cannabisnews.com: Newcastle Couple Face Prison for Medical Pot Plea Newcastle Couple Face Prison for Medical Pot Plea Posted by FoM on April 22, 2001 at 10:27:40 PT By Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer Source: Auburn Journal More than four years after their rural Newcastle home was raided and hundreds of marijuana plants seized, Newcastle's William and Margaret Riddick are nearing sentencing in federal court.The Riddicks were originally charged with cultivating marijuana, sale of marijuana, conspiracy, and being armed while in the commission of a felony. William Riddick, 68, said Friday after a sentencing hearing was continued to June 1 that he and his 69-year-old wife were growing cannabis legally under Proposition 215 guidelines. Facing a 10-years-to-life sentence for cultivation, they pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of using a communications facility to grow marijuana, he said. Placer County Sheriff's Department Detective Tracy Grant testified Friday that a total of 685 plants in various growth stages of growth were discovered during the Feb. 14, 1997, raid at the Riddick property on Upson Downs Lane, near Fowler Road and Highway 193.The raid took place just over three months after statewide voter approval of Prop. 215, the medical marijuana initiative. Defense attorney Tony Serra, who recently represented former Libertarian Party gubernatorial party candidate Steve Kubby in another Prop. 215 case in Placer County, said after the hearing that the Riddicks face up to four years on the communications charge. The plea essentially means they had a telephone on their property while growing, he said.Serra added that Dennis Peron, who established a San Francisco cannabis buyers' club under Prop. 215 guidelines, had corroborated the Riddicks' contention that they were growing for the club to supply patients who had obtained doctors' recommendations for pot use.Serra will be arguing against the Riddicks' imprisonment and for cancellation of a 30-day notice to abandon their property according to asset forfeiture laws.The federal case, argued by U.S. Attorney Samuel Wong, revolves around the assessment by investigators that the Riddick indoor garden, which covered a network of rooms and included lights set to move across a room to control artificial sunlight conditions and optimize growth potential, was a long-time, high-yield operation.Grant testified that the Riddick property's pattern of energy consumption was traced back to the mid-1980s through PG&E records and showed increases and decreases that would match grow cycles. Mold on insulating plastic foam placed on the walls indicated long-time use, he said. So did dust and cobwebs on equipment, he said. "High Times" magazines dating from the mid-1980s were also evidence pointing to a long-term grow because they provided growing instructions, he said.On cross-examination, Serra questioned Grant on the number of plants seized, noting that the count included about 300 plants that had been cut and no longer were in pots. He suggested that the cut plants were actually branches or portions of plants – something that Grant disagreed with. The number of pots found at the site with fresh potting soil matched the number of plants authorities believe were freshly cut, he said.Serra also suggested that authorities should have counted marijuana root balls inside the pots to determine a more accurate count. Grant re-iterated that the match of plants vs. pots made the count a meaningful one. Serra's questioning of Grant will continue at the June hearing. Source: Auburn Journal (CA)Author: Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer Published: April 22, 2001Copyright: 2001 The Auburn JournalContact: ajournal foothill.netWebsite: http://www.auburnjournal.com/Related Article & Web Site:The Kubby Fileshttp://www.kubby.org/Med. Pot Ruling May Have Far-Reaching Implicationshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/6/thread6402.shtmlCannabisNews Articles - Steve Kubbyhttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=Kubby Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by Ed Carpenter on April 22, 2001 at 17:40:19 PT: Newcastle Couple Face Prison for Medical Pot Plea "Facing a 10-years-to-life sentence for cultivation..." Isn't that the most ridiculous thing you ever heard of? Placer County again. Let's not stop at getting rid of that clown Fenoccio. Let's make that just the beginning. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by lookinside on April 22, 2001 at 15:34:01 PT: sanity? a minimum 10 year sentence may amount to life imprisonmentfor one or both of the riddicks...can this be allowed to happen?remember the underground railroad of pre civil war times?how about those good people who hid jews in nazi germany toprevent their murder by the state?are we to the point where we need these kind of measures toprevent persecution by a corrupt and insane system? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by The GCW on April 22, 2001 at 13:05:57 PT Insight? Quote: they pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of using a communications facility to grow marijuana...That may prove to be the way of the Grim Reamer. Now instead of taking the jury, which has proven to be compassionate, they are going to let the judge decide their circumstances. Is that what was stated? ...that they took a plea and now will let the judge decide what sentence to pass on? The Judge is likely un happy with the way others have been handled compassionaltely and the Judge may decide to send a message. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: