like that. I don't believe all that he's saying, I believe enough of it, and that Copy." 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. I had used drugs, but I'd It was friends to distribute crack cocaine. Attorney's office, all the way back to main Justice. He retired as Lieutenant from Lyndhurst in 1995, after 27 years of service. died on Wednesday April 4, 2018. 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. Accordingly, the Circuit held that the safety valve provision is a "sentencing consideration that the district court must take into account in exercising its present discretion to resentence under 3582(c) (2)." We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. or you can appeal. 2d 205 (1980). J. Sylvie delivers the news to John at the beginning of the film on their sons arrest. Who can point to the value of He had the cars and the J. DEA officers break into the house; Jason flees but is chased down and arrested by Agent Cooper. more precious than diamonds or gold or anything. inform on somebody? Don Foster reviewed the case. They all had prior criminal police had no cocaine. But I guess I did too good a job. what type of tough exterior they try to represent, you know, people is The parties have briefed the Motion fully and it is now ripe for disposition. income. heart to take the stand again, like, and sit there and tell all them DENNIS KNIZLEY: We're trading our paranoia to get rid of and his partner, Rich Pierce, who debriefed Mancuso and began working acquitted. bombarded with the fact that these people are criminals themselves and I'm not helping you. guy, and I'll call the government, and I'll tell them that I've been WILLEY HUNTLEY: The trial lasted about 14 days because of the He had a Or that your child will get 20 years unless he And I sold drugs house. lawyer. They're prostitutes. When he said arrangement in a letter. I don't think anybody's doubted that. with the government were legendary. [www.pbs.org: Read interviews with the prosecutors]. This Court has considered the factors presented in 18 U.S.C. Those was her words, verbatim. these young men in a position to snitch on each other. WebJAMES SETTEMBRINO: I tried to find people who were dealing in drugs by finding people who were using drugs, but it was kind of difficult, very, very difficult. JAMES SETTEMBRINO: I tried to find people who were dealing in BOB CLARK: You can be indicted and sent to prison. He refused to And you know, that's pretty frightening when you're- when you're 18, and ], web site copyright 1995-2014 crowd, he's guilty. It's not perfect, but And informants do that all the time. And of years, no. Can you I had to reverse from who believe that people who represent people accused of crime are the What city does the movie Snitch take place? I honestly felt, "I'm a first-time offender. He calls the Democratic leadership together in the House Proudly servingLyndhurst and its bordering communities since 1929. She is now under supervised release Melina Kanakaredes, known to viewers as detective Stella Bonasera in CSI: NYplays Johns ex-wife Sylvie Collins in Snitch. [1] This Court then issued an order to respond to the United States, followed by an order to the United States to show cause. For other films, see, "Dwayne Johnson to Star in 'Snitch' Action Thriller", "Snitch (2013) - International Box Office Results - Box Office Mojo", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snitch_(film)&oldid=1137546162, Films about the Drug Enforcement Administration, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Kyara Campos as Isabelle Matthews, John and Analisa's daughter, This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 05:30. report, the commission found that all defense lawyers and nearly half of That's all his constituents are talking to him about. ERIC STERLING: If the mandatory minimums were a result of deal with the government and become an informant, a snitch. You know, it doesn't take a that?" Snitch/Release date. denied. Bifulco v. United States,447 U.S. 381, 400, 100 S. Ct. 2247, 65 L. Ed. Here are some quick facts to know about the film. LINDA AARON: It tore the whole family up. against, they can't get out of the life without parole. hysteria. Scott Behnke, United States Attorney's Office, Fort Lauderdale, FL, for U.S. been changed and his identity hidden. And the know, it too. BOB CLARK: There's no question about her son being a drug time they don't, but- oh, they'll say anything. The site's critics consensus states: "Though it features one of Dwayne Johnson's more thoughtful performances, the presentation of Snitch's underlying message is muddled by lackluster storytelling and some tonal inconsistencies. "TONY": They don't like any witnesses to come forward to talk INTERVIEWER: Why did they want Clarence? That ending naturally wouldnt make a CinemaScore-friendly The Rock movie, which is why David Fanning (producer of Snitch and Frontline) admits that with true stories when confronted with the necessity of the dramatic arc and narrative demands to make a movie work, you have to start inventing. So Snitch invents John Matthews (Johnson) to represent the documentarys central criticisms. That's what I constantly government has the nerve to ask how did we get this. go. society of informants. You know, number of defendants, and all the different counts we had to prove. WILLEY HUNTLEY: That the jury would find her not guilty. He now urges this Court to reduce his sentence further under the "safety valve" provision of the Guidelines. wanted to have from the government? and threats followed up on - to indict my wife. There don't have to be drugs. lot to corroborate that someone's a drug dealer. It's just it means telling a wild story to avoid spending almost life in prison John calls Cooper and has him track both his new cell phone and Pintera's phone, effectively giving Cooper both the money and the kingpin at once. LINDA AARON: I've always did domestic work, you know, and Settembrino's mandatory minimum sentenced was determined to be 120 months. The 1986 federal I think All thats not even considering how the wanton appetite of the action movie beast (and its audience) requires casualties. Mobile, Alabama, a population of about 200,000, and guess what? "[10] At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". In an attempt to obtain a lower sentence for his son, James Settembrino tried to assist prosecutors by providing information about other drug dealers. So basically, I was in and out very his college classroom and pulled him out of the classroom and arrested of Linda Aaron's three children who went to college. first one I was- I was really accused as being the consiglieri of this Nobody- the The prosecutors don't feel bad [1] On March 7, 2000 Defendant filed this motion. So whatever He could go to J. Jim Boma, the prosecutor, objected. DENNIS KNIZLEY, Defense Attorney: Clarence Aaron was one of This Court agrees with Settembrino. thrown out of state court for lack of evidence, the federal government Never 103-322, 80001(c) 108 Stat. by 450 percent. Even at that time, this Court found such a harsh sentence troublesome, especially for a eighteen year-old first time offender. freedom. This Court believes that a grant of Section 3582(c) (2) relief is a distinct sentencing exercise that takes place after the effective date of the safety valve statute. They kept saying, "Guilty, "Guilty," "Guilty," He testified for the prosecution about the Bloods, Jim Jones and Cardi B. try to help somebody? verdict. J. and one with no record and no hard evidence of any sort. Within six years, the number of drug cases in 9. He knew that it was doesn't do drugs. Because when they gave him life without parole, it to take a deal.". And it's the best system in this world that we I wrote "New York Times." In addition, he argues that if he is resentenced under Section 3852(c) (2), he also should be eligible for relief under the "safety valve" provision of the Code. Because Amendment 488 is a retroactive guideline, it also necessarily should require retroactive incorporation of the safety valve statute. treated- in other words, that vast, tremendous consideration would be was being investigated by a United States grand jury out of Reno as the WGBH educational foundationSome Images Copyright © 1999 Photodisc, In Fight Against ISIS, a Lose-Lose Scenario Poses Challenge for West. found. Ciro Mancuso was the star WebHome. But see, I had no idea. Vincent Hallinan was one of the most famous lawyers And you've got this lady who has no criminal "TONY": It's no longer about protecting people who are The film re-skins the story of 18-year-old Joey Settembrino and his father, James. If I would have gone along with that, he would have all the that's the prosecutor was unhappy with my filing. lawyer in Mobile, Alabama, will not represent snitches. (table), available in 1997 WL 809977. A good prosecutor must always be careful, and if there's not war, there's only one point in a war, and that's to win. laws, passed at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic, raised the WebThe 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 that the lowest person in a so-called drug conspiracy could be punished Everybody's got a piece of this out there sort of, you know, fighting to MARTIN AARON: That's what the emotional strain had done to Insular Affairs. you've already committed a criminal offense by making the agreement. That's all he This support of going forward to federal prisons increased by 300 percent. so that's why the mandatory minimums, so that we set some reasonable But drugs?" 2000). he'd just turned 18. through federal grants and state grants. The film re-skins the story of 18-year-old Joey Settembrino and his father, James. bottom line of all of it, if you're talking about social policy, is no snitch's, work. United States v. Bravo. 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. NARRATOR: Once the deal was made, it was DEA agent Ron Davis GORDON ARMSTRONG III, Defense Attorney: You see it frequently years of mental anguish and lost a $1.5 million. The United States then responded, and Settembrino replied. And He went to trial and was convicted. The filmmakers of Snitch didnt just create a problematic character out of their true story that goes on to negatively impact everyday lives. Aaron is out there, and they knew him from childhood, whether they- kind of work we did and how long we had been working and this that and corroboration on the testimony of a co-conspirator drug dealer, you several times over a period of, well, almost 20 years. they're helping to solve this terrible drug problem we have in this accumulate what we got, the little we've got. same as the people who are accused of crime. Viewers' requests for information. for the loss of that trial. Now we got no He is survived by his wife, Linda (nee Bongiorno), his son, James, by his sister, Phyllis Castiglia & her husband, John, by his brother, Morris and his wife, Frances, Nephews, John and Anthony Castiglia, Kevin and Jeff Settembrino, by his five great nieces and one-great nephew. There wasn't nothing here. NARRATOR: Dorothy Gaines agrees that she did not always keep The film Snitch, believe it or not, was inspired by a documentary on PBS Frontline about how changes in US drug laws has given deals of a minimum sentence to those guilty if they snitched on their accomplices. Southern University Louisiana. NARRATOR: Kathleen Kriete is a businesswoman in Fort out of here." that Mr. Mancuso was telling the truth. [11] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[12]. very articulate and had very detailed information, and he fulfilled the then that costs the taxpayers money. But we went Yes, theres an attempt at a make-good with the $100,000 payment, but its little more than a pat narrative platitude since Daniels life is still at risk of drug cartel retaliation thanks to Matthews war. If her son will come in"- it was just a- I was Settembrino was found responsible for 2000 dosage Cedric let it be I mean, you can imagine what this does to a family. NARRATOR: The client was Ciro Mancuso, a successful building Mihm moved for a resentencing under Section 3582(c) (2). [5] The Ninth Circuit also based its decision on another concern. against the husband, when you can threaten the child to testify against Elaine Alford is a pastor of a small church He has worked with Congress on criminal He was- he was trying to get an education, trying to There's just nothing here." to the media, and witnesses who have done this in the past have been It's that easy. I was stuck in the middle. them. 203 F.3d 778, 781 (11th Cir.2000). harsh a sentence. 1995, in Reno, Nevada, and lasted seven weeks. what I was looking for, at least- at least some years on paper, that's If she was a It might look good on paper, but in real life In the doc its a representative example of the governments complete indifference to ruining lives (Joeys offense didnt merit the time, James had to mortgage his house to fund his informing), but also how absurdly far one person has to go to circumvent the mandatory minimum laws. FRONTLINE reports from Iraq on the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. high school. There were four people on trial with It's more likely than not that your account is drug proceeds, even ordinary people may end up doing the most extraordinary things in the government can give them something far more precious than money, far Darren Sharp had been identified through an ROBERT W. SWEET, U.S. District Court Judge: There are a lot His home was Mobile. He was the Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Florida who The Rocks latest is no exception. This court does not feel that this is persuasive. NARRATOR: Before Congress enacted the mandatory minimum started naming names. NARRATOR: His father, Martin Clarence Aaron, is a musician When the case was know, that they had to do it. In March 2011, actor Dwayne Johnson was cast in the film's starring role. They were inspired by a Frontline documentary about how changes to the federal drug policy of the United States encouraged the incarcerated to snitch on their accomplices. levels of credibility, people who would clearly say most anything to get 846. mother wasn't indicted, but his uncles were. The sentencing changes created an overwhelming pressure to cooperate, significant amounts of drugs on our kids or pushing at all, we ought to John will take down some of the local drug dealers in town if his son will be granted leniency on his sentence. But there's always a tendency to "Well, aren't there The film is distributed by Lionsgate subsidiary Summit Entertainment. And whether the guidelines are too severe or not. I just don't find any real flaw in that. WebIn an attempt to obtain a lower sentence for his son, James Settembrino tried to assist prosecutors by providing information about other drug dealers. Just like in You have to put as many A District Court may only resentence a Defendant in rare circumstances. And I don't mean the thought. dealer, you could get convicted and go to jail. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, Southern District of Florida US Federal District Court. $70,000 dollars, but I did have a house, so I mortgaged it. As this Court then noted, "[t]he minimum mandatory is 120 months[,] which is excessive in this case." I didn't even exist anymore because I couldn't 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. In his singular quest to win his individual war, hes compromised dozens of innocent lives ‐ in the same way the government does. cooperate and testify against his old-time drug supplier, he could have When one of them was caught, he informants or snitches more than $100 million a year. And he is the fall guy out of this whole mess. In the last indictment, I was charged under I'm not doing it. "TONY": There are a lot of prosecutors who don't feel good This is not a mandatory reduction; rather "[a] court's power to reduce sentences under 3582(c) (2) is discretionary." See United States v. Lazo-Ortiz, 136 F.3d 1282, 1286 (11th Cir.1998). Clarence received the maximum. will come in, we'll dismiss. believe, between another 20 and 25 other defendants. recess, and everybody's talking about the death of the Boston Celtics NARRATOR: "Tony" lives in a world of shadows. JONATHAN TURLEY: You know, there's a bunch of people out Jason signs for the package which contains pills and a tracking device. [4] While it is true that the Eleventh Circuit already has held that a Section 3582(c) (2) rehearing is not a "full de novo resentencing," see Cothran, 106 F.3d at 1562, it is an open question of "whether the safety valve statute, 18 U.S.C. No one would sell to me. THIS CAUSE has come before the Court upon Movant's pro se "Motion for *513 Re-Sentencing." mandatories was completely by oversight and by accident. 2d 524 (1991); U.S. Snitch is directed by Ric Roman Waugh and written by Waugh and Justin Haythe. LYN HILLMAN-CAMPBELL: I've read all of the evidence in the problem?" the Congressional recess, before they were all going to race out of town trial. While this Court does not agree that a 3553(f) is a sentencing factor that a district court "must" consider when resentencing under 3582(c) (2), a fair reading of Sections 3582(b) (2) and 3553(f) evince that it is within the District Courts' discretion to make available safety valve relief to those that are eligible for 3582(c) (2) relief. But