Missoula jury convicts man for sharing 3 grams of medical marijuana

Source: Missoulian

As Montana lawmakers debated the fallout of Montana's medical marijuana law Wednesday, some of the same points were playing out in a Missoula County courtroom.

There, an eight-woman, four-man jury found Matthew Otto, 27, guilty of a single charge of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs - in this case, 3 grams (well under an ounce) of marijuana. Otto faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Otto stood accused of sharing a bowl of his medical marijuana with two friends in a car traveling down Reserve Street, where the trio passed a Missoula County Sheriff's detective on his way home from work last November.

... But Wednesday's trial "was not about medical marijuana," (Missoula County Sheriff's Detective Jon) Gunter said. "This was about an individual who gave an illegal drug to another individual and had no right to do so."

Read more: http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_89711090-5b4f-11e0-9e31-001cc4c002e0.html

n/t

...but no one has ever heard about it.

Not accidentally.

...I just had to say it again.

This is monstrous.

Can't hurt to say it again.

yeah.

There.

Life? $50,000 fine?

Sick, sick, mutherfuckers! :mad:

amidoingitrite?

this is a travesty

Marijuana is going mainstream. The handwriting is on the wall: Medical Cannibis is accepted almost unniversaly in the USA.
I hope this case in Missouri gets enough attention to show how stupid and rediculous the enforcement of draconian drug laws are in this country. There still may be some who don't know that yet.

sick fucking...

This country's drug laws are a complete disaster. If I'm ever chosen as a juror and it is a non-violent drug offense I'm voting not-guilty regardless.

never hurts to say it about anyone that engages in the prosecution of this sick and counterproductive war on poor folks...can't be said ENOUGH ever, sick bastards.

but i dont see a sale here, i guess you get a year in jail for passing bowls or joints in montana. In Illinois where i am from sharing pot for no remuneration is the same penatly as possession so 3 grams you would risk 6 moths in jail max and 1500 dollar fine but you get 24 months probation and no jail for your first offense.

HE GOT RATTED OUT BY HIS FRIENDS TOO! The broad said that "the detective told me i wouldnt get in trouble if i ratted" and she fucking ratted. what a bitch sending up her friend for 1 year to life!

It appears there are MORE arrests and DEA busts on marijuana/Med marijuana under THIS president...OBAMA than under BUSH..what's going on! CHANGE?? He needs to be called out on it...

dont forget that jordan said "The detective told me if I was honest with him about taking a hit off the pipe, I would not be in trouble," Jordan Lambert testified"

fucking rat, now your friend gets 1 year to life you fucking low life scumbag

1st rule of using illegal drugs is that you tell the cops "i dont know where they came from"

NEVER FUCKING RAT, if jordan is a man he deserves a beat down. fucking rat!

the rat risked 6 months in jail maximum and or a fine of 100 to 500 dollars so they sang to get out of it and now their buddy gets 1 YEAR TO LIFE AND UP TO 50000 dollars in fines! fucking asshole. Otto is gonna do at least a YEAR in jail for 3 grams because of your stupid ass Jordan. If otto gets life how will that make old Jordan feel? hell even a year, at least a YEAR for 3 grams because Jordan Lambert is a fucking rat!

and before I say anything I am for legalization of marijuana. If he had shared his oxycontin would it have been different? What about if he was selling his vicodin? This man shared a prescription drug, I wouldn't cough that away so easy.

Probably shouldn't be doing that in a moving vehicle.

In the privacy of your own home or whatever, far as I'm concerned you can smoke up till you can't walk the 10 feet to the fridge, more power to you. And it ought to be at least as legal as alcohol.

Not clear on whether the driver was smoking though. So maybe even that aspect is nothing.


Punishment doesn't fit the crime even if the driver was smoking though.

Lethal doses. Not so marijuana. Also, it says he "shared" not sold. Not a dealer, so that's not the issue.

Where do they get a life sentence from? That's insanity...as is the huge fine. Complete bullshit.

If he shared something lethal and it killed them then maybe, but this ain't even close.

Just more police state harassment and draconian sentences to keep this for profit prisons full.

I can't believe the jury convicted him. Scary.

Been through jury selection process lately, and saw people lie through their teeth trying to get on the jury. The obvious ones were weeded out, like those molested as children swearing up and down that they could be completely unbiased as a juror for a case that involved allegations of molestation. At least half of us Americans are morons; it's no wonder why there are so many innocent people in prison.

oxycontin, vicodin, or meth with other consenting adults, there would be no victim and no crime in any of these cases if our laws did not criminalize people who like to get high on dope other than alcohol.

or percocet or prescription allergy medicine deserves a life sentence also.

Agreed?

they also shouldn't be driving.

Is harsh, did the article mention any other arrests in the defendent's history? Does the state he lives in have a 3-strike law? And I do think it's wrong giving prescription narcotics to your friends.

who has given a friend a valium.

Which is it?

punishing people who abuse prescription medication which included sharing narcotics. So yes if your middle-aged housewife is doing it then they should face whatever sentencing guidelines that are in place. One of the concerns faced with legalizing medical marijuana is the fear patients will share it. Do you want the lawbreakers to keep this fear alive?

No, it wouldn't be any different to share oxycontin. They're all adults and adults should be allowed to do whatever they want to their own bodies. Period.

As an example, the logical extension of the "Well, it IS the law..." over every bad law demands condemning those who disobeyed miscegenation laws. After all, they did break the law, no matter how unjust the law was.

My respect for the law doesn't extend nearly far enough to defend it as an ideal in and of itself. All laws should stand or fall on their own merits.

This is what you will get if the prisons for profit continues.

Need to fill a cell, convict even traffic offenders.

http://www.cor.mt.gov/Facts/private.mcpx

"Crossroads Correctional Center in Shelby is the only private prison. It is operated by Corrections Corporation of America and currently houses about 500 males.
These additional contract beds increase the flexibility in the prison system and have allowed the state to bring its inmates back from out-of-state facilities and eliminate jail holds."

Montana had a well publicized "fiasco" with a private prison in Hardin, MT. My computer is acting up -- best I can do is give you the link.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/behind_hardin_jail_fiasco_private_prison_salesmen_prey_on_desperate_towns.

and I cry for my country. When I grew up, ganga use was certainly out of the mainstream, but the draconian measures were not in place.

How low have we sunk that when there are finally an enlightened few who can recognize that this weed has been growing on planet earth for all time, and it has beneficial properties, we can be so debased and ignore everything to simply pursue a weird agenda based on ignorance and propaganda. :wtf:

lots of 18 to 20 somethings smoke WITH their parents now. It is considered as normal as having beer at a barbeque by a huge segment of the population in the usa today, just not by anyone on this jury.

Where is the Love???

states supposedly lacking resources to fund its public schools yet has plenty of money to prosecute cases like this in its courts.

Enough already with the war on pot heads.

a guy got 120 days for Vehicular Homicide. He rolled a car with ten people in it, killing a 4 year old girl. He was drunk, and high on Meth and Coke. Really great criminal justice system we have.

To even have the potentiality of facing such a sentence is just, bat shit, crazy, draconian nuts to the tenth power.

Thanks for the thread, Newsjock.