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White guy released on personal recognizance at arraignment on drug trafficking charge

WCVB reports a technician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center was charged with trafficking Class A drugs after he allegedly accepted a package at his South End apartment with nearly eight pounds of the date-rape drug GHB from a state trooper dressed as a DHL delivery person.

The Suffolk County District Attorney's office asked for Shannon Lyons to have bail to be set at $50,000, but Boston Municipal Court Judge Tracy-Lee Lyons released him on his own recognizance. He is due back in court on Sept. 3.

If convicted of the charge, he faces a sentence of up to 20 years in state prison.

Innocent, etc.

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Comments

“White guy released on personal recognizance at arraignment on drug trafficking charge”. Thanks for clarifying. Was really hoping he was white. Are we to act surprised MA courts let a criminal on his own recognizance? What the hell am I missing other than white man bad Adam good?

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ALLEGED criminal. This is like correcting someone's spelling mistake, and having a different spelling mistake in your correction.

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And why be passive aggressive? If you think Judge Lyons is a racist come out and say it.

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There are mitigating circumstances a judge can consider when setting bail - whether this is his first offense, whether he has strong ties to the community, including local family, etc. Judges set bail at less, often far less, than what prosecutors seek for bail all the time - it's up to them to decide what amount would be sufficient to ensure the defendant shows up in court the next time (and, if it gets to that, for trial).

I wasn't in the courtroom to hear the arguments from his lawyer why $50,000 was way excessive and I don't know what any of the potential mitigating circumstances are (although I'd guess his job was one of them).

But all that having been said, here's a guy who's charged with a very serious drug offense (I've updated the story to reflect the potential sentence; if convicted, he faces up to 20 years in state prison, with a mandatory sentence of at least 12 or 15 years depending on which source you consult), and I just couldn't picture a black guy from Roxbury or Mattapan being released on personal recognizance even if he had a steady job and every seat in the courtroom was filled with his relatives.

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who can lawyer it up with the best of them?

Slow news day?

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Please, show me a case involving a black man from Newton charged with trafficking more than 290 grams of a Class A drug who's been released on personal recognizance.

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.

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At this point it’s well documented enough that I don’t need to cite any studies regarding minorities (specifically black people) and conviction/sentencing on drug charges versus their white counterparts.

With that aside, it’s safe to say that you were *ahem* triggered by Adam’s choice of words.

I believe you were saying something about comedy?

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What about all the criminals released on third and fourth firearms offenses who keep getting re-arrested by the Boston Police?

Does that also piss you off because you’ve never had an attention seeking headline for them like this one.

Just wondering if you care about that too?

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I see you're new here and have missed all the headlines and stories I've written along those lines. I'd link you to some, but you seem to have already made up your mind, so not worth my effort, but if you do care, you could look it up via the search box (which is really Google).

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About what you specifically think of this trend?

Actually, yes, please link me to your article or comments about YOUR personal thoughts to this trend considering last week’s fatal police shooting. I actually would like to read it. Sincerely. (I’m not being a snarky asshole about it like you were.)

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Last week's shooting has nothing to do with this.

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Still not seeing that link.

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are you saying that someone in prison for firearms for the third time should never be released ?

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Uh, no. If I wanted to say that I would’ve said “someone locked up in a firearm for the third time should never get out of prison”.

But I didn’t say that.

However, a third time getting locked up for illegal possession of a firearm should be AT LEAST a mandatory sentence of 10 years. These are the people killing everyone in our inner cities and getting into shootouts with the police. So yeah, fuck them.

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but you did say:

What about all the criminals released on third and fourth firearms offenses

they have to be released eventually unless you think they should be lifers.

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Has anyone stopped to think how many rapes that could be? This guy should rot in hell.

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We the people demand a pic! Sorry, UPS

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Is the headline meant to contrast the outcome of a similar recent local event that I was unaware of or is, it uh...um....

Jeez I dunno Adam, I mean Im fully aware of the role race plays in verdicts and that the justice system is inherently racist but this headline really seems like you're just trying to give Roman, Fish, et al aneurysms.

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I was just really struck by personal recognizance for a charge of this nature. I realize bail is not supposed to be punitive, but it can reflect the seriousness of the crime. Murder suspects are never given a bail amount in Massachusetts, on the theory that the punishment is so severe they have little to lose by trying to run away. Obviously, this is not murder, but he's still facing a pretty long sentence.

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He's already tried to flee once he realized it was a setup. Could it be nepotism? The judge does share the same last name.

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This site less and less.

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Close the door behind you.

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...yet you are posting still. Do you still actually live in Dorchester or are you one of those fakes that moved to the burbs but wants credit for where your parents lived when you were a kid?

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I hear ya.

This site was never 'fair and balanced' or even centrist, but it at least kept the politics and social justice commentary to a dull roar. Now it's hard to escape.

Not sure how much more I'll be able to stomach.

It's a shame, there's still a lot of good reporting among the weeds.

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Read the main story and if it seems like the kind of topic that will result in extended commentary that annoys you (plus check the number of comments), then just skip that thread. I'm not at all picking on you, as this is what I sometimes do.

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But in this instance, even the headline is argumentative. It's increasingly hard to avoid.

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Adams feelings are pretty visible and he doesn't hide his leanings, which I personally find sensible and well balanced. Mainly this site makes no attempt to appease right wingers by both-siding every single topic.

This site is great. It's informative and a welcome respite from the usual news sites that have 3 dozen pop-ups and gigantic ads for Ernie Boch's weird cartoon family thing he's got goin' on there.

In this case maybe he stepped a line of sorts in overstating his own feelings in the headline but the fact remains that I fully agree with him.

It is completely and totally $#%@&! up that this guy was let off.

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There's your answer. If you are deemed a functioning member of society with no prior arrests, no criminal background, under such circumstances, you will generally be released. White guys, trust me, are given high bail or held without bail every day. Either they are being accused of a very serious crime or have an established criminal background, etc. These guys are, generally, from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Socioeconomic status plays an infinitely greater role than skin tone.

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putting aside that you’re just saying stuff - do you think that “socioeconomic status” and race are unrelated?

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Go to Cameron County Texas, or Vanceburg Kentucky, or Kiryas Joel, NY, or Tchula, MS, or Wolf Point, MT, and then just the South Side of Chicago.

All of these places are uniquely homogeneous populations that are the poorest in the country with widely varied crime rates.

So no, poor people are not always criminals.

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It's generally used by consenting adults to enhance sex, especially in the gay community. The biggest danger is overdosing. You'd likely taste something off immediately if someone slipped it in your drink, unlike roofies, which are the date-rape drug of choice.

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You are justifying rape.

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But I tend to doubt it.

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If they think this guy should get a pass because in some limited cases it's used legitimately.

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The point was, it's unfair and unnecessary to sensationalize it. In the vast majority of date rapes, alcohol is the date-rape drug.

Both alcohol and GHB are mostly used recreationally. Both can be dangerous. The difference is, one is legal and easily acquired and causes far more damage. The other is GHB.

If he's dealing a controlled substance, by all means, charge him. But if 8* pounds of GHB were being used for date rape in and around the South End, I think you'd know about it.

Wikipedia offers some perspective:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_rape_drug

*Edited to fix typo...originally said "80"...thanks, Wiffleball

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But if 80 pounds of GHB were being used for date rape in and around the South End, I think you'd know about it.

Damn straight. It's hard to be subtle knocking folks unconscious when swinging an 80-lb bag of GHB at them.

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Unless there's some special pharmaceutical version or precursor chemical. Otherwise, not sure why they would measure in pounds.

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GHB is a colorless tasteless liquid. Alcohol is also a liquid but has a taste.
It far easier to not consent to using GHB than alcohol.

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Unless the chemistry has changed radically in 10 years, I think you may be misinformed.

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If you follow the link about GHB in your wikipedia page about date rape drugs, it shows how hard it is to detect in urine samples. How can you validate a finding that GHB isn't being used to facilitate rape when it's not detected in the victims urine?

The brand Rohypnol changed their formulation to make it much easier to detect before you are dosed. And the black out is a big tell. GHB muddies the waters. The victim is more likely to blame themselves and not report.

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8 lbs of GHB delivered to an apartment in the South End probably isn't going to be used to enable date rape. Speculation: the guy probably deals to gay men who like to "party" while having consensual sex. That ain't date rape.

Just because GHB can be used as a date rape drug doesn't mean that everyone who uses or possesses it intends it for that purpose. A car can be used (and often is, intentionally or not) to kill people, but that doesn't mean it's accurate (unless you're Kinopio) to portray murder as the primary purpose of an automobile.

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Adam this headline is clearly meant to be racial, and it's totally misguided. You, more than most people know that our courts are letting people walk with a slap on the wrist every day (white , black, illegal immigrant).

If you were to tally all of the stories from the past 5 years where shooters on Boston's streets are on their 3rd, 4th, or 5th illegal gun possession. It would make your head spin.

Low or no bail, short sentences etc. Its clearly not a white or black issue, it's an issue with judges NOT doing their fucking jobs.

I realize you are upset about the world we live in with trump at the helm, but furthering the divide by making a story racial is not journalism.

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Nice job, Judge Lyons! I hope your Liberal constituents are happy!

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A judge in Massachusetts doesn't have constituents. Because they are not elected.

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Sadly men get released all the time for trying to rape and assault women -- color doesn't seem to matter, just what's between your legs.

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Do any of you have a legitimate argument as to why else this man was released on personal recognizance??? The State police handed this gentleman 8 pounds of a Class A Substance on his doorstep. A Class A substance! For context... Marijuana is a class D substance in Massachusetts. Fentanyl and Heroin are class A substances. If this were fentanyl we would have gotten a figure of how many ppl that 8 pounds of fentanyl could kill. Why haven’t we gotten the figure of how many girls could have been raped???

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It’s amazing to me that people STILL get triggered by headlines like this and STILL play the whatabout game.

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a crime? That's rich. The usual 'Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury' dog whistle goes ignored all the time here. Adam was most likely right, he got personal recognizance because he's a white guy, and he wouldn't have gotten it if he were black. Welcome to America.

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You are either a troll or just not smart. I would say ignorant but you are spewing divisive nonsense. Take a look at the number of violent gunners in Boston who are released time and time again with low bail, short sentences, etc.

People aren't upset because a white guy committed a crime (white guys commit crimes every day), readers are upset because Adam is purposely being divisive and playing his ever-so-ready social justice warrior card. I'm mad that a drug dealer was let go (really mad) but - not because he is a free white guy. I was also mad when a newton judge recently let a criminal alien walk out the back door of a Newton courthouse, and I am really mad when repeat gun offenders get almost no time in prison before returning to terrorize the streets of my city - often taking the lives of young people of color.

It's not a racial thing - our judges are not doing their jobs to keep law-abiding citizens safe. fact.

"Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury' dog whistle?" buddy, it's not a dog whistle, that is where the majority of crime occurs in our city - also fact.

This site is so good for all of the local news (stuff you don't get from any other source) but good lord - since 2016, the political slant, anti-trump tones, triggered rants, and SJW virtue-signaling on UHUB are just tired - and they are not journalism.

Report the stories

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My point was Adam always writes Mattapan, Dorchester, Roxbury when it involves those stories and we all know what that entails. And for the record I don't think Adam is....I'm not even going to write out the word because it's unfair to him, but doesn't change my original comment. White people get better treatment than blacks in the judicial system.

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That Judge accepts white privilege cards if they also know the secret hand signals.

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Thank you for not shying away from the fact he was treated differently than someone of color would. I know of many people that were given crazy high bails on 1st offenses, some were even class D. All you tender headed triggered folks on ere shouldn't say anything unless you've dealt with the system yourself.

Also that criminals get release all the time argument holds no weight in this matter. Those people have bails set and paid for, or have completed whatever sentences were dealt out to them...this guy gets to walk away without breaking a sweat.

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There is a subsection of gay and bi men who are hardcore into this drug fueled party lifestyle. The alleged perp Lyons is obviously involved in $lucrative$ drug trafficking. The feds should be on top of this, too.

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also meth, etc.

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Are all the angry commenters.. white? Because they’re mad MAD. Haha! Thanks for all the work you do, Adam. This is my only local news source.

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Prohibition is the same as promotion. Every time a substance is prohibited the end result is a surfeit of the substance because you are encouraging financial rewards for distribution. When heroin was taken off the shelves the addiction rate did not change. When 7 tons of cocaine is confiscated the price does not go up. GHB until recently was commonly sold in health food stores and used mainly by weight lifters. Some learned that it was also good for pumping Adam or Eve in addition to pumping iron. It is now used recreationally as it can produce euphoria and promotes libido and sociability. As far as being a "date rape drug" it doesn't even come close to alcohol, and we all know how that prohibition worked.

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I recognize this man. He lives in my apartment community and is very quiet; he seems to be devoted to his dog. Based on my casual encounters with him in the hallway, I have assumed he is gay. Therefore, I will make another assumption he had no intention of raping women. As others have commented perhaps the drugs were acquired to enhance gay sexual encounters, if that is a common occurrence.

I actually saw two officers walking through the lobby as I was entering the building that night and wondered what had happened, as I had never seen any police activity here in the past.

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and wow.

So when a rapist is picking on someone their own size, they need to have the upper hand. so they are actually more likely to dose their victims.

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