[fdish]

I did not know if anyone has information on the new drug courts in NYS. I am facing a 1st degree possesion charge from Oct. Well over 10 elbows. My attorney has spoken to the DA and they agreed I would be a good candidate for the new drug court. If I behave during outpatient treatment I should end up with a sealed record which is as good as never being arrested except for the CIA and FBI. Sounds too good to be true but I'll keep you posted.

if you watch the reporting of public records upstate ive seen growers walk away with low level possession charges and just a fine

under an ounce is a civil violation

[igrowone]

not good news on your bust, but sounds like your pain will not be too bad
NY is on a positive trend, plenty of talk of MMJ for NY earlier in the year, could happen this upcoming year
and the enforcement trajectory seems to have really changed for the better
best of luck in your upcoming case

[fatigues]

Originally Posted by fdish

I am facing a 1st degree possesion charge from Oct. Well over 10 elbows.

You are saying you were busted with 10 POUNDS of Marijuana, and they didn't charge you with sale or cultivation and you are being permitted to go instead for alternative sentencing in Drug Court for a class D felony???

Allah is clearly with you my friend. The sentence for this is ordinarily 1 - 15 years and/or fine, (if 2nd offense mandatory ½ jail sentence ... though not sure on the mandatory nature for that as the Rockefeller Laws have been recently repealed in NY.)

Still.

I'd be passing out a LOT more change to streetfolks as you walk by this month. You OWE the karma pool more for this than you are likely to ever be able to repay.

[Grateful D]

Hey man i completed nys drug court in rochester. its a bitch but if you piss clean and complete it they do hold to there word with whatever deal you set up. but if your pissing dirty continually and not doing your program they will fuck you. so if you think you can piss clean or cheat your tests (they do watch you when you piss) then its worth it. if not its better to not take drug court bc they will lock you up for pissing dirty and going to jail for a week sucks over and over. you need a year of contionuis clean urine. it took me a little over two years to complete but it was worth it i got some serious felionies sealed. good luck

[fdish]

Yeah,
I am feeling too lucky that is why I'm asking for anyone that has been through drug court. The current charge is for 70 elbows just cut but not processed. My codefendant had "H" on him and more at his house. They then got a warrant for the houses and found another 1.5 processed and 56 pain pills in a bag at my house. In 87 I was popped for 10 elbows that was actually 9.75. I was held without bail in Wayne County for 13 days before my lawyer got them to set bail at 75,000. I ended up with a 1st degree possesion charge and 5 years of probation. This bail was 15,000 in Monroe County. I can go without my drug of choice "weed". My main concern is pain medicine. I was run over by a drunk driver in 81 and had my back broken, compound fractured leg and 3 pins in my foot. Some of the rehabs I have been to are very much against pain meds. I would like to trade them for a week of pain for sobriety. I told the lawyer I would rather go to jail than go without meds that I need. I have to try this new drug court. They are not holding my old conviction against me because it is over 10 years. I had 3 DWI's but quit drinking altogether in 92. Some rehabs would not take me because I no longer drink. They took over $25,000 from my house and bank with no proof of any of it being ill gotten. How could you sell anything that was never even processed? I hope to get it back. I have receipts for all of it. DEA now has the money in Va. I wonder which type of jail or prison they would send me to being over 50 and permanently disabled? I may not have to worry about it if this drug court works out. After this is over I want to move to Oregon where it is legal.

[Grateful D]

shit monroe county drug court? thats exactly what county i did my court in. and its not as i said that bad. About the painkillers, that all depends on what treatment facility they asign you to. some will work with you some wont. and it all depends om your treatment agencies drug court rep, they hold alot of say over your treatment some are def cooler than others. if you have been to outpatients or inpatients in monroe county before they will hook you up with whatever the last one you went to was. if you have never been in monroe county treatment they will hook you up with whatever agency has room. I started drug court when i was 18 with no health problems, so i dont have any experice in that aspect. good luck

[star crash]

fdish... i wish you all the best & registered with icmag so i could in part respond to your post with my own experience.. i got jammed up well over a year ago in NYS when my grow got raided (156 plants in various stages of growth)..was charged with criminal possession felony c & was looking at jail/prison time...my 1st bail was 100k, & the NYS police wanted to seize my home, but with the help of a great lawyer we got it down to 15k & no seizure (apart from some lesser personal possessions which i got back after a year in the local troopers "evidence" locker & garage)the police did confiscate all my grow gear & 5 years work worth of seed stock breeding excellent cross's which i doubt i'll ever be able to replace..so,after 9 months of agony & anxiety i plead out to a felony E possession charge and was sentenced to drug court, a 3 month term outpatient in a local chemical dependency clinic & 5 years probation with NO JAIL time...the drug court was not part of my original plea , but the judge through it in while i was being sentenced, we later appealed that part & i got out of drug court(which was a good thing because here in otsego county drug court is really tough to get through, many hoops to jump through & if while in drug court the judge can & will sanction you if you do not follow the rules to a tee & the end result is always some jail time)..also a felony conviction on a drug charge in NYS means a mandatory drivers license suspension for 6 months...now in my case basically what the LEO got was a gardener with a lot of pot plants,,no scales , no cash, no guns, no sales..etc..although the whole experience has been devastating for me on MANY levels of existence & i miss my herb a lot.. i'm doing as well as can be in these tough times & i did not have to sit in jail/prison..probation is a drag,but as long as you follow the rules then the PO is happy...again good luck with your case & do the best to keep us posted on how things work out for you...much peace from "star crash"

fdish...i am in drug court right now in missouri...ours is 16 months long they piss test you twice a week,i must attend drug classes 6 hours a week and go to 2 aa/na meetings a week... and after completion they give you a court date with the judge and all charges are dropped like they never happened.....mine were possession, cultivation with intent to distribute and i also had xanax charges and am facing 22 years for the two felonies and in this county they give the druggies the max..... i have been clean for three months now and its worth it....just walk the way they say to walk...and you will be fine...don't even think about smokin cause it will just set you back..and you might even have to start over.....drug court is worth it especially in a dog and pony show town like mine!!!!!!! dj

[fdish]

I started an outpatient rehab for drugs and depression. They are very liberal because they focus on mental health issues more than the drug rehab part. They do piss tests at random and I have not smoked for 2 months but my piss is still dirty. I started at over the 340 max level and I am now down to 182. I am told than I need to be below 94 for a negative reading. My pain levels are much higher now and I always show opiates in my urine. I can't live without my pain meds. My lawyer said as long as they are prescribed I should be OK. Some of the other rehabs do not allow them at all. I have been to the hospital 3 times since being arrested and always got hydromorphone shots and pills. Nothing weaker seems to help after having my back broken in '81. I can and have gone without the weed for a year, I just don't like doing it. The narcotic pain pills are their own little hell to deal with. At my age 51 I would rather do a year in jail than be on probation for 5 years. I would like to finish this BS and move to southern Oregon where it is legal. I'm thinking NYS will be the last state to legalize freedom.