Refudean
Member
That's the headline that was looking up at me yesterday morning from the front page of The True Citizen,a weekly newspaper out of Waynesboro,Ga.,which is in the same county I reside in.Needless to say,I bought one.I will transcribe it since I won't be able to get a url for the complete article from their website until next week.Check this out.....
Pot users to get half a year in jail
By Diana Royal
If you get caught with marijuana in Burke County,the price you'll pay is no slap on the wrist.
State Court Judge Jerry Daniel imposed a new sentence last week for marijuana possession-one that comes with six months in jail and automatic enrollment in Burke County's Dui/Drug Court.
There are no ifs,ands or buts about it,Judge Daniel said,and he doesn't care if the charge is a first offence or not.
For the past few years,Judge Daniel has sat in the courtroom listening to excuse after excuse,and he says he's tired of hearing the same ones over and over again.
"I got tired of people telling me they got their marijuana from a stranger or that they found it somewhere,"he said."Maybe this will get their attention."
Back in May 2005,Judge Daniel decided to change the sentence to 30 days because most offenders were getting away with very little jail time.He also upped the fine from $500.00 to $1000.00,which is the maximum under Georgia law.Now,he says the 30 day sentence is apparently too lenient.
"They'll go straight to jail now...for six months,"he said."I hope this will make the people of Burke County think twice before they use marijuana and avoid the pathway it makes to more serious,addictive drugs."
What's really sad is that most of the weed around here isn't worth spending even one night in jail over,much less 6 months!
Pot users to get half a year in jail
By Diana Royal
If you get caught with marijuana in Burke County,the price you'll pay is no slap on the wrist.
State Court Judge Jerry Daniel imposed a new sentence last week for marijuana possession-one that comes with six months in jail and automatic enrollment in Burke County's Dui/Drug Court.
There are no ifs,ands or buts about it,Judge Daniel said,and he doesn't care if the charge is a first offence or not.
For the past few years,Judge Daniel has sat in the courtroom listening to excuse after excuse,and he says he's tired of hearing the same ones over and over again.
"I got tired of people telling me they got their marijuana from a stranger or that they found it somewhere,"he said."Maybe this will get their attention."
Back in May 2005,Judge Daniel decided to change the sentence to 30 days because most offenders were getting away with very little jail time.He also upped the fine from $500.00 to $1000.00,which is the maximum under Georgia law.Now,he says the 30 day sentence is apparently too lenient.
"They'll go straight to jail now...for six months,"he said."I hope this will make the people of Burke County think twice before they use marijuana and avoid the pathway it makes to more serious,addictive drugs."
What's really sad is that most of the weed around here isn't worth spending even one night in jail over,much less 6 months!
