Newland avoids (some) prison

Update on Bob Newland's sentencing for cannabis possession today.

Unfortunately I only got there at the end, but if I interpreted what was said correctly, Bob Newland will not have to go to jail. He received a one-year suspended sentence, but is now a convicted felon for no good reason. He wasn't driving high; the amount he had was for personal use.

It's clear Newland broke the law, but I wish our law enforcement and justice system could have spent all that effort on something demonstrably more important - like fighting meth or domestic violence.

And meanwhile, KOTA reports that South Dakota is #2 in the Nation -- in child poverty.

Our priorities in South Dakota seem to be clear...


UPDATE:
The Journal just posted some details... looks like 45 days of jail time, plus the rest of the year a suspended sentence. Hopefully in practice the parole board can be kinder to him.

But worse, no more political activism on cannabis issues for Bob until he's off probation in two years. The big question looms: does this render a 2010 medical cannabis referendum DOA?