cannabisnews.com: Hawaii Prosecutor May Pursue Drug Charge





Hawaii Prosecutor May Pursue Drug Charge
Posted by FoM on January 17, 2000 at 18:12:58 PT
By Jean Christensen, The Associated Press
Source: NJO News
Authorities are weighing whether to file drug charges against pop star Whitney Houston, who allegedly was found with half an ounce of marijuana at an airport security checkpoint but boarded her flight before police arrived. Hawaii County Prosecutor Jay Kimura said he would wait for the results of a police investigation before deciding whether to charge the 36-year-old singer. 
He said the most likely charge would be promoting a detrimental drug, an offense punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Kimura said his office typically does not pursue mainland suspects who are charged with petty misdemeanors such as marijuana possession. But he said Houston could be served with a summons if she ever returns to the islands and could be arrested if she ignores the summons. Houston was stopped Jan. 11 at a security checkpoint at Keahole-Kona International Airport while on her way to board a United Airlines flight to San Francisco. The airport is on the island of Hawaii, 167 miles southeast of Honolulu. During a search of her bag, a security officer allegedly found the marijuana and seized the bag. Airport security officers, who can only arrest passengers for crimes related to airport security, told her to stay with them until police arrived, police said. But Houston left the scene and boarded her flight, which departed about a half hour before police arrived, Big Island police spokesman William Donham said Monday. The Hawaii Tribune-Herald of Hilo reported that her husband, Bobby Brown, was traveling with her. After San Francisco, Houston was heading to her East Coast home to prepare for a trip to Europe on Monday night or Tuesday. Although she was one of the leading nominees at Monday's American Music Awards in Los Angeles, Houston was not scheduled to perform or attend the ceremony, awards spokesman Paul Shefrin said. Representatives of the public relations firm that represents Houston were off for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and could not be reached. The police spokesman said officers did not treat the situation any differently because it involved a celebrity. He noted that the airport is five miles away from the nearest police station. He also said the amount of marijuana allegedly found was relatively small. "I would imagine that they were busy," Donham said. "It's not a major crime. I don't think you realize how much dope does go through this island. We're one of the major growing areas in the country." Houston and Brown have had run-ins with Hawaii authorities before. In 1997, Honolulu police investigated a report that Brown slapped Houston in the face during a quarrel in a mall parking lot. Police said they closed the investigation after Houston refused to cooperate. That same year, Brown threw a punch at a Maui bar patron who had reached out for Houston. Brown missed and instead hit a county liquor control inspector in the ribs. Please send any questions orcomments to newsflash nj.comHonolulu (AP)Published: January 17, 2000Copyright 1999 Associated Press. Related Article:Airport Guards Find MJ in Bag of Whitney Houston - 1/17/2000http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread4351.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by Jake on April 14, 2001 at 10:05:56 PT
Are Searches Common on Domestic Flights
Is this a common experience in Hawaii? I will be traveling within the next year and thought I would ask.
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