Many drug crimes in Michigan come with sentencing guidelines. These guidelines are used by judges to determine what sentence is appropriate for a person who is convicted of a crime. In some cases, however, judges can be persuaded to stray from those guidelines.
A U.S. District judge was convinced to be lenient on a 61-year-old farmer from Michigan who was caught with 8,000 marijuana plants on his property. The farmer could have been sentenced to prison on drug charges but the judge decided to limit his sentence to two years of probation. The man told the judge that he takes responsibility for his actions and promised to be a responsible citizen. The judge was swayed by the actions of the man’s family members and neighbors; many people wrote letters to the judge explaining that the farmer was a good man who always did his best to help other people.
An Assistant U.S. Attorney agreed with the judge’s decision to let the farmer off without prison time. Both the attorney and the judge recognize that while the man did something illegal, he is a good person who deserves a break. The man, who previously suffered from throat cancer, was reportedly growing the plants to provide the state with medical marijuana.
Sometimes good people get caught in bad situations. When this happens, the judge may take those factors into consideration. If you are facing charges for possession of marijuana or another type of drug, you are entitled to legal counsel. A criminal defense attorney may be able to assist you.
Source: USA Today, “Mich. farmer with 8,000 pot plants gets probation,” June 25, 2013
