cannabisnews.com: Experts Question Police Treatment Of Grams' Son





Experts Question Police Treatment Of Grams' Son
Posted by FoM on November 14, 1999 at 22:34:06 PT
The Associated Press
Source: Channel 4000
The 21-year-old son of Sen. Rod Grams was stopped in July by Anoka County sheriff's deputies while driving with 10 bags of marijuana, but was not charged, the Star Tribune reported Sunday. 
Morgan Grams was driving without a license, was on probation and had several prior misdemeanor charges, but wasn't even given a ticket. Instead, he was driven home in the front seat of Chief Deputy Peter Beberg's unmarked car, the newspaper reported. Deputies had been searching for Morgan Grams at the personal request of the senator, who was worried that his son was in trouble. Three experts told the newspaper the treatment of Morgan Grams was highly unusual, but the sheriff's office denied that he got preferential treatment. Sen. Grams declined to be interviewed for the Star Tribune story, and a spokesman said the senator would not comment on his personal life. The newspaper said it was unable to reach Morgan Grams for comment. On July 14, Sen. Grams called Anoka County Sheriff Larry Podany and asked him to find his son after the younger Grams borrowed a rental car but failed to return it. The senator has ties to the Anoka area, growing up on a dairy farm near St. Francis. His Minnesota office is in Anoka. Morgan Grams was found by Beberg driving a 1999 black Isuzu Rodeo along with 10 bags of marijuana -- enough for a felony charge. A 17-year-old passenger was arrested and charged with possession of nine of the 10 bags of marijuana in the car and later spent time at a juvenile detention center. The 10th bag was found under Grams' seat, according to a report by Deputy Todd Diegnau, who declined to be interviewed. Morgan Grams was never questioned about the drugs in the car, the Star Tribune reported, even though he was on probation for underage drinking and driving. A judge had ordered that Morgan Grams not possess alcohol or mood-altering drugs and a probation violation could have triggered a three-month jail sentence. Beer cans were also found in the vehicle. Beberg said the cans were full and unopened, including one at Grams' feet. A worker with the rental car agency told the Star Tribune that when he retrieved the Rodeo, there were "five or six" empties under the seats. Podany said everything was handled properly. "I think it was handled fairly competently by the chief and his staff. I don't know that I would have done anything different out there," Podany said. Beberg, who also is Anoka's mayor, defended his actions. "If there would have been a charge I could have made at that time, I don't care if it was Morgan or Rod Grams himself, I would have made that arrest," Beberg told the newspaper. But experts asked by the Star Tribune to review the incident said it departed from standard police procedure. "Normally, you'd arrest everyone in the car," said Neal Melton, executive director of the Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, which licenses officers. They'd all be questioned separately, then booked on appropriate charges, he said. Instead, Beberg said once he verified Grams was licensed to drive, he had no outstanding warrants and that the passengers' breath did not smell of alcohol, he planned to release Grams' two passengers, drive Grams to his room at a motel in Plymouth and return the rental car. The 17-year-old passenger was arrested after another deputy found the marijuana when the juvenile tried to stuff a bag into his pants. None of the experts could envision a scenario in which the driver would not be questioned. "It has all the appearances of a case of clearcut preferential treatment, said Peter Erlinder, a professor at William Mitchell College of Law. "It would be easy to find thousands of African-Americans, Hispanics and working class white males who are in prison for exactly the circumstances that occurred in this case." John Laux, former Minneapolis police chief, called the incident "bizarre." "I can't imagine finding drugs in a car and then letting the driver ride in the front seat," Laux said. "The way this incident was handled, that's just not the way it's done. Anoka County chief deputy attorney Robert Parta said if it appears Morgan Grams got preferential treatment, the matter likely would be referred to an outside agency for investigation. The July incident wasn't Morgan Grams' first brush with the law, nor was it his last. Less than two weeks after he was driven home by Beberg, Morgan Grams stole a car and purse from a woman he took to a nightclub in Coon Rapids, according to a criminal complaint filed last week. He was convicted in 1996 of gross misdemeanors for stealing his aunt's $400 television and later that year for stalking and making harassing phone calls to one of his sister's girlfriends.November 14, 1999 Copyright 1999 by The Associated PressRelated Article:Senator's Son Had Drugs In Car But Wasn't Charged-11/14/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3667.shtml
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Comment #2 posted by mota20 on November 15, 1999 at 21:41:54 PT
Rod Grams Son
You bet it is not fair!! I was busted in anoka county with 3 oz. of weed I got 14 months prison( supended) 5years probation, a 1000 plus court fees fine(1350 total) drug treatment, 60 days house arrest( only because i had medical prob.) after lawyer fees, fine, treatment charge, and pay for home montier fees, it cost me 3500$. I guess it pays to be a thief, doper, and all around f**k up if your dad is Rod Grams.  peace mota20
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Comment #1 posted by Zack on November 15, 1999 at 14:41:10 PT:
Morgan Gram's preferential treatment
First off, I just wanna say that this really sucks! This whole situation pisses me off more than anything. Morgan is arrested with 10 OUNCES of marijuana and they let him go. Then they have the balls to arrest his friend. I don't beleive that drugs should be illegal, but if I even got pulled over and smelled like marijuana they would drag my punk ass in. I just wanted to say that the way our corrupt system works sucks, and we need to do something about it!
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