Five Years, A Month, 11 Days Before I Was Born (B4/C2/P26)

Some old school, OG pulp:

September, 1960. Los Angeles. Cold and rainy. Federal court, Department 'M'

"It was well-established jailhouse talk that R.J. and Larry's narcotics possession charge would be dismissed. After all, the defendants were headed to a federal court where equal protection of the law would prevail even though the federal agents -- acting without search warrant -- allegedly "found" some narcotics allegedly "hidden" in a closet and under floorboards in R.J.'s apartment; just over twenty ounces worth...."

Jessie and Melvin were found guilty on four counts of sales and distribution of narcotics. R.J. was found guilty on count two: possession of narcotics. Jessie Hubbard was sentenced to twenty years on each count. Melvin Wright was sentenced to ten. The honorable and benevolent judge then declared, "In spite of Mr. Morris' tender age of eighteen, I fully agree with the probation officer's recommendation; it indicates that he should be punished according to the sophistication of his criminal activities. So I hereby sentence you, Mr. R.J. Morris to five years in a federal correctional institution suitable to your age and that sentence is without the possibility of parole. You had in your possession twenty-two ounces of heroin. You wanted to play with the big boys, there's a price for your behavior."

Larry was found not guilty on both of his counts, an outcome which clearly ID'd Larry as the unnamed case "informant."

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