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byrdman
Concerned Citizen
Joined: 23 May 2008
Posts: 6
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 Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 12:58 pm Post subject: given a break |
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| Hello folks.I have wanted to share this with someone for a while.I don't really have a point to make,nor any advise to offer.But what happened to my family a couple months ago is so...odd.Back in January my wife and I were busted for growing weed in our basement.It seems that my daughters ex got busted and helped himself out.He was busted with pain pills,coke,weed,and 2 guns.(his coke dealing is why is was the ex)Anyhow,the cops showed up at our home at 10 pm,without a warrant,but used the "I can smell pot" excuse to get in.There were about 8 detectives.These guys never pulled out their weapons,and were actually pretty friendly.they never cuffed us,and drove our 2 teenagers down the street to my daughters house.I honestly believe they did not want to be at our house.I had no guns,no other drugs,and contrary to what I would advise anyone else to do,I talked freely with these guys.Of course I was careful about what I said,and I made it clear that I ain't giving up anyone else.When they finally took us downtown,they seemed a little stunned when the magistrate set our bond at $100,000 each.But I had 475 plants,so I was just glad the feds wasn't called.I do think that was extreme for my wife,who only knew about my growing,but played no part in the actual growing.Anyhow,after a month in jail,we were tried and given suspended sentences,and of course,probation.Not bad considering our charges...maintaining a dwelling for manufacturing,manufacturing,and trafficing.When we returned to our home to get our belongings(we got evicted for not paying the rent)we found my grow room completly intact.Exactly as we left it,just minus the plants.They even left my seed collection,and about an oz. of weed.I don't know what to think.I do consider myself extremely fortunate.But we were'nt hurting anybody,we had no previous record,no guns,no other drugs.we were respectful,but honorable.I recently bumped into one of the detectives from that night and he told me "with us,you get what you give".Like I said,I don't really have a point to make.I am glad that there are cops and prosecuters out there who are not hell bent on destroying their fellow citizens.But it is incredibly sad that there are a great many who don't care who they hurt.And I guess I somehow feel guilty for having got such a break,when so many good people have been completely destroyed for less.I now feel obligated to fight for those less fortunate than myself.I am hoping that thru this site and others like it I can learn how to help.Thanks for letting an old man babble. GB |
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dawsonspaw
anonymouse tipster
Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 398
Location: Somewhere in the temporal space inside my mind
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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welcome to the board,and you got away very lucky.wtg  |
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von
Jerry Garcia
Joined: 25 Jan 2008
Posts: 400
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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welcome byrdman, it sounds like you and your wife got cought up in this crazy A$$ war on drugs. and all over a plant / weed, peoples lives are destroyed every day over a plant. you did come out lucky, considering.
peace & free the weed  |
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Lushh
Civil Libertarian
Joined: 13 May 2008
Posts: 141
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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my god, sounds like weed cave!
I love weed cave!
500 hydroponic Plants all harvestable every 60 days!
And they had an ecscape route!
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socrateez
Moderator
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
Posts: 1372
Location: I'm your next door neighbor
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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Thats alot to get caught with and get probation.
Believe it or not:
| Quote: | Low-level offenses, even with multiple prior convictions, may end up with probation for the entire sentence of one to twelve months, and no jail time required. Possession of over 1 kg of marijuana with no prior convictions carries a sentence of six to twelve months with a possibility of probation and alternative sentencing. Over 2.5 kg with no criminal record carries a sentence of at least six months in jail; with multiple prior convictions, a sentence might be up to two years to three years in jail with no chance for probation.
In United States v. Booker (2005), a Supreme Court decision from January 2005, the court ruled that the federal sentencing guidelines (as outlined above) are advisory and no longer mandatory. However, many federal judges continue to give great deference to the guidelines.
In addition to the sentencing guidelines, there are statutory mandatory minimum sentences, which remain in effect after United States v. Booker and primarily target offenses involving large amounts of marijuana. There is a five-year mandatory minimum for cultivation of 100 plants or possession of 100kgs, and there is a ten-year mandatory minimum for these offenses if the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction. Cultivation or possession of 1000kg or 1000 plants triggers a ten-year mandatory minimum, with a twenty-year mandatory sentence if the defendant has one prior felony drug conviction, and a life sentence with two prior felony drug convictions. To avoid a five-year mandatory minimum, it is advisable to stay well below 100 plants, including any rooted cuttings or clones. |
from:
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=2638 |
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byrdman
Concerned Citizen
Joined: 23 May 2008
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 6:16 am Post subject: thanks everyone |
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| Thank you to everyone for making me feel welcome.I think if I had one of them grow caves I'd still be in jail;but ain't that thing awsome?I don't wanna get off the subject here,but I should mention that the way I was growing was nothing like that.I used a 18 ft. table with 180 small plants.I cropped 30 per week,yeilding bout 6 ounces per week.I rarely sold more than an oz at a time,and gave away close to half of what I grew.I had $62 in my pocket when we got busted,and had no expensive "toys".I admit I was about to crank up another table,and would'a made some serious money then.I sold my weed for $100 an oz,and thanks to the rat the cops knew this.I was not,and did not aspire to be a "kingpin".I'm pretty sure all of this played a part in the way I was treated.I wasn't looking to get rich,just making a decent living while my friends and family smoked high grade marijuana...cheap.I think greed can sometimes be us grower's undoing.Cops and DAs ain't too likely to be lienient on someone who's making several times as much money as they are.And like I told the cops,the biggest enemy of the drug smugglers is not the cops,but growers like myself.If I had it my way nobody would ever send another penny to another country for low grade,seedy,dirtweed.American dollars should stay in America damnit.Give us growers a tax number and a chance to make a decent,legal living,and we'll put the foreign drug cartels right outta business.The war on drugs needs to be the war on untaxed,imported,bloodstained drugs.Many cops realize that.They know that the money that leaves this country ends up in the hands of some very bad fuckin people.Busting American growers is simply helping the enemy.OK,I'm sorry.I didn't mean to go on and on about that.I don't get to bitch often;can ya tell?Anyhow,thanks again to everyone.Be safe. GB |
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socrateez
Moderator
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
Posts: 1372
Location: I'm your next door neighbor
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 7:55 am Post subject: |
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$100 an OZ. for High Octane?......I love you man... 
I agree with your reasoning also. Greed is our greatest enemy, keep it cheap! Hell, it grows wild for free! And we are all willing to pay hard earned money for some one else to grow it right for us! |
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von
Jerry Garcia
Joined: 25 Jan 2008
Posts: 400
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 10:40 am Post subject: |
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hey byrdman, i agree, cops busting american growers is helping the cartels in many ways.
peace, |
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eHippy
Antiprohibitionist
Joined: 18 Apr 2008
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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| I love this post for many reasons. One Byrdman seems like a great guy, I wish there were more like you. Second, the fact that we agree GREED is one of our biggest problems in America. We would have better leaders and better laws if it weren't for the GREED. |
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socrateez
Moderator
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
Posts: 1372
Location: I'm your next door neighbor
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| Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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| eHippy wrote: | | I love this post for many reasons. One Byrdman seems like a great guy, I wish there were more like you. Second, the fact that we agree GREED is one of our biggest problems in America. We would have better leaders and better laws if it weren't for the GREED. |
And just think that most of our leadership are corporate heads and wall street bankers. What do you think they are concerned about? |
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