Marc Emery: Why I will plead guilty in a U.S. court to distributing marijuana
By Marc Emery
In the end, my lawyer, a wily and shrewd man named
Ian Donaldson, said he just wouldn’t do it. He wouldn’t be the lawyer of record at any extradition hearing for
Marc Emery. It wasn’t about money, though Ian has charged me next to nothing over four years—less than $20,000—and it wasn’t for lack of caring either. He said there just isn’t any way to beat the extradition. As he told the CBC, “I am unaware of any situation since the 1990s when the Canadian government has refused an extradition request of the United States.” ...
...Only as late as last April, I was agreeing to be sentenced to five years, at first in a U.S. jail, and then with most time to be served in Canada. The U.S. district attorney and I had a deal, but the Canadian prosecutorial service, at the request of
Rob Nicholson, the Canadian justice minister, nixed this last May. The explanation was that the Conservative government wanted to do me no favours.
I have always thought the Conservative government, since taking power in January 2006, has been politicizing the judiciary, policing, and law enforcement to take a more severe and punitive approach to the marijuana culture. Its all a culture war to them...
...As for me, I’m going to plead guilty in a Seattle courtroom sometime in August. I will be sentenced in September or October. I’m pleading guilty to one count of distributing marijuana.
I am doing this because my lawyer framed my options thusly: To challenge the extradition will result in a lost cause, and result in my extradition to Seattle to stand trial on three counts—conspiracy to manufacture, conspiracy to distribute, and conspiracy to money launder. Even waiting for my trial in Sea-Tac jail would take approximately six months to a year. Sentencing on the money laundering involves a mandatory minimum 10 years in federal prison. It also comes with the possibility of a substantial financial penalty, perhaps as high as $250,000 or up to $1 million in fines. If there is a financial penalty attached to my conviction, I cannot be transferred to a Canadian prison while any amount owing is outstanding. To challenge all three charges involves a potential jail time of 10 years plus five years plus five years plus $250,000 or more in fines.
On the one charge of marijuana distribution that I will plead to, the assistant DA, Mr. Greenburg, is going to be asking for five to eight years, and my lawyers will ask for less, much less, in punishment, but its likely to be a stint in a U.S. federal prison.
I have some very good arguments in my favour at a sentencing hearing; I did all my activities openly, transparently, paid taxes on earnings, in full view of all Canadians for 10 years. I had clearly political motives, gave away over $4 million to the movement in that 10 years, and there is no victim here.
Upon my conviction, my wife
Jodie will organize a campaign to have me transferred back to a Canadian jail; upon my arrival in the Canadian system, my sentence reflects Canadian rules of release so a five-year sentence may see me released after a few years to day parole....
Marc Emery: Why I will plead guilty in a U.S. court to distributing marijuana | Straight.com
