When making arrests, law enforcement officers sometimes make mistakes. One Colorado man was acquitted of multiple marijuana possession felonies by a jury as the plants were being grown for the purposes of medicinal marijuana in compliance with Colorado’s medical marijuana laws. However, arresting officers apparently had already destroyed the 42 separate plants worth somewhere around $5,000 a piece.
The acquitted man’s attorney now hopes to pursue a civil matter against the law enforcement officers to recover the $210,000 he lost in the process of the destruction of the plants. Not only were the plants destroyed, the arrested man also had raw marijuana and a variety of equipment seized by law enforcement officers as well.
It would be interesting to note how much public money was already spent on the criminal investigation of this matter. Based upon a tip, a five month surveillance and investigation of this individual took place before any arrest was conducted. So even if authorities are asked to compensate the wrongfully arrested man in the amount of $210,000, the price tag concerning this matter will be much more than this.
Criminal matters are almost always extremely expensive for the individual arrested. The person needs to defend himself, will be in danger of having property seized, and may have to pay stiff fines and spend time in jail. For this reason alone, those accused of a crime should probably speak to an attorney that understands the Colorado criminal code and who has had experience working in the criminal justice system.
Source: Coloradoan.com, “Man sues Larimer sheriff over destroyed medical marijuana plants after acquittal,” by Robert Allen, Dec. 16, 2012
- More information concerning Colorado drug charges is contained on our website.