Jail for D.C. Mayor Barry : 6-Month Term, $5,000 Fine in Drug Case

A judge sentenced Mayor Marion Barry today to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine for his conviction on a cocaine possession charge, saying the chief executive of the nation’s capital gave “aid, comfort and encouragement to the drug culture.”

U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ordered the three-term mayor to one year on probation after his release from prison and ordered him to undergo periodic drug testing.

Because he was convicted of a misdemeanor, Barry will not be forced to relinquish his office before his term ends Jan. 2. Under city law, he can also continue his bid for the at-large City Council seat in the Nov. 6 elections.

The mayor, asked later by telephone about his sentence, said: “I should have been shocked and stunned, but I’m not. I understand that there are different sets of standards for different people, and that’s the American injustice system.”

Asked whether he would continue his bid for a city-wide council seat, Barry responded, “Absolutely. Why not?”

Jackson found that Barry engaged in a “willful attempt to obstruct justice” by lying to a grand jury about his drug use, a charge that makes jail time mandatory under U.S. sentencing guidelines.

Jackson said he will let the government decide in which prison Barry will be incarcerated. He allowed Barry to remain free on his personal recognizance. Barry’s lawyers said he will appeal.

As he stood before the judge, Barry said, “I stand here remorseful, and I ask this court to impose community service as a sentence.”

Before the sentencing, Barry told the judge that he was nervous.

“My stomach is in knots,” he said. “I am prepared and have been prepared to take full responsibility for my actions. These actions were out of character.”

He admitted his former dependence on alcohol, Valium, an anti-depressant and cocaine, saying, “I believe I’ve led an exemplary life since Jan. 18,” the day of his arrest. He said it was the 279th day he was free of any drug.

The sentencing ended a 10-month legal drama that began with the mayor’s arrest Jan. 18 in an FBI sting operation that caught him on videotape smoking crack cocaine with a former girlfriend.