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In reply to the discussion: I got a jury summons. [View all]elleng
(136,605 posts)That's my strong preference.
Acknowledge that the cost to pay jurors is beyond the means of many if not most U.S. jurisdictions.
*A three-judge panel of the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday to overturn three felony marijuana cultivation convictions for noted author and cannabis advocate Ed Rosenthal. Rosenthal was convicted in federal court in 2003 for growing cannabis for local medical dispensaries, but was sentenced to only one day in prison because Judge Charles Breyer determined that the defendant did not believe he was violating federal law. Rosenthal had been deputized by the City of Oakland to provide medicinal cannabis to state qualified patients.
The Ninth Circuit ruled 3-0 that Rosenthal should be granted a new trial because a juror contacted outside legal counsel during deliberations. Jurors were instructed to uphold federal law not state law in the case, and were not allowed to consider evidence that the marijuana grown by Rosenthal was for medicinal purposes. Although jurors found Rosenthal guilty, they later denounced their verdict, saying that they were deceived by government prosecutors as to the true nature of Rosenthals actions.
The US Attorneys office has not commented on whether they will appeal the Ninth Circuits ruling or retry Rosenthal.
The appeals court indicated that if Rosenthal is retried and again found guilty, they would likely let the one-day sentence stand, noting that they would not be inclined to disturb the courts reasoned analysis underlying its sentencing determination.'
https://norml.org/news/2006/04/27/ninth-circuit-overturns-rosenthal-conviction/
Welcome to the real world.