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| Judge To Enter Rehab Program |
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Posted by CN Staff on November 15, 2002 at 09:01:50 PT By Patrick Sullivan, Record-Eagle Staff Writer Source: Traverse City Record-Eagle 
District Judge Thomas Gilbert, who has admitted smoking marijuana at a Rolling Stones concert in Detroit last month, will enter a 28-day rehabilitation program for alcohol abuse.Judge Michael Haley, the 86th District Court's chief judge, said Gilbert's decision to enter the program followed an assessment by a licensed alcohol treatment counselor who advised Gilbert to enter the program. Gilbert has been on voluntary leave since Nov. 6, two days after he admitted to Haley and District Judge Thomas J. Phillips that he smoked marijuana at the concert. "I hope the community would understand that Judge Gilbert is taking a very serious approach to a very serious problem," Haley said. "Alcohol treatment is not casual or comfortable or cushy." Haley earlier said that use of alcohol may have led to Gilbert's decision to take two puffs from a marijuana cigarette as it was passed along a row of people at the concert at Ford Field on Oct. 12. An unidentified Elk Rapids woman reported to the court that she witnessed Gilbert smoke marijuana at the concert. Gilbert's decision to enter the out-of-state rehabilitation program will extend his leave from the bench until at least Dec. 16. Retired District Judge James McCormick said he has agreed to act as a temporary visiting judge for the court for 2½ weeks. McCormick's assignment to the court is pending approval from the State Court Administrator's Office. Haley has said that when Gilbert returns to work, he may be limited to hearing only civil cases for a period of time and that if he eventually hears criminal cases he may be precluded from hearing marijuana cases. Gilbert is two years into a four-year term at the district court, which encompasses Grand Traverse, Antrim and Leelanau counties. Patrick Sullivan is the reporter for crime, courts and public safety. Note: When District Judge Thomas Gilbert returns to work, he may be limited to hearing civil cases. Source: Traverse City Record-Eagle (MI) Related Article: Anonymity a Myth for Toking Judge Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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Comment #10 posted by Whirrlin on November 17, 2002 at 17:45:42 PT:
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| Alcohol made him take two puffs from a marijuana joint. So the the fact that this judge was drunk was absouletly no probelm, and if he had never touched the joint, then he would not be in alcoholic rehab today. But because he took a couple of puffs from a marijuana cirgarette, a substance proven to be less harmful than the alcohol he was already intoxicatd by, he potentially loses his job, and has to undergo alcohol rehab. Where are our priorities? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #9 posted by VitaminT on November 15, 2002 at 19:09:12 PT |
| the barber thinks he needs a haircut, and the shoeshine boy thinks his wingtips are scuffed. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #8 posted by krutch on November 15, 2002 at 15:56:50 PT:
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| Does this man need rehab? Is he an alcoholic? Sending him to treatment is a mistake if he's not. It is a waste. Of course the counselor thinks he needs it. Therapists think everbody needs therapy. There is a great rift between what the majority of people think is a crime and the law. A few loud mouth zealots have transformed us into a totalitarian state. Leave this guy alone. He didn't do anything our beloved president wouldn't have done ten years ago. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #7 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on November 15, 2002 at 14:59:03 PT |
| --Haley has said that when Gilbert returns to work, he may be limited to hearing only civil cases for a period of time and that if he eventually hears criminal cases he may be precluded from hearing marijuana cases.-- Why isn't he also precluded from handling cases involving alcohol? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by PonziScheme on November 15, 2002 at 12:40:29 PT |
| 28 days in treatment, huh? Statistically, this Judge now counts as one of John Walter's marijuana addicts who needed to seek treatment. What a lark! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by FoM on November 15, 2002 at 09:58:14 PT |
| Thank you for the report. We have to keep on keepin' on. We've come so far and I firmly believe if we quit now the next generation's life will be so bad I can't even think to type how bad it would become. My mind won't go there. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by p4me on November 15, 2002 at 09:32:59 PT |
| The Alexa rating for Cnews is now 57,468. FoM, you cannot keep going on like this. On 9/11 Alexa rated Cnews at 72,394 On 10/3 it was 71,262 On 10/10 it was 67,521 On 10/24 it was 64,596 On Nov 6 it was 58,159 1 [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by John Tyler on November 15, 2002 at 09:32:14 PT |
| I suspect that there is more to this story than is being printed in the media. The alcohol drinking, pot smoking judge, the unnamed snitch that turned him in, his hasty exit to rehab. adds up to a complex tale. What is really going on here? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by darwin on November 15, 2002 at 09:21:01 PT |
| This guy has to go to treatment for 2 puffs?
This guys getting railroaded out of a job by higher ups.
How many people at a stones concert would nark out someone they happen to see? Something's fishy here. You could nark out 90% of the crowd at that concert. Why would this woman pick on this guy? How does she know the judge? Why does she care? If her concern was truly potsmoking, what the hell was she doing at a stones concert? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by TroutMask on November 15, 2002 at 09:06:55 PT |
| Alcohol is the gateway drug! -TM [ Post Comment ] |
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