Having to mount a criminal defense is not something that a many Grand Rapids residents ever plan for. Most, if not all, never plan to place themselves in the position of needing such assistance. Yet the interpretation of the law can often be applied much more broadly than some anticipate, especially in the enforcement of new laws. People who believe they may be operating within the confines of the law may find themselves at odds with authorities over the application of it.
Such is the case of a Grand Rapids man who claims that the marijuana crop that he was arrested for cultivating in 2010 was allowed under Michigan’s then-new Medical Marijuana Act. At the time of his arrest, he had applied to use marijuana for medical purposes himself, and believed he was in compliance with the law in that only 24 of the 88 plants that were initially seized by police belonged to him. He has since fought the felony charges that were initially brought against him. Now, three years later, a judge has ruled that he is not immune from prosecution because his crop greatly exceeded the amount allowed under the law. The man, who has maintained the laws defining how much he could legally grow were much murkier at the time of his arrest, has now chosen to accept a plea agreement rather than continue to fight the case.
As part of his deal, the man will now face a misdemeanor charge, rather than the originally felony charges leveled against him. Such a legal battle may not have been possible without the assistance of a criminal defense attorney. Anyone wanting to dispute criminal charges against him or her may also want to take advantage of such assistance.
Source: The Grand Rapids Press – M.Live “Man who ran medical marijuana collective pleads guilty to misdemeanor after 3-year court battle” Barton Deiters, Dec. 02, 2013
