Two Cool residents were sentenced to five years in prison early last week for manufacturing and selling large amounts of marijuana. Cool professionals Marion "Molly" Fry, a doctor, and her lawyer husband, Dale Schafer, were found guilty by a federal jury of all charges. The couple said they have been unfairly targeted and that the pot they were growing was completely legal and allowed under the California Compassionate Use Act. "We never would have grown marijuana had it not been sanctioned by the Laws of the State of California, the Attorney General of California and the District Attorney and Sheriff's department of El Dorado County," Fry said. "Why aren't they being charged with conspiracy to violate federal law?" [continues 241 words]
Cool Doctor And Lawyer Cite Compassionate Use Act Two Cool residents were found guilty in federal court Thursday of manufacturing and selling large amounts of marijuana. But the Cool professionals, Marion "Molly" Fry, a doctor and her lawyer husband, Dale Schafer, say they are unfairly targeted and that the pot they were growing, completely legal, was allowed under the California Compassionate Use Act. "They were convicted by the jury of all charges in the indictment after three hours of deliberation," Rosemary Shawl, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office said Friday. "The are out of custody pending sentencing Nov. 26." [continues 402 words]
Foothills Doctor And Husband Say They Grow Legal Marijuana Two Cool residents could face up to 40 years in prison and millions in fines, if found guilty of manufacturing and selling large amounts of marijuana. But the Cool professionals, a doctor and a lawyer by trade, say they are unfairly targeted and that the pot they were growing, completely legal, was allowed under the California Compassionate Use Act. Dr. Marion "Molly" Fry and her attorney husband, Dale Schafer, were indicted by the U.S. Attorney's office in June 2005. [continues 623 words]
Placer County Jail officials released medical-marijuana activist Steve Kubby after he served one-third of his 120-day sentence because of overcrowding and his good behavior. "He received credit for time served and was released early because of our overcrowding situation," Capt. John Fitzgerald, commander of the jail, said Tuesday. Kubby, 59, has been incarcerated since returning to the United States from Canada after leaving the country to avoid a 120-day jail sentence in 2000. The jail is federally mandated to release inmates when it reaches a 90-percent capacity to avoid reaching 100 percent capacity of 540 inmates. [continues 679 words]
A motion by the attorney for jailed medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby to modify his sentence and the conditions of his probation was denied Friday in an Auburn courtroom. J. David Nick, Kubby's San Francisco attorney, had requested that the court allow Kubby a re-sentencing hearing stating that his client was never sentenced as a felon. Superior Court Judge John Cosgrove disagreed. "The defendant has been sentenced ... I don't see that Mr. Kubby is eligible to another sentencing," Cosgrove said Friday. "Request denied." [continues 355 words]
A new legal team representing medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby appeared in an Auburn courtroom Wednesday requesting their client's case be heard by Judge John Cosgrove. Cosgrove presided over the original jury trial in which Kubby, 59, was sentenced in 2000 to 120 days jail time for possession of psilocybin and mescaline. "What I want to do for Steve is have the case sent back to Cosgrove for a complete felony sentencing to occur," said Kubby's new attorney David Nick in a telephone interview. Nick did not appear in court, instead sending a representative. [continues 434 words]
Judge Switch Requested For Medical Pot Advocate A new legal team representing medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby appeared in an Auburn courtroom Wednesday requesting their client's case be heard by Judge John Cosgrove. Cosgrove presided over the original jury trial in which Kubby, 59, was sentenced in 2000 to 120 days jail time for possession of psilocybin and mescaline. "What I want to do for Steve is have the case sent back to Cosgrove for a complete felony sentencing to occur," said Kubby's new attorney David Nick in a telephone interview. Nick did not appear in court, instead sending a representative. [continues 434 words]
Activist's Attorney to Ask for Alternative Sentencing Incarcerated medical-marijuana activist Steve Kubby slowly entered an Auburn courtroom Tuesday afternoon and took his seat next to other inmates as he smiled to a crowd of supporters in the audience. Kubby, 59, was in court with his attorney Bill McPike for arraignment on a charge of violation of probation after his arrest Thursday in San Francisco. Kubby's attorney entered a plea of "not guilty" on behalf of his client. He said outside the courtroom that he will ask the court for alternative sentencing. [continues 497 words]
Marijuana Activist to Appear in Court Today The topic of jailed medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby is gaining popularity on the Internet as he reports failing health and poor medical attention in Placer County Jail. Placer county law-enforcement officials say they are treating Kubby humanely as they do all inmates. Kubby, 59, has reportedly spoken with supporters since his Friday incarceration. Fred Colburn, of Meadow Vista, has been friends with Kubby since the activist ran as the Libertarian candidate for governor on the 1997/1998 ballot. He said he spoke to Kubby early Monday morning. [continues 722 words]
Kubby Arrested on Return to U.S. After Asylum Rejected Medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby, a fugitive from Placer County, was back in custody Friday at Placer County Jail after being arrested at San Francisco International Airport. Kubby, 58, was arrested on a no-bail warrant by San Francisco police officers and booked into San Mateo County Jail as he disembarked from a flight from Canada. Bill McPike, Kubby's attorney, flew with his client from Vancouver to California, and said that at least seven officers were waiting for the plane when it arrived. [continues 440 words]
Medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby contends if he is returned to the United States and not allowed to smoke marijuana daily he will die, but doctors differ on whether all the pot Kubby smokes is really good for his health. Kubby's Canadian doctor said the one-time California gubernatorial candidate smokes cannabis to alleviate symptoms of his adrenal cancer. "(Kubby's) kind of cancer, metastatic pheochromocytoma, releases adrenaline into the blood and these drugs speed up your heart making your body run faster," said Dr. Joe Connors, a medical oncologist for British Columbia Cancer Agency in a telephone interview Thursday. "His tumors make excessive amounts of these substances." [continues 318 words]
Steve Kubby, a fugitive from Placer County and internationally known medical-marijuana activist, will stay in Canada for the time being despite an order to leave the country last week. The Canadian Border Services rejected the Kubby family's bid for protection Dec. 9 and ordered the Kubby family out of the country by Jan. 12 or face arrest. Michele Kubby, Steve's wife, asked a Canadian court Monday for a stay based on legal motions. She said she had limited success. [continues 431 words]
Ordered Expulsion From Canada Could Lead to Jail Steve Kubby, a fugitive from Placer County and internationally known medical-marijuana activist, is fighting to stay in Canada despite a court order to leave the country by Thursday. "Monday we're going to request a stay based on legal motions that we filed in court," Kubby said in a telephone interview from his home Thursday. "We remain hopeful that it will be granted." Kubby fled to Canada with his family in an effort to avoid incarceration after a 2000 conviction in Placer County on charges of possession of mescaline and psilocybin. Placer County deputies reportedly found a small amount of peyote button and magic mushroom during a 1999 raid of Kubby's Olympic Valley home. [continues 327 words]
Authorities Dispute Medipot Recommendations He Used A Nevada County man was recently arrested after deputies confiscated nearly a ton of marijuana from his property. "The total weight of the 109 plants we seized was about a ton," Sgt. Bill Evans, of the Nevada County Sheriff's Narcotics Task Force, said Wednesday. "I'm estimating the weight based on the two pickups and dump trailer used to haul it away." Thomas J. Wease, 42, of Nevada City, was arrested Friday and charged with suspicion of cultivating marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, being armed while committing a felony, and resisting arrest. [continues 277 words]
Medical-marijuana activist Steve Kubby lost his most recent battle in an Auburn courtroom Monday, but says it's a "victory." Bill McPike, Kubby's attorney, filed a motion to vacate a 2000 drug conviction, April 29. Judge John Cosgrove denied McPike's request Monday, citing that Placer County court did not have jurisdiction over the case and Kubby's fugitive status as reasons for the denial. Kubby fled to Canada in an effort to avoid incarceration after a 2000 conviction on charges of possession of mescaline and psilocybin. Deputies reportedly found a small amount of peyote button and magic mushroom during a 1999 search of Kubby's Olympic Valley home. [continues 619 words]
After fleeing to Canada in an effort to avoid incarceration, medical-marijuana activist Steve Kubby continues his fight with Placer County seeking to have the charges against him dismissed. Kubby's attorney, Bill McPike, and Chris Cattran, deputy district attorney for Placer County, faced off in an Auburn courtroom Friday. McPike filed a petition for writ of error coram nobis, a motion to vacate judgement, with the court Friday. Cattran reportedly filed a response, whereupon McPike requested additional time to review. The pair will return to court May 16 for further proceedings. [continues 706 words]
