Irony And Justice in Texas
There’s more than a little irony inherent in this drug war story . . .
Prospective juror in pot trial caught smoking marijuana
Woman charged with drug possession on break from trial
By BRIAN ROGERSJudge Sherman Ross tried to assemble a jury of peers for a woman accused of possession of a marijuana on trial Tuesday.
But authorities say prospective juror Cornelia Mayo might have taken that concept a bit too far after she was caught smoking a joint outside the courthouse during a break.
The 49-year-old Houston woman was one of 20 people in a jury pool in Criminal Court at Law No. 10.
Ross said he realized something was wrong when juror No. 2, Mayo, didn’t return from a 45-minute break. Before the judge could file a bench warrant for the missing juror, his bailiff got a call from police notifying him that Mayo was being booked on a charge of smoking marijuana outside the criminal courthouse.
“I’ve had prospective jurors get lost before, but it never occurred to me that they might be getting ready for a marijuana trial by, allegedly, smoking marijuana,” Ross said.
He also said it was a strange coincidence for a court that also sees trials for DWI’s, family violence and many other misdemeanors.
“It’s the first weed case I’ve tried in years,” Ross said. “People usually plead out.”
The former juror was charged with possession of marijuana. She is scheduled to be arraigned next week in Criminal Court at Law No. 11 —across the hall from Ross’ courtroom.
Stories (and irony) like this, are a result of foolish drug laws that don’t reflect the reality of human nature and prohibition. This isn’t meant to be a treatise on jury nullification, but what if instead of being busy getting stoned in her car, Jurror X would have planning to hold out for an acquittal, at the very least producing a hung jury.
Think about it . . .
Tags: drug war, Hemp, jury nullification, jury of peers, sensi society, smoking a joint
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