Key West
New Member
<CENTER>Sentenced to 150 years, reduced to 90 years </CENTER>
charged with cultivation and possession of five marijuana plants.
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charged with cultivation and possession of five marijuana plants.
In 1992, James Geddes was walking along a street with a friend when he got arrested. The police got a search warrant and went to the home rented by his friend. They found a small amount of marijuana, paraphernalia for smoking marijuana, and five plants growing in their vegetable garden.
There was no evidence that James lived at this house, although he was a frequent visitor. He refused to plea bargain as he claimed his innocence and was sentenced to 75 years and one day for cultivation of five plants and to another 75 years, plus one day for possession of marijuana. He was also charged with possession of a firearm and paraphernalia. James filed an appeal on his sentence. In 1995, his appeal came through, which reduced it to 90 years.
"I honestly feel like I have been kidnapped by the state of Oklahoma. I have never murdered anyone, raped anyone, or hurt any children. People feel they have the right to choose their sexual preference. If they want to end a life by abortion, if they want to inject nicotine into their lungs, if they want to drug themselves with alcohol, but because I choose to smoke a little marijuana, I have to go to prison for years, maybe the rest of my life....
"How can it be that the President, his wife, the Vice President and his wife, the mayor of Washington DC, even the Speaker of the House can do these things, but I must pay dearly?"
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