Pubdate: Sat, 08 Mar 2003
Source: Sacramento Bee (CA)
Copyright: 2003 The Sacramento Bee
Contact:  http://www.sacbee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/376
Author: Alan Archuleta
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n340/a05.html?1322

JUSTICE FROM A JUDGE

Jones' prison term being thrown out is a small but significant victory for 
opponents of the Bush administration's war on medical marijuana patients. 
You would think that with our ongoing war on terror, the imminent war in 
Iraq and the North Korean nuclear threat, that the president would have a 
better sense of priorities.

Instead, the Bush administration is wasting precious resources to put 
patients that use their doctor-recommended medicine in prison left and 
right. All Jones allegedly tried to do was inform potential jurors that 
they can, in fact, vote "not guilty" if they feel that the law is itself 
unjust. There are also other options for juror members that cannot sentence 
someone to prison with a clear conscience over an unjust law.

I would encourage every potential juror, especially in cases concerning 
medical marijuana, to learn more about their rights from the Fully Informed 
Jury Association online at www.fija.org.

- - Alan Archuleta, Davis
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom