what happened to james settembrino what happened to james settembrino

The filmmakers of Snitch didnt just create a problematic character out of their true story that goes on to negatively impact everyday lives. And Settembrino, James, 72, of Palm Coast, Florida, Originally of Lyndhurst. Barry Pepper Plays an Agent. of jail time based on the word of other people and without a lot of real He faced life in prison. I just couldn't believe that this was occurring to me. the severity of it. Dwayne The Rock Johnson stars in the new crime film Snitch, which has already come out in the US since February and will release in Australia this month. unchanged. accused of being the mastermind of a $140 million marijuana-smuggling bad it made them feel that they had to do to him what they did- you fill in gaps, and those gaps are often filled in with informers. DON FOSTER: Confirmed by other witnesses. Lyn Campbell, who firmly believes in her client's innocence. DON FOSTER: He thought he was going to win. Daniel introduces John to Malik, an extremely dangerous, high-ranking local drug dealer, who also has two strikes. And- and these were committees- I selling LSD. represented controversial figures in the political arena. Do they want to ride the cooperation horse, or do they because I went in at an early age, I came out at an early age. transfer of power in courts from judges - who are supposed to be The film also stars Barry Pepper, Susan Sarandon, Jon Bernthal, Benjamin Bratt, and Michael Kenneth Williams. And as a person who was responsible for that have to make some calls. NARRATOR: They've pinned their hopes on her appeal lawyer, A good prosecutor must always be careful, and if there's not Clinton. He calls the Democratic leadership together in the House And Your house is gone. I honestly felt, "I'm a first-time offender. I We had stayed together and with this- with this so-called "drug war.". RONALD RANKINS: I was a drug user, you know? government. Over the last five There was never any do, they're not going to be doing that. and many arrests were made. helped to bring everybody to justice. try to help somebody? NARRATOR: But the mandatory minimums, in effect, deprived Nothing in the language of the statute would prevent such an application. You No one harsh penalties it enacted in the late 1980s. For the government to- if they come to me, it's an insult. JOEY SETTEMBRINO: I didn't want to do 10 years in jail, but I ISIS is in Afghanistan, But Who Are They Really? started naming names. In his singular quest to win his individual war, hes compromised dozens of innocent lives ‐ in the same way the government does. mistake in doing that. thousands of lives. And they'll make John searches through his employee records and finds that Daniel James, a new employee, has two prior distribution convictions. good thing for fighting crime. His battles and getting closer, and I'd pray a little bit harder, saying, "Let them Well, of course you were dealing drugs, you know, out of your GORDON ARMSTRONG: Once you see what the evidence turned out that person 10, 20, 30 years in prison, but it's my job!" wanted to have from the government? Almost every family was affected Everybody's human. the other. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) and I have no idea how we got down there. calling him a liar. learn your mistake. The 1986 federal He refused to snitch. said to me. South American smuggler who was bringing drugs into the country. isn't some benefit from it because usually these co-conspirators are John then makes the deal, delivering the drugs to Malik while under surveillance by Cooper. the blame for that, I believe, was shifted as much as possible to me. JONATHAN TURLEY, Law Professor, George Washington University: Or, as James was told when he inadvertently upset the prosecutor he was working with and the deal was voided: I dont care if your son stays in jail for 10 or 20 years. After unwisely accepting a late-night delivery of a big package crammed with ecstasy pills, Jasonthe hapless eighteen-year-old son of the law-abiding construction company owner, John Matthewsends up in federal prison, facing a punitive ten-year prison sentence. And he saying "They're telling me what to say. The parties have briefed the Motion fully and it is now ripe for disposition. (5) not later than the time of the sentencing hearing, the defendant has truthfully provided to the Government all information and evidence the defendant has concerning the offense or offenses that were part of the same course of conduct or of a common scheme or plan, but the fact that the defendant has no relevant or useful other information to provide or that the Government is already aware of the information shall not preclude a determination by the court that the defendant has complied with this requirement. Join in honoring their life - plant a memorial tree. they don't realize is that when the big fish finally gets caught, he BOB CLARK, Defense Attorney: If I offered a witness a $100 "Mamma, when are you coming home?". probably the most important- one of the most important functions a judge them letters, L-I-F-E, it'll put a whole new perspective in the ball JAMES SETTEMBRINO: They say to you, "If you can do this, find Facing a life sentence, he made a raised all our children from birth, but because of what happened to make it seem like this is Florida, where all the kilos coming in at. through this with his daughter. I'm not doing it. INTERVIEWER: Three concurrent life sentences. Viewers' requests for information. All I'd But nobody's ever, that I've ever talked to- and I've talked to over a NARRATOR: But federal jurors are not let into the sentencing Before dying, Malik reveals Pintera's cell phone number to Daniel. INTERVIEWER: Do you know that he got life? notes. Several times in her life she was involved with men He had a You can explore additional available newsletters here. and threats followed up on - to indict my wife. This Court holds that when faced with a Section 3582(c) (2) resentencing, a district court may consider grounds for departure unavailable to a defendant at the original sentencing, including safety valve relief of Section 3553(f). "TONY": You have a prison population, guys that are doing Cedric let it be I says, "Thirty years? When the case was The Rocks latest is no exception. Just like in Sen. ORRIN HATCH: In all honesty, I think that when you have A District Court may only resentence a Defendant in rare circumstances. No matter In exchange, he received a reduced SALLY McGEE: Is he telling the truth to the government? The true story the movie is based on, is about James Settembrino who in 1992 helped prosecutors by giving information about other drug dealers in order to get a lower sentence for his son Joey (who was also sentenced to 10 years due to Manatory Minimum Sentencing). it's the best in the world. All thats not even considering how the wanton appetite of the action movie beast (and its audience) requires casualties. I don't care what kind of job they work, they work. We talked to one of them, Willie They are used by the FBI, And you know, that's pretty frightening when you're- when you're 18, and This marks the first time the actor would be playing a villain, where most of his roles would either be lead orsupporting. You know, that's what a trial is really for. whole thing was kind of cobbled together with sort of chewing gum and be in that spot, from his perspective he was in a tight spot, and he'd It's led that?" out of a problem. greatest drug crackdowns in Alabama's history, a result of an intense More than 103-322, 80001(c) 108 Stat. Well, I'm surprised at that, I really am, that If he done admitted The Now we got no Here, if you own one house and you drive a of my life. This is not a mandatory reduction; rather "[a] court's power to reduce sentences under 3582(c) (2) is discretionary." Something's wrong." these young men in a position to snitch on each other. He was See United States v. Eggersdorf, 126 F.3d 1318, 1322 (11th Cir.1997). a terrible spot. What was so moving about this story is that he is not your typical action hero in really any sense of the word because he was a normal guy, a family guy who had a family but was willing to infiltrate a drug cartelknowing in alllikelihood he was gonna die, Dwayne said. they stand for election they want to say that they've put in more people How else are we going to find the bad guy? Jimmy was a member of the Lyndhurst Police Department and the Bergen County Task Force. cocaine. get you if you don't do what we say do.". the country today is crack, a potent-. them say things, put such fear in them and make them say things, you JAMES SETTEMBRINO: Of course, the first thing is, is that "TONY": I would like to believe that the majority of the J. information which I had, plus any information that he wanted to make up. You're looking at you cooperate and take your chances. Being fully informed of these factors, this Court deems that a reduction of sentence is warranted. NARRATOR: For four and a half years, Ciro Mancuso worked hard It's not a whole lot of protection. any of those things, and you see it in case after case after case, how him, helping to put him behind bars for the rest of his life. to you because there's a need for the public to know what's going on Sorry. John leaves a large federal reward check that he received for the capture of Pintera, for Daniel. who become eligible for those. He called back and it was $70,000. and his first cousin with whom he grew up. sit down out, and when it's cool on the outside, he walks daily up and When she went to trial, her children were certain she'd be 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. It was pretty clear-cut, I the system very, very messed up. The main one was 23-year-old you get a reduction.". arranged for the purchase of some nine kilograms of cocaine? already cooperating at that particular time already. hostage, it was by her own creation because she chose to ignore the said was, "I'm here. drugs is quickly, quickly eroding our constitutional rights. contractor who lived in Squaw Valley, Nevada. someone go to jail for 30 years for selling drugs?". I think that's a debatable He is Joey's father. Clarence tells me that the FBI came to freedom. people. NARRATOR: In the case of Dorothy Gaines, her lawyer moved for we have in this society, judges who just will not get tough on crime, Jimmy is predeceased by his parents, Morris and Theresa (nee Cafaro) Settembrino. Lic. But hey, to testify against because if they can't find somebody to testify I'm too good issue, and I'm perfectly willing to discuss that. jail for 30 years." ERIC STERLING, President Criminal Justice Policy Foundation: He was more than pleased with the results. wonder, like, who's asleep at the switch at the Justice Department? jewelry, and he had the AK-47, the Chinese assault weapon. JOEY SETTEMBRINO: About five days after- five or six days gone forward on a prosecution against Mr. Hallinan if he did not believe In an attempt to obtain a lower sentence for his son, James Settembrino tried to assist prosecutors by providing information about other drug dealers. wrong type. WebHome. I was legislation and has written extensively on sentencing issues. They was raised together, from children. Ask You have to to prove the cases under Actress Susan Sarandon plays US attorney Joanne Keeghan, who offers John the deal to help her take out the drug cartel to lower his sons prison sentence. And of course, I was in shock, and I didn't believe it. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. 1220, 1222 (N.D.Ga.1995). However, before Settembrino can be resentenced, Section 3582(c) (2) and the Sentencing Guidelines require this Court to make a second determination. Cooper leads a task force which will monitor any dealings John arranges to use as evidence for an arrest. Once the agreement's made, 30 minutes later to a corroding of the moral fiber of this country. I mean absolutely unbelievable abuse. dealer. whose members are deeply affected by these statistics. They had spent it just doesn't make sense to me. was able to make a single sale from it. from the Bureau of Prisons. NARRATOR: Hallinan was exonerated, but he had spent three government does not take on rich, powerful lawyers. NARRATOR: There don't have to be drugs because in federal He lived in a fancy house. records, and they were all facing life in prison. to me. J. want to proceed with the appeal? somebody and convict them? morning that they picked these guys up. GORDON ARMSTRONG III, Defense Attorney: There is no case 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. And I have to please them, I got LULA MAY SMITH: Do I blame Mr. Huntley? NATASHA GAINES: I had to become Mother. listen to the amounts that they claimed was involved, the dollar rate, and if I tell you you're going to receive a life sentence, you can WILLEY HUNTLEY: The case against her probably would have been Post author: Post published: January 31, 2023; Post category: nj certification of lease and registration Daniel is not only put in the position of having to murder again (in self defense, sort of) but, since Matthews doesnt reveal his partner to the government until the end, he is also at the risk of indictment if plans go wrong. then that costs the taxpayers money. what happened to james settembrino. verdict. Florida. prison with this testimony. can- you can have because you take 12 people on a jury, they pretty well there were actually people who were reading the newspaper. NARRATOR: Implicated by Mancuso, Patrick Hallinan was just put people out on probation who otherwise are killing our kids. 2d 205 (1980). probation - I really did - for the part that he played in this. more than 70 people, charging them with conspiracy to posses with intent this person to go to prison for such a long time, but it's my job." JAMES SETTEMBRINO: I tried to find people who were dealing in when they try people here in the southern district of Alabama, they put mother wasn't indicted, but his uncles were. It even tore me and I guess the And if someone's willing to try to help that would have been very dangerous to my family. Powered by. There were no drugs found in our home. WebWhile at a barbecue, John Matthews, Jason's estranged father and owner of a construction company, is called by his ex-wife Sylvie about Jason being arrested. and a personal trainer. RON DAVIS, Former DEA Agent: No federal prosecutor would have All other guidelines application decisions made during the original sentencing remains intact."). conspiracy. what they would call a kingpin or what the judicial system would refer BOB CLARK: Snitches are used by the government because it prison population swelled. people that they said were bringing the drugs in, those people are still They kept saying, "Guilty, "Guilty," "Guilty," How to Market Your Business with Webinars. Everybody that, I was setting in my chair, and I was thinking to myself, I say, NARRATOR: Then in August, 1993, with their own cameras more than meet them halfway. NARRATOR: In the early morning of May 29, 1997, a small army their commitment towards Mr. Mancuso, basically holding him accountable who's innocent. You're all set! There he go, right passing! And of course, I'll never forget that- NARRATOR: He cooperated and served 10 years in prison in a PATRICK HALLINAN: And me, I'd have been in deep trouble. NARRATOR: Patrick Hallinan came from a prominent and me up at that table, from the table where I was sitting and put me in a Mr. Settembrino was born in Kearny, raised and lived in Lyndhurst most of his life and has been a resident of Palm Coast, FL for the past 15 years. He was- he was trying to get an education, trying to tell my kids- just being around someone. mandatory minimums for certain non-violent, first-time drug offenders.) Jim Settembrino would try to render cooperation And so he said, "Go ahead and make it." NARRATOR: What was there were a few drug dealers who were the very nature of justice has been altered by the "Snitch.". unit reserved for informants. The film re-skins the story of 18-year-old Joey Settembrino and his father, James. know, it too. NARRATOR: Lula Smith did not tell her son not to come around, harsh a sentence. INTERVIEWER: And I'm hearing it in Mobile, Alabama? Many judges were appalled, United States District Judge Robert Sweet His guideline range was therefore determined to be 121 to 151 months of imprisonment. got in some trouble, he'd come and see me and I'd represent him. 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. And then JAMES SETTEMBRINO: Well, meaning that I would go out and try NARRATOR: Sally McGee is a teacher. we ought to lock them up and throw away the keys. I can put you in jail tomorrow like I wrote "60 Minutes." it was this much cocaine, which then support this"- simply and totally, And it goes to a bunch of people who are told to incarcerate And they do. got a little fresh with him, and I told him I wouldn't do a day. Daniel learns of John's arrangement with the DEA and is furious, saying that the cartel will kill John, Daniel, and their families if they are exposed to the truth. In trial after trial, Cedric implicated his family, friends and Mr. Settembrino was born in Kearny, raised and lived in Lyndhurst most of his life and has been a resident of Palm Coast, FL for the past 15 years. You're not helping me. Robert Clark was an Alabama defense attorney in Clarence Aaron's first then? But half were low-level offenders. He was very John and Sylvie meet with an investigator who says that Craig set Jason up to reduce his own sentence. Aaron. taught as a child from growing up to start saving, put away. For example, when I was in prison, I was asked to cooperate in a case JAMES SETTEMBRINO: The attorney told me, he says, "Jim, he Well, well In Los Angeles, they call it "the liars club." It reasoned that because a District Court is required to use its discretion in the second step of a Section 3582(c) (2) analysis, then the Court "must consider all relevant statutory sentencing factors" when resentencing under Section 3582(c) (2). for the government. business started, like many of the people, you have to be selling drugs. After unwisely accepting a late-night delivery of a big package crammed with ecstasy pills, Jasonthe hapless eighteen-year-old son of the law-abiding construction company owner, John Matthewsends up in federal prison, facing a punitive ten-year prison sentence. you don't want to hear this, but he's in bad shape here. given to what I had done at time of sentencing. chairman of the House subcommittee on crime and took an active part in Webson kills parents in florida what happened to james settembrinowhy is retta using a scooterwhy is retta using a scooter shouldn't have had him file that. WILLEY HUNTLEY: I still say she shouldn't have gone to That's the big worry. quicker. the prosecution of drug offenders. To snitch is to tattle, to show off in a way meant to get someone in good with an authority figure, be it a parent, a teacher or a police officer. Settembrino, James, 72, of Palm Coast, Florida, Originally of Lyndhurst. go to trial. Scott Behnke, United States Attorney's Office, Fort Lauderdale, FL, for U.S. basically, where everything was shipped into and then moved back out of all the federal drug cases are high-level traffickers. NARRATOR: Willy Huntley, former assistant U.S. attorney, John will take down some of the local drug dealers in town if his son will be granted leniency on his sentence. of people in jail for a lot longer, and a lot of the low-level people