Court support for Mr. Rios (far left), a medical marijuana patient and provider, outside the San Fernando Courthouse.
Court support is needed for David Rios in San Fernando Courthouse 900 Third St. at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 23, 2011.
In 2008 David Rios was driving down from Humbolt with 5 pounds for his collective and was pulled over by the CHP. They searched his car and found medicine (he had reccommendations from his collective).
They gave him his money back (a little over 2,000 dollars), kept the medicine and let him go and here we are in court 2 and half years later. It is a jury trial and sentence is 3-5-7
“Our numbers are increasing, but we still need more people to help get our message across that we will not go quietly into the night,” said Stephanie Landa, who will be helping to get support for another jury trial in Long Beach next month for Joe Grumbine, and was also on-hand to show solidarity, literally.
The Solidarity Ribbon was on every person in the room that was there for support, and for Mr. Rios, who was granted OR, “It was the most important thing to happen to me today.”
Stephanie Landa, who founded the Landa Prison Outreach Program, was motivated to help patients caught up in the war on drugs after she spent time in federal prison for cultivation after the city of San Francisco invited her to participate in their medical marijuana program.
Now she helps gather momentum and support for trials, as well as for POWs in the War on Drugs currently serving time, “disproportionately long sentences for non-violent medical marijuana users or providers,” says Ms. Landa.
After the first day of trial, the prosecutor trying the case has already put up his witness, the CHP officer involved in the investigation, who admitted that during his chain of command he already lost the recording taken by the officer of the defendant.
Although it has not been thrown out yet, this impeachable offense was the last sign of a case that has gone on long enough, as the opening statement by the DA’s office has already introduced enough defense for the jury to have seen this as a medical marijuana case, and a colossal waste of resources, not to mention their time.
Allison Margolin’s masterful defense is worth watching, so save the date May 23, see you in San Fernando Courthouse at 10:30 a.m.
