cannabisnews.com: Frieling Won't Enforce New Marijuana Law 





Frieling Won't Enforce New Marijuana Law 
Posted by CN Staff on February 13, 2007 at 10:32:46 PT
By Eric Schmidt, Camera Staff Writer
Source: Daily Camera 
Colorado -- An associate municipal court judge in Lafayette resigned Monday in protest of stiffer penalties for marijuana possession in the city.Leonard Frieling, a Boulder criminal-defense lawyer, said he is resigning out of principle after more than eight years as a backup to Lafayette Municipal Judge Roger Buchholz.
"I cannot in good conscience sit on the bench while being unwilling to enforce the municipal ordinances," Frieling said in a resignation letter to city officials. "Specifically, since you have seen fit to increase the penalty for cannabis possession from a $100 fine (which matches the state penalty) to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail, I find that I am morally and ethically unable to sit as a judge for the city."The Lafayette City Council last week passed a first reading of an ordinance increasing the possible penalty for possession of cannabis or drug paraphernalia, which now carries a maximum $100 fine. The change is pending final approval next week.Frieling said he was willing to enforce the old ordinance despite a personal belief that the war on marijuana is "ridiculous." He said it makes no sense for cannabis to be illegal for adults who are allowed to drink alcohol, and the proposed penalty in Lafayette would set a bad precedent."The state of Colorado has somewhat decriminalized small amounts for personal possession by making it a petty offense with maximum $100 fine," he said. "I think that it is inappropriate for a municipality that a crime is so much more serious within their city limits than it is statewide."Lafayette Mayor Chris Berry said Monday night that he had not seen Frieling's letter and could not comment on its contents.Berry said the new pot penalties were among several changes supported by the city's law enforcement. The idea was to increase the maximum penalty to give judges more discretion when sentencing marijuana offenders under different circumstances, he said."My interpretation was that it would be up to the judge," Berry said. "A sitting judge could still make (the fine) $100."Mayor Pro Tem David Strungis, who cast the sole vote against the ordinance, said the police chief and sitting judge showed "no evidence that we have a pandemic of marijuana-possession arrests in Lafayette.""My feeling was that punishments have to be within reason, and the punishment has to fit the crime," Strungis said. "To put someone in jail for a year for less than an ounce of marijuana " I couldn't justify that."Complete Title: Lafayette Judge Steps Down: Frieling Won't Enforce New Marijuana Law Source: Daily Camera (Boulder, CO)Author: Eric Schmidt, Camera Staff WriterPublished: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 Copyright: 2007 The Daily CameraWebsite: http://www.dailycamera.com/Contact: openforum dailycamera.comCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on February 18, 2007 at 18:26:03 PT
Lafayette Delays Action On Proposed Pot Penalty
February 18, 2007(AP) LAFAYETTE, Colo. -- The City Council has postponed consideration of a proposal that prompted a backup judge to resign and that would stiffen penalties for marijuana possession.The proposal, approved on first reading Feb. 6, would repeal a $100 fine for marijuana possession, increasing the possible penalty to the city's default maximum of a $1,000 fine and a year in jail.Backup municipal court Judge Leonard Frieling resigned last week in protest of the proposal and said he could not sit on the bench while being unwilling to enforce municipal ordinances.City officials said the resignation would have little effect because Frieling had not been called in more than a year, and a new associate municipal court judge was appointed in April.On Friday, the City Council pulled final approval of the proposal from its agenda for Tuesday and scheduled a public workshop April 3 to discuss the issue further.Mayor Chris Berry said that would give city leaders more time to see what other communities are doing."I think it will give us some time to get some questions answered that may not have been asked," Berry said. Copyright: 2007 The Associated Presshttp://cbs4denver.com/local/local_story_049133717.html
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on February 15, 2007 at 09:30:52 PT
Thank You BGreen and Toker00
We just got finished dropping a tree. The ice broke the tree and blocked my satellite from receiving any signal. The ice has been so beautiful. We lost power for a while and lost our tv and internet signal but they are back now. I'll try to catch up. You all are the best!
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Comment #9 posted by Toker00 on February 15, 2007 at 09:21:22 PT
JustGetnBy, Dandhank.
Glad to do so, JGB. It seems like all of our voices are melting into one very large one. Cannabis will be free in our lifetime. I just wish we could be, too.CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?You ok Mr. Dankhank?Toke.
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Comment #8 posted by BGreen on February 15, 2007 at 08:51:17 PT
FoM!
I hope you're doing OK. I'm sure you haven't checked in because of the weather so stay safe, stay warm and we'll keep the fire burning until you get back.If you're stuck, I hope you're stuck with Stick. :)The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #7 posted by BGreen on February 15, 2007 at 08:42:22 PT
Sorry, he couldn't just give the $100 fine
That kind of sneaky crap gets pulled all of the time here in the crotch of the nation.The prosecutor will go ballistic and have the judge removed from every single cannabis case, even going as far as trying to have the judge removed from the bench.The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #6 posted by The GCW on February 14, 2007 at 14:19:52 PT
user123
Thanks for pointing that out.I read the specifics also but it didn't hit Me till You pointed it out.He could have kept using the $100 fine...I still like the concept that He protested, but He could have been more valuable...--- user123 just made an example for the need to post...We don't always see everything; even things somewhat obvious once they are pointed out.KEEP ON POSTING.
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Comment #5 posted by goneposthole on February 14, 2007 at 08:38:06 PT
Re-educate the judge
He obviously thinks for himself and not in the interest of the State. That is bad.March him off to some American gulag somewhere. That's where he belongs.A list of drug companies:http://www.pharmacy.org/company.htmlThere are plenty of drugs available, there is no need for cannabis as a drug because it is not a drug. It's an herb; an efficacious one at that. Cannabis as a medicine is in great demand because that is what it is.Use cannabis as a medicine. Don't use pharmaceutical drugs, they'll drive you nuts.  
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Comment #4 posted by user123 on February 13, 2007 at 20:15:18 PT:
They should want him gone
"My interpretation was that it would be up to the judge," Berry said. "A sitting judge could still make (the fine) $100."So he gave up the opportunity to always ignore the new law & just keep on passing out $100 fines? 
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Comment #3 posted by JustGetnBy on February 13, 2007 at 20:09:29 PT
Toker00
Preach it Brother...... You speak for a bunch of us quiet fella's.
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Comment #2 posted by Toker00 on February 13, 2007 at 15:10:14 PT
This will start a landslide, I hope.
Someone needs to inform the DEA that the war on cannabis is over. It's over. Everything is in place right now for the re-scheduling of cannabis. The proof is in the pudding, and the pudding is being spoon fed to John Walters. John doesn't like pudding. Oh well. Who cares what John Walters likes?This single most budget assuring "drug" (And, ironically, the safest) is coming off the Drug War battle plan. That spells downsizing for two very big industrial complexes in this nation. The prison and the pharmaceutical industrial complexes. But it sure doesn't excuse them for the damage they have done, not only in this country, but in the world. People could be well now who are dead. The earth could be well now where it is dying. Harry Anslinger and his successors made sure that they had their budgets, though. For SEVENTY years. END SEVENTY YEARS OF CANNABIS PROHIBITION ON SEVEN, SEVEN, '0SEVEN! 70/7/7/07 DEA LIED!THOUSANDS DIED!IMPEACH WALTERS!Toke.  
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on February 13, 2007 at 10:35:43 PT
Judge Steps Down, Protests Tougher Marijuana Law
By Rocky Mountain News February 13, 2007Leonard Frieling, a Lafayette municipal court judge, resigned his position after city council decided to stiffen penalties for marijuana possession, the Boulder Daily Camera reported this morning. "I cannot in good conscience sit on the bench while being unwilling to enforce the municipal ordinances," Frieling said in a resignation letter to city officials. "Specifically, since you have seen fit to increase the penalty for cannabis possession from a $100 fine to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail, I find that I am morally and ethically unable to sit as a judge for the city." Complete Article: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5348763,00.html
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