‘Compassion on Trial’ in Case of New Jersey MS Patient
One of the more outrageous and gut-wrenching trials involving marijuana in recent memory is taking place right now in New Jersey. Somerville resident John Wilson, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and treats himself with marijuana he grows, is being charged with operating a drug manufacturing facility, even though there is no evidence to show that Wilson supplied marijuana to anyone but himself.
Edward R. Hannaman, a board member of Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey, describes this horrendous injustice as such:
“Outrageously, but understandably, the prosecution desperately wants jurors to be denied all the truly relevant facts. It has fought to forbid Wilson from mentioning his disease, that marijuana has been proven to be an effective palliative for multiple sclerosis, that he was using it solely for that purpose, that 13 other states have legalized it for that purpose and that New Jersey is about to. All the jurors will be allowed to hear is evidence proving Wilson ‘manufactured’ marijuana. This is the type of injustice one is accustomed to seeing in a dictatorship — not in America.”
Tagged with: multiple sclerosis and New Jersey and victim by the author
32 comments
Can’t he just get continuances until the Legislature passes the current MMJ bill? If not, what happens if he is still in trial (or already convicted) and the laws for NJ are changed?
this country fukin sucks if this is the kinda crap that is wasting tax payers dollars. this needs to end!!!!!!!
i wouldnt let them silence me….. especially if there are cameras around, even cell phone cameras…. what they are doing SHOULD be illegal!
These prosecutors are cowards.
What can we do to help this man?
I don’t understand why any information is prevented from being used in court. If the information doesn’t hold up then someone on the opposite side of the case should point that out. How can a person be proven to be with out a doubt guilty if all of the information isn’t heard? This is not the land of the free as it is so often labeled. We incarcerate more people than any other and so many for non-violent victimless crimes. How can that ever be considered free?
Since when is it constitutional to deny the accussed the ability to defend his self. What country is this? This country is lost.
This is the bull^%$ we are dealing with…where is the justice ? Where is our right to use medication we think will help us? This case is sick! Those prosecuting him should be brought up on charges of negligence.
it’s time for a miricle because this seems to be an impossible situation….what an injustice our system became…darkest before the light….but the light of this rediculous way of treating MS patients will soon be evident…God please help the poor, the sick, the lame.
So he must prove that he is innocent while being gagged by the court. The madness of it all puts the court system in shame.
When is the next hearing? Hopefully someone local can storm the room and state these facts. If this man gets convicted…watch out!
Yeah…NJ = Corruption.
A804 (NJ’s MMJ Bill) needs to go to a vote in front of the Assembly, but one person (Assemblyman Joseph Roberts) can crush the whole thing if he doesn’t post the Bill for a vote. I still can’t believe that one person can screw this whole thing up.
To make matters worse, there’s some political uneasiness between him and Senate President Dick Cody, and I’d be willing to bet that Roberts would hold back on this bill just to stick it to Cody. Send Roberts a message. Ask him why he hasn’t posted A804 yet and what will it take to get him to do so.
https://ssl.capwiz.com/mpp/issues/alert/?alertid=14424906
Hopefully, if this passes into law, it will make the defense case for John easier (or appeal). NJ needs to become the 14th state Medical Marijuana state.
Oh yeah…85% of NJ voters support this bill. You’d like to think that Politicians would be all over something that has such strong support. When was the last time 85% of the public agreed on anything?
i think it is an outrage. The man was trying to treat his condition! should someone be punished for that? What the heck is this world coming to. I cant understand the mindset of the prosecution this is just very wrong and very twisted on their part. This is just hands down WRONG. This man didn’t one day ask and say, “hey God can you give me MS?”. NO, but God gave us a plant called cannabis? Which one is evil? The disease or the plant?
I live in NJ and I put in last week to take off for a rally at the courthouse. If anyone lives close enough to do the same, please come show your support. We’re too close to let this crap slide now.
It seems as though we should be able to take the government to court for unconstitutionally violating basic human rights. Too bad the government is too corrupt to allow us. It’s scary to see our country with so much government regulation. We’re getting a little too control crazy these days. What ever happened to “open” and “free”. Now it’s “disclaimer” here and “DISCLAIMER” there.
This case is so outrageous that it will help propel medical MJ into law. I am confident that Corzine will pardon him after he signs the medical marijuana bill.
There was a time when there was no illegal drug use in this country. Throughout that period this nation and its citizens did just fine, thank you. Failure to re-legalize cannabis is a violation of God’s will for people to live in freedom with liberty as acknowledged and cited in the Constitution of the United States. Considering what some American patriots have paid to preserve these and other inalienable rights, I’m amazed how so many citizens act like sheeple, allowing a few self-entitled hypocrites to control virtually every facet of everyone else’s lives. For those who do not like cannabis, don’t use it, but don’t violate God’s will and the founding document of this nation by making that decision for others against their free will. Simply mind your own business, live and let live.
It is Unconstitutional and inhumane to deprive people of medical treatment that works for them. Failure to re-legalize cannabis makes one wonder about the true motives of our trusted public officials. Is it possible they are concerned with little more than re-election, more power and money?
So much for telling ” the tryth the WHOLE truth and nothing but the truth” so help me God…
This is so wrong. How, in America, can evidence be not allowed in a court of law? The judge that is not allowing this mans medical records to be used is acting like a dictator. Only in a country that is not free, can the truth be opressed. Where is the proof that proves cannabis does not help? There is none. If this man is convicted, and I pray that does not happen, the Gov of N.J. has, and should use his power to let this man walk. This just shows how little our own Goverenment cares about it’s own people. If we are not in an elected office, we mean nothing to polititions. All we are is pawns to get them elected and then we get SHIT on till we vote them out. Then we are forced to eat the SHIT of the next elected official. Our gov. is to big and has to much power.How many supreme rulers did Obama hire? They should ALL be fired, NOW!!.We are so close to loosing all of our freedoms. I got off track, but we have had enough of big brother and his corrupt, greedy, self serving ways. Vote yes for the legalization of all cannabis, medical or otherwise.
I wonder if Mr. Wilson’s attorney would be interested in putting Mr. Wilson on the stand and then asking, “Mr. Wilson, are there any facts related to this case that you would like to share with the jury but that the judge has forbidden you to bring forward?” A simple “Yes” response to that would probably wake up at least a couple of jurors. Mr. Wilson’s attorneycould then follow up with, “And what facts has the judge forbidden you to share with the jury?” Mr. Wilson would either get to state his facts, or the judge will shut down the proceedings and call the attorneys to his chambers. Either way, it would put the jury on notice that some pretty important stuff was being kept from them, and it’s stuff the defendant wants known. That may be enough to creat “reasonable doubt” even if Mr. Wilson never actually gets to present his case.
Any attorneys out there want to weigh in on this one?
Just unbelievable. And if John Wilson insists on informing the jury of what they need to know, he’ll get jailed by the thugs, excuse me I mean the government, for contempt. But it’s the state that is showing the most disgusting contempt for those they are suppose to SERVE.
But BillyBob is right, scumbag prosecutions like this are only signing the death warrant for laws against medical marijuana, and bringing well deserved disrepute on the war on selected drugs in general, and the war on cannabis (so much LESS dangerous than killer alcohol) in particular.
[...] [via the Marijuana Policy Project] [...]
Just as Rally #13 is doing, NJ locals need to show up early during the trial days (and jury selection days, if that hasn’t already happened). Literature should be passed out on MMJ, The Truth in Trials Act to be introduced in Congress, and jury nullification. I think most people, armed with the full facts of the case and of MJ, would find John Wilson innocent.
ME? They would have to REPEATEDLY Jail ME for Contempt & Mistrial! I would NOT keep MY mouth Shut, You would have to tie me down and GAG me, I have a Constitutional RIGHT To make ALL the Relevant Facts Clear!!!!!!!!!
I think he should do the old slip up in court thing and mention that he only had one customer, and that customer had MS. Or maybe he could not smoke that week and let all of the jurors, see for themselves what MS looks like, or better smoke in court after his tremors become too much of a distraction.
News Flash…Isn’t living in a police state…kynda like the same as a dictatorship? When someone smoking pot can have their doors knocked down, guys running around in combat gear, with automatic assault rifles..terrorizing everyone on the premises. Yet, pedifiles are given lighter sentences than petty thieves? There is an example of a broken system. Why can’t this man grow, eat, drink, smoke whatever he wants in his own home? Uhh Privacy? I am outraged at myself and everybldy else…we should be marching to Washington right now. The Prez is probably smoking a fatty right now.
Hey newageblues: Will the real thugs please stand up? We know it is no big deal. Ciggarettes Kill Everybody. Does the Gov know they are killing people? How many people do you know that weed has killed? Like the comedians say…”How many angry weed smokers have you ever seen?” What weed smoker says, ” As soon as I smoke this splif, I’m going to cuss my entire family out, they never treated me right! And if anyone talks back, I’m poppin a cap!” Hell no, after a joint, you want to forgive, forget and move on to whatever is positive, peaceful, productive, inspiring, entertaining, oh and don’t forget delicious, and thirst quenching. HEE Hee!
You all should walk a mile in his shoes. I’m tired, very tired of others in this fight for folks like me. Its been long enough, let the people involved, MS patients, TM patients, with ALS or whatever. A lot of you folks have no idea of the pain or suffering we go through each day. I may be in Trenton,as much it will cost me.
All the mention of Wilson and CMMNJ and there are no good links!
http://www.cmmnj.org
Direct link for info on the 12/14 Wilson rally
http://cmmnj.blogspot.com/2009/12/somerville-rally-fundraiser-for-nj-ms.html
Even the ONE man that was responsible for prohibition begged, cried, and pleaded for relief of his pain while he was dying from cancer. The doctor told him the only medicine that could help him is unattainable, Harry Anslinger who was only able to get morphine to ease the pain of his prostate cancer ask the doctor to help him, they told him he is the reason he couldn’t be helped.
As Anslinger realize what he did, he soon discovered that he was the most hated person in the history of the USA in those times.
People would come to the hospital and his house just to laugh to his face and mock him. Some spit on him, some would light up a joint in his view and he would be too weak to do anything about it. Here is a wildly unknown Fact to many, Harry Anslinger is today responsible for claiming more American lives than the Vietnam war, but on his own soil, that’s the sad part. Let’s support John Wilson before he is Anslingers’ next victim.
It’s long past the point of “we were just following orders”, “just doing our jobs”. The war on medical marijuana is a crime against humanity. These people should be made to learn first hand what a jail term does to your life.
I agree! Prisons in America need to be abolished. Drop real criminals off on a island. Smoking Pot helps with my migrains and neck injury. It helps everything an abusive job broke on my body, mind and spirit. A few tokes and I am whole again.
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