Probation is No Walk in the Park: Another Example

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Tue Sep 25, 2012 at 12:18:58 PM EST
Tags: Chris Brown, Probation (all tags)

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Singer Chris Brown is on 5 years of supervised probation for his felony plea to assault stemming from a 2009 incident in which he hit his then-girlfriend Rhianna. His probation was transferred under the Interstate Compact Act to Virginia where he lives. Virginia filed a petition to revoke his probation, recommending that the judge then reimpose probation with added terms.

Yesterday, a hearing was held. While there are multiple media headlines that he violated probation because he used marijuana, that is misleading.

The terms of his California probation did not require drug testing or prohibit him from using marijuana. Brown has a medicinal marijuana license in California. He smoked marijuana in California and then traveled to Virginia. [More...]

The judge said Brown produced a medicinal marijuana prescription from California and that she had never ordered him not to use drugs, so the positive drug test may not have a major impact on his probation.

Thus, the Judge said she will not revoke probation for his use of marijuana. Virginia made him take a drug test and he tested positive. Virginia says he's under its jurisdiction now, and its terms prohibit anyone on probation supervision from using marijuana.

Virginia says Brown traveled to Paris without permission. But the California judge, who decides Brown's travel requests, granted him permission. Virginia says he still was obligated to get a travel permit from Virginia.

Brown was ordered to perform 180 days of community Service. According to Virginia, Brown has performed 1,402 hours. Brown says he has completed all of it. The Judge continued the hearing until November for a further review of the community service issue.

The records show Brown spent the hours doing manual labor, such as picking up trash, sweeping floors, washing cars and painting walls.

Brown also completed a year of domestic violence and anger management classes.

What does Rhianna have to say about this?

@chrisbrown I'm praying for you and wishing u the best today!

The court documents, including Virginia's complaint and the spreadsheet of his community service are here.

The judge transferred his probation back to California yesterday, with the next hearing set for November 1.

Just a reminder, while probation is better than jail, it's no walk in the park.

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Probation is No Walk in the Park: Another Example | 13 comments (13 topical)

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Legalize marijuana like wine (5.00 / 2) (#9)
by jway on Wed Sep 26, 2012 at 12:10:36 PM EST

American taxpayers are being forced to pay $40 Billion a year for a prohibition that causes 10,000 brutal murders & 800,000 needless arrests every year, but which doesn't even stop CHILDREN from getting marijuana.

After seventy years of prohibition, it's obvious that the federal marijuana prohibition causes FAR more harm than good and must END! Drug Dealers Don't Card, Supermarkets Do.

Yeah, I can't put too much stock in (none / 0) (#3)
by Anne on Tue Sep 25, 2012 at 03:12:29 PM EST

what Rhianna's saying, and I can't really imagine why anyone would. Of course it's possible he's changed and she's changed and he's explored why he chose to beat up on her, and she's explored how to process and deal with it, and they are now both much more functional and healthy and all that other good stuff. But I'm certainly not going to know if that's the case based on a tweet, for heaven's sake.

But don't get me started on Twitter, please.

And while probation may not be a walk in the park, it's certainly more pleasant than being incarcerated, and I imagine that it's also a whole heck of a lot easier for someone with Chris Brown's means, as opposed to, say, some average-to-economically-disadvantaged person who can't find a job, has no money and little community support, and can't pay a high-priced lawyer to argue his way out of the jurisdictional infighting Brown has been subjected to.

I know that in a perfect world, the judicial system isn't supposed to play games with anyone's rights or privileges or the law, but it's hard for me to feel much sympathy for Chris Brown.

a medical joke (none / 0) (#4)
by diogenes on Tue Sep 25, 2012 at 06:03:22 PM EST

Which disease is the one which allowed Chris Brown, a healthy (physically) young man, to get a "medical marijuana" license?

if you'd bother to read the (5.00 / 4) (#6)
by Jeralyn on Tue Sep 25, 2012 at 11:31:45 PM EST

documents, you'd see an acupuncturist prescribed it. You don't need to have a disease to qualify for a license. Chronic pain is sufficient. Maybe he has migraines. Since you have no idea of his medical condition, please refrain from claiming his license wasn't legitimate. Future such comments will be deleted.

In California, the medical board states on its website:

The Act names certain medical conditions for which medical marijuana may be useful, although physicians are not limited in their recommendations to those specific conditions.

There is a huge amount of research concluding cannabis relieves chronic pain. It also helps with muscle spasticity, nausea and appetite loss and psychiatric conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.

Also, from another site:

In California there is a list of diagnosis that qualify automatically. HOWEVER, in addition doctors can recommend medical marijuana for anything that it provides relief for and that evidence can be backed by patient reports. Therefore if you have chronic insomnia (for example) and can not tolerate ambien or lunesta and have used marijuana with good results, you would qualify.
Any of these conditions have to interfere with your normal activies or bodily functions as per the American Disability Act of 1990. This would mean it would be a serious medical conditions.
Patients with any diagnosis where pain has persisted for more than 3 months (definition of chronic pain) DO qualify. The other more common things you can get a medical marijuana card are for insomnia, anxiety, back pain, nausea, muscle spasms, headaches, PMS, menopause, arthritis, lack of appetite etc.

And, it's extremely beneficial (none / 0) (#12)
by NYShooter on Wed Sep 26, 2012 at 03:06:12 PM EST

In mitigating the horrible withdrawal suffering of really potent, and dangerous, drugs like oxycontin & crack cocaine.


oh nooooooooooo (none / 0) (#13)
by TeresaInPa on Thu Sep 27, 2012 at 03:20:58 PM EST

you didn't just make the marijuana maintenance argument? Withdrawal from Opiates is mitigated by sedatives that can be controlled by a medical doctor and which come to an end at some point. Smoking weed leads right back to the drug seeking behavior in the long run. Getting high clouds your judgement, to say nothing of the fact that it keeps you hooked in to the same people and places and same self destructive mind set. For some people who can occasionally get high for fun, it's not dangerous. For an addict it is just a revolving door back to harder drugs.


oh nooooooooooo (5.00 / 1) (#14)
by sj on Thu Sep 27, 2012 at 03:59:19 PM EST

More misinformation about weed from Teresa. I must say, you just love you some pharmaceuticals. Because prescribed pharmaceuticals never get you high and cloud your judgement or get you hooked or hook you up with the wrong crowd.

But you're passionate in your self delusion. I'll give you that.


sorry (none / 0) (#15)
by TeresaInPa on Thu Sep 27, 2012 at 07:20:45 PM EST

you just have no clue. I guess you missed the point where the pharmaceuticals are supervised by a doctor and come to an end. Reading comprehension not your strong suit? Sure prescription drugs are a problem for lots of people, but we were talking about encouraging someone to use weed to mitigate opiate and crack withdrawal. Try to follow.

You know, it's funny, I grew up in right in the middle of the drug culture, my parents generation, mine, all the people around me. Now watching my children's generation destroy themselves..... I know who the delusional people are. After 40 years of this nonsense, what a bore.


: For someone who says she grew up (none / 0) (#16)
by sj on Fri Sep 28, 2012 at 05:40:30 PM EST

in the "drug culture" you show surprisingly little knowledge. But a whole lot of bias.

Comments with name-calling (none / 0) (#7)
by Jeralyn on Tue Sep 25, 2012 at 11:33:14 PM EST

deleted

I think pretty much everyone (none / 0) (#8)
by TeresaInPa on Wed Sep 26, 2012 at 11:48:41 AM EST

in California has a prescription for medical marijuana. Other than loss of appetite (I know from experience that grass will give you a powerful case of the munchies)and loss of your funnybone, there are other medications that work as well or better. Besides, the people who use it medically are the people who used it for recreation before that as far as I can tell.
Oh well, maybe Brown has Glaucoma or terminal cancer. In which case he may actually need the stuff and who could begrudge him in that case?

: Who could begrudge anybody.... (5.00 / 3) (#10)
by kdog on Wed Sep 26, 2012 at 12:57:45 PM EST

in any case, that is the question.

: What a bunch of Bullsh!t (5.00 / 3) (#11)
by nycstray on Wed Sep 26, 2012 at 01:01:46 PM EST

I think pretty much everyone in California has a prescription for medical marijuana.
Not even close to the truth. Won't even go into the rest of your comment.