From: Lanny Swerdow, Director Marijuana Anti Prohibition Project
MAPP Meeting, Wednesday April 7
7:30 PM
THCF Medical Clinic
647 Main Street
Riverside 92501
Radio Show
Don Lawrences's release and the Chino collective raid will be the topic of discussion on Monday's
Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense radio show at 6:05 p.m. You can learn what happened at the arraignment and what will be happening next. If you are member of the SBPA, it would be great to have you call in to the show. The number to call is 888-909-1050.
The radio show can be heard everywhere in the western Inland Empire on radio station KCAA
1050AM. If you can't get it on your radio dial, the show is also simulcast on the Internet and
can be heard at www.kcaaradio.com. Click on LISTEN LIVE on the home page.
MAPP Meeting
The Chino Collective raid will also be one of the items under discussion at the Wednesday, April
7 Riverside MAPP meeting. We should have a lot more information and hopefully some of the
victims of the raid will be able to be there and fill us in on exactly what happened.
There has been considerable discussion on what our response should be and by Wednesday night I would imagine that there will be options that we need to discuss. We can't just do nothing - if
we don't fight back for our rights, it will only get worse and more dangerous.
Part of our problem is that most elected officials have little direct contact with us and don't
see us as a constituent whose concerns need to be addressed. If we want to part of the system to
protect our rights, then we need to work within the system. At the meeting on Wednesday we will be doing just that as two candidates for elective office will be at the meeting.
Anna Nevenic, RN, candidate for the 37th State Senatorial District and Herb Higgins, candidate
for the 4th District in Riverside County will be making presentations about their candidacy. We
hope that other candidates for elective office will contact us so that they may speak before us
and learn about our concerns.
Following the MAPP meeting will be a group of activists seeking interest in establishing a NORML chapter in the Inland Empire. There will be representatives from several Southern California chapters to speak.
As you can see, the Wednesday, April 7 MAPP meeting in Riverside is going to be of some interest and will certainly stimulate and hopefully motivate you to get involved.
The MAPP meeting on Wednesday, April 7 begins promptly at 7:30 p.m. and takes place at that
Mecca of medical marijuana rationality and perseverance, the THCF Medical Clinic, 647 Main
Street, Riverside 92501.
Showing posts with label Don Lawrence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Don Lawrence. Show all posts
Monday, April 5, 2010
Don Lawrence Case Dismissed! - Still in Jail
From: Lanny Swerdlow, Director, Mariujuana Anti Prohibition Porject
Good News!
Medical marijuana patient Don Lawrence, who has been in prison for over one and one-half months had his case dismissed last Friday. Unfortunately due to some kind of court to prison mix-up, he is still in jail. Hopefully we will be able to get him out on Monday.
As for what happened - it is all too bizarre.
Don was in jail and facing 25 years to life in prison because of totally incompetent defense by
the San Bernardino Public Defenders office. With only 12 plants, police claim of two pounds
(which is always absurd), an exceeds limit recommendation and two other patients he was growing for, the case should have been dismissed at the preliminary hearing. None of this evidence was introduced because his public defender didn't even show up and the public defender representing his son substituted and he knew nothing of Don's case and next to nothing about medical marijuana law.
Figuring that Don would continue to be represented by incompetent public defenders, the
prosecuting attorney tacked on a three strikes charge to scare Don into pleading guilty to a
lesser charge because Don knew all too well just how incompetent his public defenders were.
Putting his home up for collateral, we were able to raise the money to retain the services of
Zenia Gilg, whose illustrious string of successful defenses included Inland Empire patients
Marty Victor, David Markarian and Rich and Joanne McCabe. Ms. Gilg's prowess as a medical
marijuana defense attorney is well known by Inland Empire prosecutors.
Last week Ms. Gilg informed the San Bernardino DA's office that on Monday, April 5, she will be
filing for change of counsel and that she would now be Mr. Lawrence's attorney. This fact was
reported in an excellent story in the April 2 issue of the SB Sun and Inland Valley Daily
Bulletin.
The same day the story comes out, I get a call from his public defender, that the SB DA's office
has moved to dismiss all the felony marijuana charges. Whatever hopes they had of facing up
against an ill-prepared public defender were dashed when they learned that Zenia Gilg would soon be Don's attorney. They lawyers in the DA's office are not stupid , they knew they didn't have a case against Don and they didn't want to be embarrassed by losing what, thanks to the SB Sun article, was going to become a high profile case.
Hopefully we will get Don out on Monday and he will be at the Wednesday Riverside MAPP meeting to celebrate his freedom with us.
Good News!
Medical marijuana patient Don Lawrence, who has been in prison for over one and one-half months had his case dismissed last Friday. Unfortunately due to some kind of court to prison mix-up, he is still in jail. Hopefully we will be able to get him out on Monday.
As for what happened - it is all too bizarre.
Don was in jail and facing 25 years to life in prison because of totally incompetent defense by
the San Bernardino Public Defenders office. With only 12 plants, police claim of two pounds
(which is always absurd), an exceeds limit recommendation and two other patients he was growing for, the case should have been dismissed at the preliminary hearing. None of this evidence was introduced because his public defender didn't even show up and the public defender representing his son substituted and he knew nothing of Don's case and next to nothing about medical marijuana law.
Figuring that Don would continue to be represented by incompetent public defenders, the
prosecuting attorney tacked on a three strikes charge to scare Don into pleading guilty to a
lesser charge because Don knew all too well just how incompetent his public defenders were.
Putting his home up for collateral, we were able to raise the money to retain the services of
Zenia Gilg, whose illustrious string of successful defenses included Inland Empire patients
Marty Victor, David Markarian and Rich and Joanne McCabe. Ms. Gilg's prowess as a medical
marijuana defense attorney is well known by Inland Empire prosecutors.
Last week Ms. Gilg informed the San Bernardino DA's office that on Monday, April 5, she will be
filing for change of counsel and that she would now be Mr. Lawrence's attorney. This fact was
reported in an excellent story in the April 2 issue of the SB Sun and Inland Valley Daily
Bulletin.
The same day the story comes out, I get a call from his public defender, that the SB DA's office
has moved to dismiss all the felony marijuana charges. Whatever hopes they had of facing up
against an ill-prepared public defender were dashed when they learned that Zenia Gilg would soon be Don's attorney. They lawyers in the DA's office are not stupid , they knew they didn't have a case against Don and they didn't want to be embarrassed by losing what, thanks to the SB Sun article, was going to become a high profile case.
Hopefully we will get Don out on Monday and he will be at the Wednesday Riverside MAPP meeting to celebrate his freedom with us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
