Ricardo Ashmeade has been languishing in federal prison for a non-violent cannabis offense. A father of four, grandfather, and valued member of his community, Mr. Ashmeade has found himself fighting against obstinate federal courts that refuse to resentence him in accordance with California law, which has long since his conviction reduced the mandatory sentence he’s serving. Notably, in the time since Ashmeade’s incarceration, several states, including California, have legalized cannabis for adult consumption. Mr. Ashmeade has, despite the outpouring of support from his family and friends for his release, found himself up against a system that has shown him neither compassion nor mercy, much less simple justice.

Mr. Ashmeade was incarcerated when his daughter was only twelve years old. He was coerced into accepting a plea deal to a charge of conspiracy of intent to distribute. Because he was swayed by his court appointed attorney to take a plea deal instead of taking it to trial, he is now punished with a 22-year sentence. Had he not been punished in this way, he would have reached time served at 7.5 years and he would have been returned home to his family 7.5 years ago. Mr.Ashmeade’s priors were used against him 14 years and a few months after conviction; the cutoff for his priors being used against him was 15 years. The prosecutors decided to use his minor prior offenses to increase his punishment further.

When Mr. Ashmeade stated his intent to go to trial, the prosecutors in his case filed a penalty enhancement that exposed him to life in prison, to discourage him from going to trial. Since 2013, the Attorney General Memo states that a penalty enhancement should not be used as a punishment because of a defendant's consideration of going to trial prior to their plea agreement. Yet still, this was Mr. Ashmeade's reality.Today, he continues to serve a sentence much harsher than many violent criminals serve for their crimes, and Mr. Ashmeade is not a violent criminal.

Mr. Ashmeade has, despite  the cold indifference of federal authorities to his and his family’s well-being, remained a positive force in his daughters' life, working around the restrictive conditions and when he’s allowed to contact his family. He has the support of his family, his friends, his church community, and many others, as is evidenced by the number of letters attached to his formal petition. You can lend your support to theirs and, together, we can raise enough of a chorus that the federal courts might be forced to address this injustice and to adjust Mr. Ashmeade’s sentence in accordance with the law as it exists; in accordance with the laws of many states, and in accordance with the growing desire of  a nation that has come to realize  the brutal, draconian folly that cannabis prohibition has been from the start, and that is eager to see its ultimate end. Ending this injustice starts with you, right now.

We invite you to add your signature to this petition and HELP US GET BIDEN'S ATTENTION!  Use your voice for the many that are calling for the resentencing and pardoning of Mr. Ashmeade. At every turn, the federal courts have sought to deny Mr. Ashmeade simple justice, so it’s on us, the people who these courts serve, to make our desires known. It will only take a few minutes to add your signature and support, but those few minutes could give a man who has no business being in federal prison years of his life back, and allow him to reunite with a family and community who have never stopped missing him.

 Love,

The Ashmeade Family