2008 Woodie Awards
Ex-instructor gets jail sentence for pot
By: Meghan Moriarty
Issue date: 10/1/08 Section: News
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The prosecution argued that Elaine Ilana Meiri should serve time in a state prison, but because she has a 12-year-old son and no previous criminal record, the judge reduced her sentence to formal probation.
"If you fail your probation somebody else will be raising your son," Judge Sandra McLean said.
A bailiff took Meiri into custody, but McLean will allow her to attend a rehabilitation program instead of serving the full 180 days.
"Systematically, this came out to about where we had hoped it (would be)," said Dane Cameron, Meiri's lawyer.
Police arrested Meiri on Feb. 28 after finding about 45 pounds of processed marijuana, packaging materials and more than $4,500 cash in her home, police said.
Employees at a Chico UPS store tipped off police after Meiri tried to send a package of weed to Hawaii on Feb. 26, Cameron said.
Meiri and two people who lived on her property had valid cannabis cards that allowed them to grow and use marijuana for medicinal purposes under Proposition 215 laws, Cameron said.
The approximate 45 pounds police confiscated included 12 plants that were growing in the backyard and trimmings from a previous harvest, he said.
McLean warned Meiri she can be searched and tested for marijuana and other drugs at any time.
Meiri's arrest shocked students, neighbors and clients of her cleaning business, Cameron said.
She has shown remorse and a willingness to change by not using or having marijuana since her arrest, Cameron said.
"This was a good person that made a mistake," he said. "She's beat herself up more than the system ever will."
Meghan Moriarty can be reached at
mmoriarty@theorion.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Josh
posted 10/06/08 @ 12:18 PM PST
This is ridiculous. Alcohol is more dangerous than pot, lets arrest some bitches for that!
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