Search Results: chris williams (21)

Reason.com
Chris Williams: “With the rest of my life literally hanging in the balance, I simply could not withstand the pressure any longer”

Six Felony Charges and Criminal Forfeiture Dismissed, Appeal Waived
Medical cannabis provider Chris Williams has reached a settlement with prosecutors in his criminal proceedings. Under the terms of the highly-unusual, post-conviction compromise — the second of its kind offered to Williams — six of the charges will be dismissed, in exchange for withdrawing his pending motions for acquittal and a new trial.
Until Tuesday, Williams faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 92 years in prison. By agreeing not to appeal his conviction on Count III and Count VI, the mandatory minimum penalties against Williams have been reduced to five years.

Eliza Wiley/Helena Independent Record
Chris Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of more than 85 years in federal prison

Editor’s note: Chris Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of more than 85 years in federal prison for medical marijuana. This is a letter written to federal judge Dana Christensen on his behalf by activist Kari Boiter.

12/12/2012

The Honorable Judge Dana Christensen
United States District Court
201 E. Broadway
Missoula, Montana 59802

RE: Christopher Wayne Williams
Your Honor,
I am writing this letter in support of Chris Williams. In my current career and the decade that I spent working in the television news industry, I have never known anyone as extraordinary, thoughtful, brilliant or honorable as Chris.
As Your Honor knows all too well, very few federal cases go to trial. In fact, out of at least 70 medical marijuana caregivers indicted since President Obama took office, Chris is one of only four to exercise his Sixth Amendment right to a trial by a jury of his peers. Chris didn’t refuse to plead guilty because he denies involvement in a cannabis caregiving operation – as Your Honor heard him openly take responsibility for on the witness stand in September – but because of his deeply-held belief in the U.S. Constitution. He believes that the Tenth Amendment guarantees States the right to experiment with policies on issues like medical marijuana, the “Made in Montana” gun law and campaign finance limits. Chris believes in the right to due process, eminent domain and the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure, as evidenced by his civil lawsuit over the March 2011 raids. He clearly believed in the Second Amendment right to bear arms, like 39 percent of his fellow Americans and 58 percent of his neighbors in Montana.
Unfortunately, Chris also believed in the statements made by President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, indicating that those in “clear and unambiguous compliance” with state medical marijuana laws would not face federal prosecution. When he formed Montana Cannabis with three other men in 2009, Chris had faith that as long as they did everything in their power to strictly obey Montana law, the business would be allowed to operate openly and honestly. Montana Cannabis paid all state and federal taxes; workers compensation and unemployment insurance; generous salaries to close to three dozen employees, some of whom were otherwise unemployable or were previously working for sub-standard wages; the company even gave back to the local community, donating to local food banks and charity fundraisers.

Free Chris Williams/Facebook
Chris Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of more than 90 years in federal prison

Courageous Caregiver Refuses Constitutional ‘Compromise’
By Kari Boiter
“I have decided to fight the federal government because for me, not defending the things that I know are right is dishonorable,” writes Chris Williams from his cell at Crossroads Correctional Center, a for-profit prison in Shelby, Montana. “Every citizen has a responsibility to fight for what is right, even if it seems like the struggle will be lost.”
 
Williams’ words are particularly poignant. As he writes from prison, he faces the near-certainty that he will spend the rest of his life locked away in an industrial-size cage. His crime? Providing medical marijuana to terminally ill and disabled patients authorized to use cannabis under Montana law. 
Williams co-owned Montana Cannabis, along with Tom Daubert, Chris Lindsey and Richard Flor. Daubert was a lobbyist who helped write Montana’s medical marijuana law; Lindsey was a former public defender; Flor was the first registered caregiver in Montana; and Williams was the consummate farmer. Together, these men established a “gold standard” for strict compliance with Montana law. 

Eliza Wiley/Helena Independent Record
Chris Williams: :”[T]he extraordinary circumstances of this case do warrant my taking additional legal advice and possible new legal counsel”

The conviction of Montana medical marijuana provider Chris Williams, convicted of violating federal law, took another twist on Tuesday when his defense attorney, Michael Donohoe, filed a motion to withdraw from the case.

Donahoe said he believes that when Williams heard about an Ohio State law professor and legal blogger criticizing aspects of the case, his client lose confidence in Donahoe’s ability to present the best defense possible, with sentencing coming up on February 1, reports Eve Byron at the Helena Independent Record.

Medical marijuana provider Chris Williams on Thursday was convicted of all eight charges, and faces up to 90 years in federal prison

Montana medical marijuana provider Chris Williams on Thursday was found guilty on all eight counts related to his work at a state-licensed medicinal cannabis caregiver organization, which was the subject of a federal raid in March of 2011.
The case was seen as a big test of the federal raids of state-compliant medical marijuana in the Big Sky State. Williams ran the Helena greenhouse of Montana Cannabis, where federal agents seized 950 plants in March 2011.
The operation was the biggest of the 26 medical marijuana providers raided that day across Montana.

Steve Elliott ~alapoet~

By Ron Marczyk, RN

“It is clear that we’re in the midst of a serious national conversation about marijuana.” ~ Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske
Let’s start that serious national conversation about marijuana! Seventy-five years late is better than never. Why now? Because marijuana legalization support is growing and is more popular by several points then any politician in the country! 
  
This new marijuana majority has the momentum, the votes and the moral high ground; if you support prohibition you are showing your age and your lack of medical science knowledge and you shouldn’t be in office making decisions that affect young people 18-34 who are the new face of America.
 
This new marijuana spring just gave birth to legalization.

Reason
Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske: “Calling it medicine sends a terrible message”

Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske — required by law to lie about the medical efficacy of cannabis — has, unsurprisingly, attacked the herb again in a speech in San Francisco.

“Calling it medicine sends a terrible message” to American youth, according to the Czar, reports Chris Roberts at NBC Bay Area. Gil seems unfamiliar with or indifferent to the fact that the U.S. federal government itself has been providing free medical marijuana to a handful of patients for 30 years under the Compassionate Investigational New Drug program.
Gil could also use a refresher course on the thousands of scientific studies which show marijuana’s medical effectiveness. Oh well; I guess Science “sends a terrible message” to youth, as well.

Pot.tv
Aaron Sandusky faces 10 years to life in federal prison. He will be sentenced next month.

This month will see a number of patients sentenced, sent to prison despite compliance with state medical marijuana laws
Fallout from the Obama Administration’s aggressive federal enforcement in medical marijuana states has reached a fever pitch this month with three people being sentenced, two others due to surrender to federal authorities to serve out sentences of up to five years in prison, and one federal trial in Montana currently scheduled for January 14.

Photo: Eliza Wiley/Helena Independent Record
Chris Williams of the Montana Caregivers Association watches as DEA agents and local law enforcement raid his Montana Cannabis grow operation on March 14. Willliams is now suing the federal government.

​Two Montana medical marijuana providers have accused the United States government of civil rights violations in what is believed to be the first lawsuit of its kind, in response to a federal crackdown on medicinal cannabis operations nationwide.

The owners of Montana Caregivers Association and MCM Caregivers said that federal raids on medical marijuana businesses across Montana in March were unconstitutional, exceeded the government’s authority and preempted the states’ medical marijuana law, reports Matt Volz at the Associated Press. Montana’s medicinal cannabis law was approved by an overwhelming 62 percent of voters in 2000.

Photo: THC Finder
Dumb-ass DEA agents felt they needed to wear masks and respirators while raiding and killing medical marijuana gardens in Montana on Monday, because otherwise they might get some of that evil cannabis on them.

​There are still no charges related to this week’s medical marijuana dispensary raids across Montana, but an examination of civil seizure warrants reveals a possible motive behind the raids: The warrants authorized federal agents to “seize” more than $4.2 million from dispensary bank accounts.

Following what authorities claimed was an 18-month investigation, 26 search warrants targeting seven dispensaries were executed on Monday, reports Angela Brandt at the Helena Independent Record. Federal agents claimed they were looking for evidence of “large-scale trafficking” as well as tax evasion.
1 2 3