Two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA star Brittney Griner has been in custody in Russia since February.
The Texas-born Griner allegedly made the mistake of bring under a gram of hashish oil into the country. Russia has very strict drug laws. She was arrested. Her trial continues on Thursday and she faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted -- which defendants in Russia almost always are.
Many in the sports, entertainment and political worlds, as well as her many fans, have rallied around her cause. The says it's all political and a grave injustice. And they want President Joe Biden to do whatever it takes to bring her home.
We feel for Griner, just as we would for any American at the mercy of what passes for a "justice" system in a place like Russia. We wish her well.
But we wonder if there would be as much concern over the case if she were not a celebrity? After all, most who get caught with drugs overseas don't get a lot of sympathy. The attitudes tends to be they should know better.
And for offenders here at home, many of their fellow Americans would just say "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime."
Because in some U.S. states -- notably Texas -- being caught with the same amount of hash oil could mean prison time.
Possession of same stuff Griner allegedly brought into Russia under a gram is a state jail felony and can land you in prison for two years. That's less than the 10 years she faces but nothing to sneeze at. And the more you get caught with in Texas, the longer the sentence. Over 4 grams can mean 20 years,
We are sure the Biden administration will do whatever it can to free Griner in the coming months. After all, the U.S. State Department has said that Griner -- who allegedly broke the law in Russia -- is being "wrongfully detained."
When she finally gets out of this, we hope she doesn't bring any of that stuff home to Texas. She could get "detained" again, though we doubt the government would consider it as "wrongfully."