Jump to content

Medical Marijuana Rally Protests 10-Year Prison Sentence For Monroe-Area Farmer


Recommended Posts

Medical marijuana users have long decried Michigan’s state and local police and prosecutors as unfair but Tuesday’s target was the federal government.


Two dozen marijuana advocates — including lawyers and advocates from as far as Seattle and Phoenix — gathered outside the federal courthouse in downtown Detroit to protest the case of Gerald Duval Jr., 53, a Monroe-area farmer who was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted last year of conspiring to manufacture marijuana .


The federal charges stemmed from a raid of Duval’s pot-filled greenhouses by federal officers.


“Jerry Duval and his 10-year sentence is emblematic of how the Obama administration has been undermining state medical marijuana laws,” said Brandy Zink, chair of the Michigan chapter of Americans for Safe Access.


At the moment that federal agents raided his farm, “I was 100% legal” under Michigan’s medical marijuana act, Duval told the crowd. Standing beside him was Duval’s mother Sharon Duval, holding a sign that said: “No one should go to jail for medical marijuana.”


Duval was convicted in federal court in April 2012 of conspiring to manufacture more than 100 marijuana plants, manufacturing plants with an intent to distribute them and maintaining a place of distribution. Duval’s lawyers argued that he owned two large locked greenhouses in which his son Jeremy and daughter Ashley Duval — both state-registered medical marijuana caregivers — raised marijuana plants for their father’s use and others’ while abiding by Michigan’s law for medical marijuana. Jeremy Duval was sentenced to five years in prison while Ashley Duval was not charged, family members said.


Federal prosecutors persuaded a jury that the Duvals used medical marijuana as a front while tallying big profits by peddling marijuana to non-patients.


Federal officials in Michigan have said that U.S. prosecutors could ignore the Michigan act that allows use of medicinal marijuana because “state laws are not relevant to federal narcotics laws,” said Gina Balaya, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit, after Tuesday’s rally.


 


http://www.freep.com/article/20130528/NEWS06/305280108/Medical-marijuana-rally-protests-10-year-prison-sentence-Monroe-area-farmer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First let me say, I am not in favor of anyone going to jail for growing or using mj.

 

Could someone more familiar with the details on this help out with some background on this case. I recall that back a year or two ago there was a bust published in the news down in Monroe County where LEO claimed there were hundreds if not over a thousand plants in two green houses. Is this the same case?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They had three greenhouses on the same property if I recall correctly.  I don't think the property owner was arrested for her greenhouse, but her family members, that operated the other two were.  That's all I can remember about the case off of the top of my head.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Though I dont think anyone should go to jail for Cannabis either. It has been against the law here till that joyous day on Dec 12, 2008 in MI and if they were closer to legitamate numbers, I dont think they would be looking at 60mos max either. Chances are they would not have had any problems either.

 

Umm I just read there "Jeremy Duval was sentenced to five years

in prison while Ashley Duval was not charged,family members said."  

 

...  Its a long time, still... -ndai.  Good Luck!

Edited by solabeirtan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...