The Agony And The Ecstasy

Until his arrest, Sandy Pofahl was the king of Dallas' '80s ecstacy scene. Then why did he serve only four years while his "blindly loyal" wife, Amy, was sentenced to 24? Because she asked for it.

A A A Comments By Rose Farley Thursday, Oct 19 2000

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There are, of course, many truths woven into Ralston's tale: Our drug laws are reactionary, and the attempts to prosecute those who violate them are fruitless and harsh, particularly if the goal is to prevent drug use. Today, teenagers can shell out $20 and trip on ecstasy all night long if they want, and no cop or prosecutor can stop it.

Although Strauss says his office disagrees with Clinton's decision, he concedes that the nine years Ralston served was substantial. Still, the case leaves him troubled.

John Anderson

Sandy Pofahl's quirky charm won him Amy Ralston's love. Pictured here in the late 1980s, the Pofahls lived the high life in Dallas until the Germans busted him for dealing ecstasy in 1989, and U.S. law enforcement officials turned their sights on her. In the end, he concluded that the truth was the fastest route to freedom, while she embraced political maneuvering.

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"There was a time, some years ago, when maybe society didn't consider wives and girlfriends responsible for their actions. Maybe we have gone past that point, I don't know," says Strauss, who adds, "this case has consumed a number of hours of my life that are now meaningless."

In the end, Ralston says, nothing will change until people start being honest about drugs.

"A lot of people go through this door where they completely disassociate themselves from our past," she says. "They don't want to admit they did drugs. That's fine, you don't have to admit it, but we're really a bunch of hypocrites. Everybody's been exposed to it, one way or another, and we're all pretending."

The problem is, so is Ralston.