SAN DIEGO (760 KFMB) – The manager of a San Diego medical marijuana collective was acquitted Tuesday of possessing marijuana and selling the drug for profit.
The jury, however, convicted 31-year-old Jovan Jackson of possession of ecstasy and Xanax. Jackson cried when he heard the not guilty verdicts being read.
Jackson’s case was the first to go to trial in the wake of law enforcement raids in September which resulted in 31 arrests and the shutting down of 14 medical marijuana storefronts in San Diego.Jurors who spoke to reporters after the verdicts said the laws on medical marijuana sales from collectives were vague, prompting them to find the defendant innocent.
“On a personal level, if you’re going to hold somebody to a law, you have to define that law,” said juror Perry Wright.
The number of medical marijuana dispensaries rose recently, in the wake of San Diego County’s failed attempt to overturn the state’s 1996 medical marijuana law and U.S. Attorney Eric Holder’s directive that federal agents will only target medical marijuana storefronts when operators violate both state and federal laws.
What a wonderful victory for the patients and a stunning defeat for District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis’ crusade to overturn Prop 215. This was another case where law enforcement used undercover officers to pose as sick or disabled persons, using a fake identity while lying to a doctor to receive a medical marijuana recommendation. Then, under those assumed identities, the undercover officers take the very real recommendation and their very real-looking state ID cards to these legal collectives, join them, and set up marijuana purchases as a sting.
Does it bother anyone else to imagine the planning, coordination, strategy, time, and money San Diego is expending on trying to bring down collectives of growers and patients? Could they work this hard to bring down some human trafficking ring or maybe a corrupt banker or two? Police and prosecutorial resources are finite; every minute and dollar used to fight medical marijuana, DA Dumanis, is time and money diverted from protecting us from actual crime.
[...] where have I heard that name before? Oh, yes, it was a year ago when we were reporting on Jackson being acquitted on similar charges. In fact, this case involved the same prosecutors, the same investigators, and the same evidence [...]
[...] where have I heard that name before? Oh, yes, it was a year ago when we were reporting on Jackson being acquitted on similar charges. In fact, this case involved the same prosecutors, the same investigators, and the same evidence [...]
The People v. Jackson verdict proves that due to the “medical marijuana affirmative defense”, a jury cannot convict anyone of “selling for profit” because “selling for profit” is not strictly forbidden in the referenced law that allows for an affirmative defense.
Therefore, if a jury can not find the defendant guilty BEYOND a reasonable doubt, the defendant must be found innocent based on our justice system. As was made clear with the Jackson case…
The jury was a bit more specific than the media has reported… The media just loves Bonnie and they hate the idea of sales, however subsequent to the Jackson case, SALES ARE LEGAL.
Jurors said regarding collectives & cooperatives, “…the prosecution gave his kind of narrow definition during the closing arguments but there was nothing in the law that really backed that up…”
…other jurors said…
“…when you have an issue of doubt, the law shows that the benefit of that doubt NEEDS to go to the defendant…” and went on to say “…we had no evidence on the table that there could not be a profit in a cooperative…”
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See all Jovan Jackson articles on the Bonnie D.A.’ Mantis Blog (aka. The S.E.P.T.I.C. System)
http://bonniedamantis.wordpress.com/tag/jovan-jackson/
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[...] San Diego collective manager Jovan Jackson found not guilty [...]
Praise God for Javon getting off on the pot charges! Praise the JURY for seeing thru the DA bullshit! Bonnie Dumanis is just screwing with the pot clubs so she can get publicity and make a name for herself to run for County Board of Supervisors!
No way is that happening-that broad has dug herself a hole here she can’t crawl out of! Shame on the DA’s office for wasting public funds on BOGUS prosecutions, including my own!
[...] Source: NORML Copyright: 2008 NORML Contact: Contact Us – NORML Website: San Diego collective manager Jovan Jackson found not guilty | NORML Daily Audio Stash __________________ 420 Magazine News Team Creating Cannabis Awareness Since 1993 [...]
PRAISE JAH 4 JOVAN F-BONNIE !!!!!!
like Jigga say
To the DA, the DA’s office, the DEA, the vice squad, the narcotics squad…
A BIG fuck you to all’a'y’all…