cannabisnews.com: Pot Activist's Prison Term is Thrown Out





Pot Activist's Prison Term is Thrown Out
Posted by CN Staff on March 04, 2003 at 06:59:01 PT
By Denny Walsh -- Bee Staff Writer
Source: Sacramento Bee 
In a remarkable reversal Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter A. Nowinski threw out the three-month prison term he imposed last week on medical marijuana activist Jeff Jones and placed him on probation for three years.The participants in the proceedings, as well as about 20 others seated in the courtroom, sat stunned as Nowinski announced his change of mind.
In a scene as dramatic as any in the history of Sacramento's federal court, the judge took the bench and said, "I've given the matter a great deal of thought over the weekend."My purpose is not to make life miserable for you," he told Jones.Nowinski related a Sunday conversation with his 17-year-old son about what he planned to do."People will think you are responding to the publicity in the newspaper, and won't that be embarrassing to you?" his son asked."Yes, it will be embarrassing to me," the judge said he replied. "But my feelings are not worth one day in jail for anybody."Nowinski had initially leaned toward probation for Jones, 38, who was found guilty by Nowinski in a non-jury trial of trying to influence prospective jurors. They were called for a major drug prosecution of a fellow medical marijuana advocate. Jones handed out written information about the case to some of the potential jurors as they entered the courthouse.But Nowinski was angered over defense attorney Michael Bigelow's argument at Thursday's sentencing that Jones should not have to pay restitution for the loss of a prospective panel because a jury could have been salvaged from the group.Bigelow argued that U.S. District Judge Frank C. Damrell Jr. acted out of "pique, rather than reason" when he disqualified all 42 prospective jurors during last year's trial of Bryan Epis and convened a second panel.Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/jeffj.htm Source: Sacramento Bee (CA)Author: Denny Walsh -- Bee Staff WriterPublished: Tuesday, March 4, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Sacramento BeeContact: opinion sacbee.comWebsite: http://www.sacbee.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:OCBChttp://www.rxcbc.org/Bryan Epis Protest Pictures & Articles http://freedomtoexhale.com/protestpics.htmJudge Reverses MMJ Jury Tampering Sentencehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15621.shtmlRailroaded for Courthouse Leafletting http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15620.shtmlPot Club Director Gets 3-Month Prison Termhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15602.shtml
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