Man Fined $500 For Possessing Cannabis

March 13, 2014

Appearing in Magistrates Court this morning [Mar 13], Roderick Carlton Butler, 29 pleaded guilty to possessing 4.18 grams of cannabis, and was fined $500 by Senior Magistrate Archie Warner.

The cannabis was found in the bedroom of his Warwick home on 29th November 2013.

Mr Butler explained that at that time, he had recently lost his father and his mother had suffered a heart attack. He apologized for his action but told the Magistrate that he had used the cannabis as a sedative to help him through his personal crisis.

The Magistrate told Mr Butler to try “legal stuff” instead. Mr Butler said that he had given up alcohol around five years ago, and no longer drank.

Duty Counsel asked the Magistrate to take into consideration the facts that Mr Butler was s first time offender, that the amount was small and clearly intended only for personal use, and that community attitudes towards the use of cannabis were changing. The lawyer asked for a Conditional Discharge.

The Senior Magistrate said that until the laws were changed, he had to rule according to law. He then levied a fine of $500.

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Category: All, Court Reports, Crime

Comments (21)

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  1. Please legalise and tax it…we will freely give you money….show us some love and have it in return!

  2. Smh says:

    Yet Trevor Moniz son gets off

    • Mr. Butler says:

      Maybe if I was the child of a politician things would have been a little different!

  3. Smh says:

    BDA is a phu**in JOKE!!!

  4. Smh says:

    BDA’s judicial system SUCKS!!!

  5. Will says:

    woah! hold on! what in the hell gave the police warranted access to his house? did someone tell the police that someone was smoking weed? because as it stands, finding four grams in a house doesn’t seem to warrant a search in the first place! this judicial system is going to hell, a waste of time, OUR money, and resources.
    Legalise, tax, and live and let live. Thank goodness we don’t pay much in the way of tax here because if we did i definitely would not be filing my tax forms.

    • Mr. Butler says:

      A member of the public actually called police n said I have a gun (Must be a hater). That was enough for a justic of the peace/ magistrate to issue a suspicion of fire arms warrant without any real police work being done. During the search they found weed.

  6. Will says:

    not to mention what the heck is going on in the courts. just the other day wasn’t someone given a discharge but now the judge is saying the law is the law? these guys (judges) need to be replaced and the judicial system completely over hauled. If this continues it will just break our economy. We can’t afford to pay police 70k+ a year and all they seem to be doing is busting people for minor amounts of herb. Can’t remember the last time someone was hauled in front of a judge over possession or use of crack or heroin…

    • Mr. Butler says:

      We can’t blame the magistrates because they just uphold the law. We the people need to push for certain changes to be made in this island and only we can do it. If all the people of the island who smoked marijuana really wanted things changed they would. It’s a shame that because this island is such a police feared country the people fear their own voices n that’s why they/we are never heard.
      N it scares me even more that gay marriage would probably be legal in this country before marihuana is even decriminalized!

      • Sandy Bottom says:

        That “scares” you? Why?

      • Mike Hind says:

        Why does marriage equality scare you?

        How are the two even remotely connected?

        I’m all for the decriminalization or legalization of marijuana. I’ve been very vocal in my support of it.
        But even I can see that there is a negative side to it. There are societal dangers that must be faced.

        Marriage equality doesn’t have those dangers.

        So, I ask:

        Why does it scare you?

        • sage says:

          Please expand on the “dangers”.

        • Mr. Butler says:

          Leviticus 20 13 is why its scary. These are the words of god. Go read them

        • Mr. Butler says:

          Deuteronomy 22 5. Read it!

      • Tawn says:

        Hey Mr. Butler, could you contact me if possible? I have a few questions regarding an incident I was in.

  7. sage says:

    Then the judge tells the guy to try legal stuff, the level of arrogance and hypocrisy is sickening. And it hurts me to hear a grown man have to apologize for doing nothing wrong it is so degrading. The man needs a good draw, he just lost his dad and his moms sick, heartless ignoramuses! When herb becomes legal these jokers should be put in the stocks and forced to apologize while being pelted with rotten fruit by people smoking herb. Can you imagine what investigating, processing, arresting, jailing and conviction cost us? It wasn’t under $500 you can bet your boots. And Will, crack and heroin? We know what’s up.

    • Will says:

      maybe the judge is one of those extreme anti pot guys who thinks pot smokers should be hanged,hence his comment to try the legal stuff. You know, the stuff that’ll kill you so he isn’t in court ever again.

    • Mr. Butler says:

      The tax payer of this island would really be mad at the police in this case if they knew the cost of getting a warrant, setting up a task force of I would say was at least 20 officer of different units, police man hours on this case and court fees. I can say this, 500 dollar doesn’t even scratch the surface!
      I can’t knock the judge for anything because he only doing his job and marijuana is illegal. However to tell someone who was highly stressed that they should go drinking, knowing the amount bad things that happen alcohol related is a shame.

      • sage says:

        These judges let people caught with guns, ammo, $250,000 in undeclared gold coins, and certain people for herb, off completely too so they are at least partially to blame, and herb should be freed anyway it is a human rights violation, look it up. There is no authority without responsibility. Herb is so far safer than alcohol.

  8. Hmmmm says:

    It’s time for the law to change!

  9. BOB says:

    Did the judge really say to drink alcohol instead of smoking mary jane… I know its legal but health wise alcohol is worse the crack cocaine. Im not making it up :
    http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/20/health/marijuana-versus-alcohol/
    Please legalize!