Carter signed a law creating a Georgia Crime Information Center involving a statewide exchange of computer data among law enforcement agencies and courts.
"There's another point that I want to make, and this is perhaps the most important thing in the minds of many Americans--the respect for the law and for the orderly processes of society. I have to admit here that we must yield to the Republicans on this point. They have a natural advantage over us because within the White House Staff itself they have qualified people who know the law on both sides. I believe that most Americans are willing to forgive mistakes, and I believe that most Americans respect a leader's right to misjudge his subordinates, but Americans do not appreciate deliberate concealing of the truth, and they do not appreciate a breakdown in the respect for the top official responsible for law and order in this nation. They do not appreciate a deliberate continuing effort to protect the big shot and to put the blame on the little man who can't protect himself."
"...I don't consider it an improper administration of justice to have someone considered for parole at the conclusion of seven years in prison ... We now have a very fine prison system; I think by the time I go out of office we'll have one as fine as any in the country. "
"...Although I think it's wrong and I would not be in favor of legalizing marijuana to a misdemeanor instead of a felony and we've established, I think, an attitude on the part of the Georgia people that the drug addict, even one addicted to heroin ought not to be put in jail, but he ought to be treated for his affliction or illness with methadone treatment and with psychological and psychiatric analysis and with job placement counselling...
(Re: heroin pushers)...I would personally favor changing the Georgia law to encompass perhaps a mandatory life sentence to get those people out of Georgia and let them go somewhere else if they want to push their wares."
Carter said that he plans to ask for mandatory life sentences for convicted drug peddlers during the 1974 session of the General Assembly. (He did.)
Carter reiterated his support for life sentences for convicted pushers of hard drugs.
