The latest news out of Vancouver is that the plea agreement that would have sent Marc Emery to a fixed jail sentence and spared his co-defendants has fallen through:
But now there is a fresh wrinkle in the proceedings, one that even those most hostile to Emery’s cause should be able to see the absurdity of. Earlier this year Emery was able to arrange a plea bargain with U.S. prosecutors that would see him accept a 10-year sentence on their charges, of which he would serve half. Under the deal his co-accused colleagues would go free and Emery would serve the first 45 days of his sentence in the U.S., after which he would be returned to Canada to finish his stretch in a more comfortable Canadian prison.
All that was needed was the agreement of Canada’s department of justice. But last week, after a month of pessimistic media reports, they gave a final “No.” The Americans insisted on guarantees against Emery being released before his five years was up, and such arrangements are forbidden in Canadian law, so no Canadian judge can order the application of such a sentence. That means Emery will have to go ahead with the extradition proceedings that were held over in the face of the plea-bargain, and face a possible life sentence down south. Catch-22: because Canada is too humane and liberal to apply the punishment that the Americans would like — a punishment Emery has voluntarily agreed to — there appears to be no option but to hand him over to the Americans without protection against much worse treatment!
Now it looks like the April 9 extradition case will happen as planned. Emery thinks the Canadian government could do more to protect him from America’s justice system, where he could spend his entire life behind bars for running a business that the Canadian government collected taxes on for years. If Marc Emery and his co-defendants end up on trial here, I think all of Canada should go on strike.
Um, didn’t he ask to be arrested? Didn’t he dare people to arrest him? Didn’t he get his wish? What’s the problem?
Didn’t Rosa Parks dare people to arrest her? Didn’t she get her wish?
Sometimes people dare authorities to arrest them because they know that it can demonstrate the unjustness of a law.
Your elementary school teachers should cover this when you get to 3rd grade.
Prime Minister Harper and his gang of religious thugs (aka Baby Bush) like the idea that Canadian marijuana offenders do life in the US. With his minority government he is unable to change marijauna laws in accordance with the dogma and fatwa’s of his Colorado based fundamentalist church.
Harper could stop the entire process by charging Emery in Canada but he’d likely get a 1 week suspended sentence. This would offend Harper’s religious beliefs.
Consider the many US gun dealers who ship illegal handguns to Canada – guns which kill Canadians every day. Not one of these dealers has been charged by Bushes justice department. Of course no US jury would convict.
@2 Lee:
Well then, you being a stoner, by all means get youself locked up for the cause dumbass.
@4
I’ve publicly admitted I smoke pot. What more do you want me to do?