WATERLOO -- A group of residents said they are fed up with what they see as excessive punishment for black men charged with drug offenses.

Local activist David Goodson said harsher sentences for African-Americans come from courts with "racism saturated throughout the system."

A town hall meeting on racial disparities in sentencing came Thursday night, a day after David Goodson's nephew Tony Goodson was sentenced to life in federal prison for his third felony drug conviction (see related story on this page).

About a 20 people attended the gathering at the Talk Shop Cafe, and many questioned lighter sentences given to whites convicted of handling large amounts of drugs.

Some attendees pointed to Marion chiropractor Jeff Kopp, who received a little more than three years in federal prison for his role in a shipment of 600 pounds of marijuana that was brought from Canada into the United States.

"If he was African-American, we never would see him again," said Mike Carter.

LaTanya Graves brought up white Waterloo physician Mark Louviere as an example. He received 100 years in state prison after he was found with more than 12 pounds of methamphetamine -- almost $1 million worth -- and firearms. He could be out in as little as 22 years.

NAACP President Sharon Goodson questioned Black Hawk County Attorney Thomas Ferguson why Louviere wasn't transferred to federal court, which doesn't have parole.

Ferguson said Louviere could have received as few at 12 years behind bars under the federal system depending on his cooperation with authorities.

"I felt we could have got him more in state court," Ferguson said.

Ferguson had nothing to do with sentencings for Tony Goodson and Kopp.

David Goodson said he wants to organize people to attend drug sentencings to show concern and to sit down and talk with judges and prosecutors.

Contact Jeff Reinitz

at (319) 291-1578

or jeff.reinitz@wcfcourier.com.