cannabisnews.com: Senator's Son To Face Misdemeanor Charges





Senator's Son To Face Misdemeanor Charges
Posted by FoM on December 10, 1999 at 14:13:15 PT
By Brian Bakst, Associated Press Writer
Source: Star Tribune
The son of U.S. Sen. Rod Grams will be charged with possession of marijuana and driving without a license, both misdemeanors, in connection with a traffic stop, authorities said Friday. 
Morgan Grams, 21, was stopped in July in a borrowed Isuzu Rodeo. In the overdue rental vehicle, Anoka County authorities said they found beer cans -- including one that was half-full -- and pouches of marijuana. A 17-year-old passenger was charged and later convicted of felony drug possession. Morgan Grams was driven home in the front seat of Anoka County Chief Deputy Peter Beberg' s squad car. Earlier on the day of the stop, the senator had telephoned Sheriff Larry Podany and asked him to find his son, who was on probation for underage drinking and driving and had several prior misdemeanor charges. Authorities in Dakota and Washington counties, in their review of the July 14 incident, found evidence that it had been mishandled by Anoka County authorities but absolved Sen. Grams and Podany of wrongdoing. A reserve officer and another deputy arrived after Beberg had stopped Morgan Grams' vehicle. Information about the opened beer can wasn' t released until the reserve officer, Tom Conroy, wrote a report in late November. Podany has said the case would have been handled differently if the new information had surfaced at the time of the traffic stop. Passenger Willie Wichman, 17, was convicted of a felony drug charge because nine bags of marijuana were found on him by deputies who assisted Beberg. Although a 10th bag was found under the driver' s seat, neither Grams nor another juvenile in the vehicle were questioned about the drugs or charged. Beberg said in his report that he and other deputies smelled no alcohol on the breath of the three occupants. But Wichman claims that none of them had their breath checked, and Grams had finished a beer within 10 minutes before Beberg stopped the Rodeo. The report issued Friday in Stillwater also concluded that: Grams could have faced a driving under the influence charge if sobriety tests would have been conducted at the scene. " Evidence was destroyed at the scene, " ruling out the possibility of charging Grams with having an open container. Everyone in the car should have been questioned about the marijuana found in the vehicle. On a separate occasion in June, Grams called Hennepin County Sheriff Pat McGowan for help in finding his son. In that instance, two Hennepin County detectives found Morgan Grams in East Bethel in Anoka County and persuaded him to call his father, then drove him to a relative' s home in Ramsey. Published: December 10, 1999© Copyright 1999. All rights reserved. Related Articles & Web Site:Senator Grams Web Sitehttp://www.senate.gov/~grams/Cops Strayed From Procedure For Grams' Son - 12/09/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3936.shtmlSheriff Irritated That Grams Commented On Report - 12/09/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3932.shtmlGrams Relieved Report Shows No Favor Asked - 12/08/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3927.shtml 
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