It will be a year ago tomorrow since we told you the story of Patricia Spottedcrow, the woman sentenced to 10 years in prison for selling $31 of marijuana.

We are glad to report that the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board has agreed unanimously to hear her case early. She is scheduled to appear before the board between April 17th and April 20th.

Board member Marc Dreyer of Tulsa had asked for a pre-docket investigation report on Spottedcrow. After reviewing the findings, he made a motion at the January board meeting to speed up her parole hearing.

Others agreed.

“I thought her case was worthy of consideration,” Dreyer said.

A groundswell of outrage over such a harsh payment for this woman caught the attention of the media in Oklahoma, to the point that a judge took four years off her sentence in October. Now she has a chance to get out after a little over year in prison.

And what would be the point of keeping her in jail? Does she pose some kind of threat to society? Did she before she was busted for $31 in weed?

- Joe Klare