Judge cuts black woman's sentence due to racism - case of African American woman involved in drug dealing

Jet, March 15, 1993

A federal judge in Tacoma, Wash., tossed aside sentencing guidelines and gave a Black woman a reduced sentence after ruling she was victimized by institutional racism in the criminal justice system.

U.S. District Court Judge Jack Tanner said Melody Singleton, who admitted renting an apartment where her boyfriend sold cocaine, did not benefit from cooperating with authorities as much as a White woman might have.

Singleton pleaded guilty to renting the apartment and agreed to cooperate with authorities. In exchange, prosecutors dropped three other charges.

Tanner cited no specific act of overt discrimination in the recently issued ruling. Federal prosecutors in the Seattle office are recommending a Justice Department appeal.

"Racism of the present, unlike racism of the past, has become highly sophisticated and covert, by acts that are hidden and very difficult to ferret out," Tanner wrote. He said racism, both individual and institutional, still causes "pernicious devastation of the daily lives of Black Americans."

Based on her offense and criminal history - one prior misdemeanor offense - the sentencing guidelines called for her to serve 24 to 30 months in prison. Tanner sentenced her last week to six months in a halfway house.

Singleton's lawyer, William Michelman, said he agreed with Tanner that Singleton was treated differently.