Man facing Jail time in Eaton County Michigan for being a valid Michigan Medical Marijuana Patient.
A Report from the frontline in the War on Drugs
By Richard C. Clement
January 11, 2011
On January 26, 2011 @ 5:30pm Medical Marijuana Patient and a male City of Lansing Resident will go before Judge Judith Reincke to have the terms of his probation modified. He is being denied the right to use his medicine by the Judge based on an interpretation of Federal Law. He was convicted of domestic assault of when he disciplined his two teen age children for improper cell phone use. Mix in the heated atmosphere of a separation and divorce; the man's ex-wife filed a police report that was embellished, giving the appearance of child abuse and excessive violence. His mistake started with not reading what was written on the police report and, pleading no contest without legal counsel.He was placed on probation for 24 months and as a condition of his probation has to submit to random drug tests, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and Domestic Violence Counseling that is very expensive. This man has the qualifying medical condition of degenerative spinal stenosis, an illness that was a result of a motorcycle accident that brings on chronic pain. The condition is controlled successfully with Marijuana which works better than all other pharmaceutical drugs combined. Therefore when He shows up for weekly drug testing, he always tests positive. This has been happening since November 2010 frustrating his probation officer Liz Hoogstra. Ignoring his doctor's medical advice, Judge Reincke ordered him not to take anything and just suffer the pain until the hearing on January 26th.
The cost breakdown is as:
Weekly Random Drug Test (one per week for 24 months)
104 weeks @ $25.00 a week. Total Cost $2600.00
Weekly Drug Counseling sessions for the Marijuana addiction
Total Cost $985.00
3 AA classes per week for 24 months (Marijuana Addiction)
With “Donations Accepted” on a volunteer basis $20.00 per session.
Domestic Violence Prevention Classes $200.00
If you happen to go to jail and spend any time there your cost breakdown is:
Room and Board @ $40.00 per night
Use of Telephone @ $5.99 per minute
This person is a first time “offender” and if you multiply these figures by the number of prisoners taken in per week, you have a money cash cow for the Eaton County Sheriff Department. If we are serious of cutting government spending, we must cut the cost of these hidden taxes on the backs of people who could least afford it. The Michigan Medical Marijuana Act has become the equivalent of a tax cut to people who use Marijuana as a medicine at the expense of the County Sheriff’s offices in the State of Michigan.
Given the failure of regular pharmaceutical drugs, his health is being affected by the Eaton County Court that erroneously refers to Marijuana as Schedule I. This means that it is a drug with no medical value, similar to crack and heroin. Natural grown Medical Marijuana works better than the store bought and prescribed medicine from pharmaceutical companies. At this hearing his doctor will be allowed to testify on his behalf, while the Eaton County Prosecutor’s office will be pushing federal law and attempting to put him in Jail. He is willing to do time in jail rather than to take Marinol, morphine, and other dangerous over the counter drugs prescribed by the Eaton County Judge. He is currently looking at 7 to 10 days in Jail if found in violation of his terms of probation.
The breakdown of the family structure in the African American community requires that a father has to lead by survival. When the children want to “take over” a home by: not following rules and talking back, a father has to put his foot down. This father will be putting his foot down by standing up for the law and his right to use Medicine prescribed by a certified medical professional.
Name withheld at the person's request.
10 comments:
This is going on all over the State and one man, Sal Argento, has already died because his medication was deined by a Judge. There is case law your lawyer should be using to combat these Judges that think they have Medical Degrees. Have him contact Matt Able of Michigan NORML for more info.
The State needs to request Cannabis be rescheduled from Schedule I to Schedule III and Legalize it State wide. It is the only way to end this senseless War against ourselves.
John Davis
Michigan NORML
I am a 28 year old man that has been on probation in eaton county for twenty months. Liz hoogstra is my probation officer and Reinke is my judge. This whole system is a cash cow.ive had to do a drug test once a week 20 a shot at least a years worth of pbt's at 5 dollars every time. when i first started on probation i had to go to a class four nites a week and three aa meetings a week. It would cost me 190.00 dollars a week just to be on probation. Thats not including gas to go all these places. Also i lost my job because i had to be at court once a week to see liz and every other week with the judge.My employer couldnt have me work and miss that much time. But at the same time if you dont pay you go to jail, maybe should of just went to begin with. Did i mention in all of this that it was the first time ive ever been in trouble. i was never given a pbt when i was arrested never failed a drug test in twenty months.I also had to attend a domestic violence class when i was not charged with a domestic charge.i think the whole system is corrupt. basically michigan found a new way to make money off honest hardworking people. I am so sick of the hassel harrassment and complete crookedness of the eaton county courts i hope more people post about this subject i know for a fact that there are hundreds just like me.
It has been almost two years since I said fuck that system. First time offenderand I recieved a years probation and was entered into the fast track program. Its almost like your treated as a number or hearded cattle. They dont want you to get better and overcome anything they want you in the system to throw more money in the cash cow! Anyway, I never dropped dirty but I failed a couple PBT's. I also faked a couple signatures but nobody ever found that out. Liz Hoogstra is mad at the WORLD. Some guy must have did her wrong down the road because she has a chip on her shoulder big time. I did though find a way to beat the system. I went in front of Judge Renke and politley told her that I was wasting her time and the probation departments time and the county and states money. I asked her if I could do the jail time on work release. She agreed and it sucked ass dont get me wrong but it was 90 days of hell but I would rather have that then a year on the fast track program. On a final note this is what boggled me most. Crack addicts, wife beaters, pill poppers and flashers were all grouped into one with someone who got a DUI???? Never made sense to me! Good luck
Makes one wonder who the real crooks are
Make them pay on election day. Vote Cannabis 2011,2012,and any other year afterwards. This shakedown by Lansing idealouges will end. The money will be redirected toward manufacturing and education.
Recall Rick!
Judge Julie H. Reincke has created a police state of her own. She gives unreasonable sentences regularly and makes it as hard as possible for people to meet the probation requirements. It's like she wants people to fail. She sets up required meeting times that fall within a persons work hours and they end up getting fired. Please contact me at outwithReincke@aol.com with your story. I say lets get her out!
Whiny, retarded potheads. I hope you all die without your dope.
I said fuck probation right away. Caught with an 8th of weed. I wasn't having it. From the beginning I told my paid lawyer I won't be taking any type of P.O.'s after I was done. Gave me 45 days in jail. Julie H. Reincke was mad that I "wouldn't let [her] help me."
Deputy Jonathan Frost completely violated my fourth amendment rights by kicking my locked motel room door in while I slept. No search warrant, nothing. He further lied like hell under oath after the fact.
Prosecutor Lloyd , working directly in cahoots with judge Jule Reincke further make this entire Eaton county court system a travesty of justice. Very corrupt and unfair. They are the ones that should be jailed!
It's not the Judges nor the prosecuting attorneys fault your testing/prerequisites are out of hand. It's the probation department who needs reform, supervision and accountability. They do as they wish and choose favorites along the way. Half of the time they're the ones who need to attend Alcoholic Anonymous classes. Some would say certain people are bad for business, well these bitches are bad for government. As a program, the government was created to protect and serve common folks not drain and hinder progress. If your a woman on probation chances are you don't have a problem with the probation department; if your a guy, they have it out for you. Prove me wrong.
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