Colorado: Judge Resigns Rather Than Impose New Pot Penalties

[Easy Skanking]

Quote:Colorado: Judge Resigns Rather Than Impose New Pot Penalties

Washington, DC: A Boulder County Municipal Court Judge has resigned from his position to protest a pending ordinance that would enact new citywide pot penalties.

Lafayette Municipal Court Associate Judge Lenny Frieling resigned from the bench after eight years following the city council's interim approval of an ordinance to make minor marijuana possession offenses punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to one year in jail. Under Colorado law, minor pot violations are punishable by a $100 fine and no jail time.

"Since you have seen fit to increase the penalty for cannabis possession, ... I find that I am morally and ethically unable to sit as a judge for the city," Frieling wrote in his resignation letter. Frieling is a lifetime member of NORML and serves on the organization's legal committee.

The Lafayette City Council is scheduled to hold a final hearing on the proposed ordinance next week.

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or visit: http://www.saferchoice.org.

[Conspiracy Dave]

[aaronmann]

hahaha, sweeet ...

i heard they just passed a pot law in illinois making it legal for prescriptions =)

too bad wisconsin still needs the money from criminalizing it...

[MC David]

It's nice to see lots of people resisting the oppressive marijuana laws.

[Easy Skanking]

Here's a follow up to this story:

Quote:Colorado: City Shelves Proposed Pot Penalties

Lafayette, CO: Lafayette City Council members have abruptly withdrawn a proposed ordinance that sought to significantly increase municipal penalties for minor marijuana possession.

Council members shelved the proposal late last week following the resignation of Lafayette Municipal Court Associate Judge Lenny Frieling, who stepped down to protest the measure. Frieling, who is a lifetime member of NORML's legal committee, told the Council that he would be "morally and ethically unable to sit as a judge for the city" if they enacted the law.

As proposed, Ordinance No. 6 would have made minor marijuana possession offenses punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to one year in jail. Under Colorado law, minor pot violations are punishable by a $100 fine and no jail time.

The City Council was to have affirmed the ordinance this week. Council members instead elected to hold a public workshop on the measure in April.

Last November, a majority of Lafayette voters decided in favor of Amendment 44, which sought to remove all criminal penalties on the possession of one ounce of cannabis.

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500. An interview with Attorney Lenny Frieling is available on the February 20, 2007 edition of the NORML Daily AudioStash.

[blove8.]

Yeah.. and then this happened in Denver... :mad:


Marijuana Advocate Found Shot To Death
Ken Gorman Helped Pass Colorado's Medical Marijuana Law
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/11048249/detail.html

[Easy Skanking]

Damn, that's not good news.
I need a break. :dazed:
I'm seeing a potential hit in that story. Who? TPTB, of course.

It is a tragedy that so much violence is cause from something that is so beneficial and helps folks to get along with each other.

[yeti]

More than half my relations are cops (Canadian). Even my freakin' Mother is a cop. None of them bust people just because they possess a personal quantity of pot. It's been that way for over 30 years. Weird, huh?

Feeling oppressed 'cause you wanna smoke the kind? Move to Canada... and bring your coat.

[blove8.]

Quote:Damn, that's not good news.
I need a break. :dazed:
I'm seeing a potential hit in that story. Who? TPTB, of course.

It is a tragedy that so much violence is cause from something that is so beneficial and helps folks to get along with each other.

Yeah, I was actually in Fort Collins when it happened and saw the story on the local TV news. They were showing previous interview footage of Ken where he was talking about how he had his house broken into on numerous occasions and had been robbed at gunpoint before.. people really wanted his pot plants badly I guess.. he was a grower for many people who needed it for medicinal purposes and many times he gave it away to those patients who couldn't afford it. He was a good man, and the man killed him. Another sad state of affairs indeed.

[Easy Skanking]

Quote:More than half my relations are cops (Canadian). Even my freakin' Mother is a cop. None of them bust people just because they possess a personal quantity of pot. It's been that way for over 30 years. Weird, huh?

Feeling oppressed 'cause you wanna smoke the kind? Move to Canada... and bring your coat.

I have had that thought many, many times. B.C.?

I'll bring my coat, skates and sticks. :smile:
Then I can be happy and get schooled on the ice.

[JohnDoe1984]

Quote:More than half my relations are cops (Canadian). Even my freakin' Mother is a cop. None of them bust people just because they possess a personal quantity of pot. It's been that way for over 30 years. Weird, huh?

Feeling oppressed 'cause you wanna smoke the kind? Move to Canada... and bring your coat.

I'm born and raised American several generations. I hate it and I love Canada. I had the chance to drive from Prince Rupert to Whiterock through Prince George in BC last summer, I loved it. Canada, in that area anyway, is so uncommercialized compared to anywhere in the states it's like the twilight zone after a lifetime on the west side of the US. The people are great and you get gravy on your fries..heeheh. First I was like WTF? but it was pretty good. Everyone knows the best bud in the western hemisphere is in BC. I've thought about moving, the only thing really stopping me is lack of knowing anybody at all there and family.

Anyway thanks for linking this thread Easy Skankin I missed out on it until now. That judge is getting a letter of congrats from me. He's a patriot far as I'm concerned. :biggrin:

[yeti]

Quote:

Quote:Feeling oppressed 'cause you wanna smoke the kind? Move to Canada... and bring your coat.

I have had that thought many, many times. B.C.?

I'll bring my coat, skates and sticks. :smile:
Then I can be happy and get schooled on the ice.

Interior BC. Vancouver is pretty warm all year.

[yeti]

Quote:...I love Canada. I had the chance to drive from Prince Rupert to Whiterock through Prince George in BC last summer, I loved it. Canada, in that area anyway, is so uncommercialized compared to anywhere in the states it's like the twilight zone after a lifetime on the west side of the US. The people are great and you get gravy on your fries..heeheh. First I was like WTF? but it was pretty good.

You want cheese with that?

Quote:Everyone knows the best bud in the western hemisphere is in BC. I've thought about moving, the only thing really stopping me is lack of knowing anybody at all there and family.

Problem solved if you bring your friends and make your own family...

[yeti]

Quote:Colorado: Judge Resigns Rather Than Impose New Pot Penalties

Lafayette Municipal Court Associate Judge Lenny Frieling resigned from the bench...
...The Lafayette City Council is scheduled to hold a final hearing on the proposed ordinance next week.

Wait a minute, since this is a proposed ordinance, isn't buddy jumping the gun? I'd have told them that if they pass it, I'll resign. Am I wimpy?