Strict outcome · Comparison Pair · Drug offense
First-time citizen drug user: 10 months actual imprisonment
Harm
Single-use methamphetamine, first offense
Sentence
10m
Court
District Court
Guideline
10 months – 2 years
Comparison thesis
Citizen first-time meth: 10 months prison. Chaebol-family long-term use: suspended.
Strict outcome · current case
10m
10 months actual imprisonment
First-time citizen drug user: 10 months actual imprisonment
Ordinary citizen · Harm: Single-use methamphetamine, first offense
Lenient outcome
3y
Suspended sentence (≈3y prison, 4y suspension)
Chaebol-family heir caught using drugs — suspended sentence
Chaebol family · Harm: Long-term controlled-substance use
Sentencing Commission drug guidelines anchor first-offense meth use at 10 months minimum — yet courts repeatedly find 'low social impact' factors that move chaebol heirs out of that range.
Case summary
A 28-year-old without a prior criminal record was caught using methamphetamine once. The Sentencing Commission's drug guideline anchors first-time meth users at 10 months to 2 years. The court imposed 10 months of actual imprisonment without suspension.
Disparity flags
Sources
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