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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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New Zealand: Jail As Protest Against Law
ccguide Monday 05 Jun 2000 Pubdate: Sat, 03 Jun 2000 Source: Otago Daily Times (New Zealand) Copyright: Allied Press Limited, 2000 Contact: Address: P.O. Box 181, 52-66 Lower Stuart Street, Dunedin, New Zealand Website: http://www2.odt.co.nz JAIL AS PROTEST AGAINST LAW A man who declined to pay fines for possessing cannabis is serving 14 days' jail to show his total disagreement with the laws on cannabis. Duncan Langley Eddy (25) said in the Dunedin District Court yesterday he was prepared to go to prison. "I see it as my social duty," he told Judge John Macdonald. Eddy was before the court on review of a 45-hour term of community service imposed on April 18 in place of fines and costs of $460 imposed last August on two convictions for possessing cannabis. At a defended hearing on August 24 he said he admitted the ingredients of the charges but did not accept any guilt. He told Judge Macdonald he found it "quite destructive" that he could be suddenly made a criminal again. (Eddy had a relevant previous conviction in 1996.) Yesterday, he told the judge, "the Government is now acknowledging my argument. I think it sad that 25,000 people a year are convicted of cannabis charges. My MP Pete Hodgson agrees with me the only way I could change the law was to keep getting busted. I am prepared to go to prison". Judge Macdonald offered Eddy the opportunity to complete the community service or pay the fines. "If you are not prepared to do that, there is no option but to send you to prison," he said. Eddy declined and was sentenced to 14 days' jail. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk
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