Reeling from the news that Scott Day, a beloved member of its statewide family of patients, died unexpectedly yesterday, Montana’s medical marijuana public education and patient support group today blamed prosecutors and the local drug task force for contributing to his death – and called on Beaverhead County to drop the charges it has brought against Scott Day and his wife, Summer.
“Those of us who knew and loved him are well aware that Scott Day’s health has plummeted steadily ever since Beaverhead County began prosecuting him. His final six months of life were plagued with constant fear and anxiety thanks to the government’s unwillingness to show compassion and to comprehend the nuances of Montana’s medical marijuana law,” said Tom Daubert, founder and director of Patients & Families United.
“Scott Day suffered egregiously at the hands of his health condition, and the last thing he needed was the added, stressful burden of being a defendant facing the possible loss of his vitally needed healthcare insurance coverage. But this functional death sentence is precisely the draconian outcome that Beaverhead County prosecutors actually sought, using taxpayer dollars every step of the way on a witch hunt right out of the Dark Ages,” Daubert said.
“There is no question but that this totally unwarranted prosecution contributed mightily to Scott Day’s untimely death,” he emphasized. “Now that Scott has died, we call on the county attorney to drop his charges against Summer Day and recognize that all ongoing persecution of medical marijuana patients must cease in this state,” he said.
Join us on today’s NORML Daily Audio Stash – I’m interviewing Tom Daubert from Montana Patients and Families United, a local medical marijuana group that is calling for the county prosecuting attorney to now drop the charges filed against Scott Day’s widow, Summer. The attorney’s name is Jed Fitch and you can politely email him at jfitch@co.beaverhead.mt.us, and ask him why he continued a line of prosecution against a medical marijuana patient so obviously gravely ill when he would’ve succeeded with an affirmative defense, and why he continues the prosecution against the man’s widow?
I have known Scotty since we were young kids taking swimming lessons together at the Sheridan pool. Scott was a great friend and a wonderful human being. Scott was someone I looked up to and he possessed a quality that I think we all wish we had. He was intelligent, witty, friendly, caring and loved his wife, son, family and friends. To see man of this caliber be treated the way he was by our own governement is sad and pathetic and embarrassing to those of us who have always called Montana our home and I think they are completely unjustified what they did to such a wonderful human being. The charges against Summer should not only be dropped in my opinion, but the State should be PAYING HER, for her pain and suffering that she has gone through, is going through and will continue to go through as she has lost her husband and friend. I am very saddened by this news and my heart goes out to Scotty (RIP) and his family.
To those who knew Scott you know he was an amazingly loving man who was stricken with a disease from birth that was beyond his control. That didn’t get him down though. Scott was a insiration to many and our family is in shock. Now to the people responsible for his unwarrented death. My heart aches for you. What Scott and Summer were doing was working every day to prolong his life so they could just be together, be happy, and not be in pain. Marijuana was his life line. I was just honored by getting to spend the weekend with Scott and Summer a few weeks ago. Scott was in pain, but he was trying to maintain, much worse from our last visit last summer. The time before when we went to see Scotty he was vibrant and doing amazing. He wasn’t sick all the time, he didn’t sleep the day away, and he was funny, joking and giving us the shit we are all use to. This was before the government decided to take from him the one thing that actually gave him hope. Medicinal Marijuana is necessary and to those that disagree; Think about if Scott had been your brother, cousin, friend, or son. Maybe your grandson or your dad. Now imagine them dead because someone accused him being something he wasn’t. Fair? No. Scott was a dad, and a amazing one at that. It’s not fair. We’ll miss you Scott. Brian is devasted your gone…you were his BIG ” BRO”. Love ya Scotty, RIP.
i am slowly getting to the point of disgust and outrage. what is THIS country, OUR country of the FREE and the BRAVE coming too when innocent men and women have to die because the plant they choose to smoke is not legal. these politicians can stand up there, day after day, fitting every person who has ever used cannabis into the ‘drug template’ as i like to call it. what about humility? judges are elected officials that are supposed to act on owr behalf for the better of society, i want to know how the living hell these actions proved to be any better for our society? i have chills i simply cannot stand for all the injustice in such a, apparent, just nation.