This Sunday, November 17th, Jamey Johnson was charged with drug possession in the state of Tennessee, and later released on bail. Despite being out of the cell for now, the question stands. Will Jamey Johnson go to prison for this charge, and what could the maximum sentence be?
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In this case, looking at the small $5,000 bail and quick release, I don't expect the felony to be any more than a simple possession charge. This entails having a very small amount of drugs. In Tennessee, this involves having drugs for personal use. However, having drug paraphernalia can also be classed as drug possession.
In this case, whatever the drug happens to be, the maximum sentence Jamey Johnson could go to prison for is up to a year. It could also come with a $2,500 fine. This is only a first offense, as he has no prior convictions.
The Possible Prison Sentence For Jamey Johnson
According to Tennessee law, there are a few possible outcomes for the country singer that don't involve too much prison time. These could be:
- Participation in a drug recovery court program.
- Required attendance at a drug offender school.
- Community service.
- Fines of up to $2,500.
- Probation.
- Court costs and fees.
None of these are too drastic, but having to do community service when the dollars roll in for his new album could be a bit of a bummer. It might put a dampener on his album tour at least.
However, if the court decides to punish him with prison time, Jamey Johnson could face up to a year in jail. This would be a harsh decision for any judge to make, considering his age and perfectly clean record so far. I guess it also depends on the drug he has been caught with.
So far, his agent and the police have been tight-lipped about the whole situation. But, his mug shot tells a million stories. Jamey Johnson does not look happy to be facing possible prison time when he should be out celebrating his long-awaited album. This slight bump in the road is unlucky, but it could have happened to anyone. I hope the judge sees this, and lets him off with a light sentence.