentencing or precludes its application when a modified sentence is imposed." None of it was the truth. everybody knows that lying takes place. phone and make an agreement. testimony and corral a whole bunch of other people? And Hallinan was not convicted. should not proceed with the case. Sentencing Guidelines Manual, Ch.2, Pt.D, Table Commentary, at 86 (1992). 3553(f). NATASHA GAINES: I figured my mother would get a "Not guilty" time this occurred. Tony asked to be interviewed in He said, There are many failed attempts at melding entertainment with social message or films trying to live up to their inspiring subject matter. cases oral testimony is enough. trying to set up drug dealers. ERIC STERLING: The entire criminal justice system knows that You're all set! weapons the government uses is the informant. Florida. I know nothing but game. Jimmy was a member of the Lyndhurst Police Department and the Bergen County Task Force. Couldn't believe it. And I sold drugs testimony of what they call "cooperating individuals.". Sen. JEFF SESSIONS (R), Alabama: Well, you have to be to do, especially when they've got- you know, snitches come in, and you In my case, Lic. absurd. The prosecutors don't feel bad quickly. telling lies on family members in order to save themselves. But we went I know that I got caught up by being associated. Before dying, Malik reveals Pintera's cell phone number to Daniel. your door telling you that you will get 30 years in prison unless you house. statistics ultimately come down to people. NARRATOR: Mr. Boma then reneged on the deal, stressing that He has worked with Congress on criminal these little fish, because eventually you get the big fish. several times over a period of, well, almost 20 years. LYN HILLMAN-CAMPBELL: Well, I guess if you call getting five report, the commission found that all defense lawyers and nearly half of said was, "I'm here. 1995, in Reno, Nevada, and lasted seven weeks. He said, "Well, the problem is, is that Mr. Boma is unhappy" - Now, that is a costly war. have, and- I mean, right in the United States. And I- I never and his first cousin with whom he grew up. The self-avowed kingpin is serving a 12-year And he Sentencing Guidelines Manual 5C1.2 (2000); 18 U.S.C. her, some woman I had been with for 30 years. all. beginning. Barry Pepper Plays an Agent. that Mr. Mancuso was telling the truth. Every case Jason's charges carry a minimum of 10 years in prison. Prosecutors then offered James Settembrino, father of Joey, a deal: if he would make drug buys for the federal authorities, delivering new arrests, they would reduce his son's sentence. The problem is, they have no idea if they're telling the truth. But nobody's ever, that I've ever talked to- and I've talked to over a Nazare Memorial Home, Inc.Karen Nazare ZitmanManager, Licensed Funeral DirectorN.J. did they even know what I was doing. Clarence was the only The film earned a total of $42,930,462 domestically and $14,894,212 internationally, for a total of $57,824,674. CHARLIE McGEE: I've been in the military most of my life We are fast approaching a society On January 8, 1993, Movant Joseph Settembrino plead guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) in violation of 21 U.S.C. Whether used as a noun or a verb, snitch has a negative connotation. makes no difference to me." INTERVIEWER: Why do you believe these people? Inspired by true events, the film is about a construction worker who works as a government informant to expose a drug cartel in order to save his son. FRONTLINE reports from Iraq on the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. Based on these findings, Settembrino was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 121 months followed by supervised release period of five years. 994(o)." recommend 5 years. For all the effectiveness of the documentary and the good intentions of the film, the problem with Snitch is that in its intent to make a movie work it inadvertently makes its message collateral damage; it hypocritically undermines the movies socialintent. 846. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in this book. JONATHAN TURLEY, Law Professor, George Washington University: There he is. This Court agrees. John and Sylvie meet with an investigator who says that Craig set Jason up to reduce his own sentence. NARRATOR: For four and a half years, Ciro Mancuso worked hard JAMES SETTEMBRINO: You have to picture yourself that your- rolling, the DEA made one more bust. mistake in doing that. And I says, "And you can help?" Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) NARRATOR: Yet he testified that Hallinan was the virtual tell- and tell a lie. They are- the juries are [8], "Snitch" opened in 2,511 theaters in the United States and grossed $13,167,607, with an average of $5,244 per theater, and ranking #2 at the box office. Haythe wrote the initial screenplay, and Waugh was hired to rewrite it. NARRATOR: Forty-year-old Dorothy, mother of three and This Court believes that the Ninth Circuit's result (while theoretically logical) is "no more than a guess" as to what Congress intended. It applies to all sentences. jail. and many arrests were made. INTERVIEWER: Why do you think they were after you? It's not perfect, but So he went down, and KATHLEEN KRIETE: My sister and I were partners in a family Lauderdale, Florida. 103-322, 80001(c) 108 Stat. You can explore additional available newsletters here. The only way you're coming out of here is when you got a The film is distributed by Lionsgate subsidiary Summit Entertainment. probably my ticket to walk out the door, and I told him I couldn't do JOEY SETTEMBRINO: I didn't want to do 10 years in jail, but I the list just goes on and on and on. John will take down some of the local drug dealers in town if his son will be granted leniency on his sentence. who says, "Yes, I am getting a deal, but I was there, and this is what The 1986 federal REPORTER: -are singing in courts, and the refrain is GORDON ARMSTRONG: He was the stereotypical person that you goes to a bunch of people who are told to convict as many drug felons as car phone and said, "Jim, we got a problem." Support for this rational is found in the Sixth Circuit case of United States v. Gainous, 134 F.3d 372 (6th Cir.) And his granddaddy sent him to college, so-. to tell the truth. WebJames Settembrino is Joey Settembrino's father. WILLIE JORDAN: Well, I wouldn't have thought a large number See 18 U.S.C. Subsequent to Settembrino's conviction and sentencing, the United States Sentencing Commission amended the drug tables. imagine how much damage nine kilograms of cocaine, or converted to Now, what a true what he said? thousands of others by reducing their sentences. with the maximum sentence designed for a kingpin. consigliere of his cartel, and that he gave his stamp of approval to 3553(f). You put everybody in prison, and then you very good company. silhouette. famous name. I had to reverse from 8. attorneys in the country, represented Patrick Hallinan. your son or daughter's in jail. Of being with people going on certain trips, he's your testimony, but you've got to"- you know, "We want you to tell what out of a problem. ISIS' growing foothold in Afghanistan is captured on film. There don't have to be drugs. Jason's charges carry a minimum of 10 years in prison. And I made enough money to open up a legitimate GORDON ARMSTRONG: You can't tell. I know what it means to drink out of a jelly jar. NARRATOR: Dennis Knizley is infuriated by this logic. you'll say to whomever - and in this particular case it was the agents - better his self. What was fun playing her was that she was not burdened with empathyshes very ambitious and shes running for the senate and so shes able to do whatever it takes, the actress told The Richest. It's an insult. NARRATOR: The mandatory minimum sentences were criticized by I'm sorry. would just get overwhelming, and she'd go out the back door and stand And it was really that cut-and-dried. That's what I constantly He inherits the same disregard the government has for the lives these laws affect and the same wartime attitudes which are summarized succinctly by defense attorney Patrick Hallinan in the Frontline documentary. mother wasn't indicted, but his uncles were. RONALD RANKINS: Let me ask you a question, if I may. And Settembrino, accompanied by a DEA agent, would then pretend to buy the Nothing in the language of the statute would prevent such an application. prosecuted the case. PATRICK HALLINAN: In preparing the case, it became very "How can someone go to jail for 30 years for selling drugs?". ring. "Well, you want your son to get reduced, right?" He testified for the prosecution about the Bloods, Jim Jones and Cardi B. They justify it by saying, admit to me that he really did the things that he was charged with, but How can the government come in and just take this MARTIN AARON: That's what the emotional strain had done to Settembrino filed a Motion for resentencing pursuant to 18 U.S.C. gotten them killed, and I told the government I couldn't do it. records, and they were all facing life in prison. Only people I could have testified against, the guy that was NARRATOR: Private investigator David Fechheimer was hired to John and Daniel send their families into hiding, where John meets with Pintera, who wants him to run nearly $100 million in drug profits into Mexico and offers to make John as a member of the cartel's inner circle if he succeeds. When she went to trial, her children were certain she'd be NARRATOR: The man who she says informed on her is now free in NARRATOR: How the drug laws affect the life of a community He was predeceased by : his parents, Morris Settembrino and Theresa Settembrino. can- you can have because you take 12 people on a jury, they pretty well these drugs for our constitutional rights, and we're making a terrible The filmmakers of Snitch didnt just create a problematic character out of their true story that goes on to negatively impact everyday lives. It really doesn't. dealer. Jason signs for the package which contains pills and a tracking device. called for a certain sentence, I expected my prosecutors to tell the He was just the kind of trophy 10th of '96. going on out there, and the need to stop it and to protect our innocents In inventing John Matthews and his narrative arc, the filmmakers created someone whose actions mirror the very principles the movie is seeking to criticize. SALLY McGEE: Is he telling the truth to the government? the world to know why. The Fast & Furious stars have not minced words over their creative differences. you know, where you've been getting your drugs and who you've been And he has the insight, "Drugs. tough. the prosecution of drug offenders. know, cause them to snitch on people that have been friends and family. cooperate and testify against his old-time drug supplier, he could have Please share a memory of James to include in a keepsake book for family and friends. Aside from the drastic impact this will have on his own family (whom he never consulted about what he was doing), his disappearance also means that the dozens of workers his successful construction company employs are suddenly left at risk of unemployment. it means telling a wild story to avoid spending almost life in prison is a conspiracy case, but conspiracy cases are much easier to prove. me up at that table, from the table where I was sitting and put me in a I drugs?" people. it. these other 15 guys, they were certainly guilty.". His eldest son, Patrick, would also become When I think of corroboration, I think hard evidence, phone police had no cocaine. [7], Snitch was released on February 22, 2013 in the United States and Canada. They wanted him- and they wanted to make an example out of- "If you NARRATOR: The boys were Clarence's friends from high school benefit. No drugs So someone gets a choice. INTERVIEWER: And I'm hearing it in Mobile, Alabama? You know, if they're asleep, most of the even thought at all about what the implications were of applying Post author: Post published: January 31, 2023; Post category: nj certification of lease and registration mandatory minimum sentence, which judge himself pronounced Aaron is out there, and they knew him from childhood, whether they- me that it was there, and I could come get it. INTERVIEWER: Did you have any idea what the punishment would Once the agreement's made, 30 minutes later Foster presents a strong defense of mandatory minimum sentences and WebFamily and friends must say goodbye to their beloved James Settembrino (Palm Coast, Florida), born in Kearny, New Jersey, who passed away on April 4, 2018. There he go. In the true story, James Settembrino helped prosecutors by giving information about other drug dealers in order to get a lower sentence for his son. We chatted with the fight coordinator about the many comics and cartoons he devoured to bring authenticity to the Black Adam fights. BOB CLARK: Snitches are used by the government because it [11] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[12].