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Dale Vigliarolo in progress TOPCissell Gets Judy_Palmer30yearsJail Time for Marijuana Charges
(Crystal A. Proxmire, July 11, 2016)
Pontiac, MI – In a courtroom surrounded by friends, family and supporters Andrew Cissell was sentenced by Judge Hala Jarbou on Monday to 90 days in Oakland County Jail for two felony marijuana possession charges.
Cissell was given credit for 10 days time served, and will be on probation for two years upon release.  Terms of the probation include giving up use and possession of marijuana and alcohol, and submitting to drug tests twice a month.  He was also ordered to get substance abuse counseling once released.
Cissell was arrested in 2013 after selling marijuana to someone working with Oakland County Narcotics Enforcement Team.  Subsequently Cissell’s two houses were searched as well as his father’s house.  In his homes there was marijuana found, though in the end the charges only related to one of the properties and the 185 plants police confiscated at that home.
Prior to theblumz01 investigation which led to his arrest, Cissell had turned in petitions to decriminalize marijuana in Ferndale. He feels that the investigation was retaliation for his political activism. Cissell has run twice for State Representative.  After the 2013 arrest he’s led ballot initiatives in several cities including Oak Park, Hazel Park and Huntington Woods.  And he is trying to make body cameras required for police in Hazel Park.
During sentencing, Cissell’s attorney Ferris Sedan talked about Cissell’s political history and said “I bring this up because he’s definitely someone who disagrees with the current state of the law and he’s going through the proper channels to change the law.”  He said that medical marijuana law is a “gray area,” but that Cissell was taking responsibility for breaking the law.
Judge Jarbou said her concern was “you don’t follow the laws,” she said.  “You don’t get to decide you are different, you don’t get to decide you are special.”ChamberAd_01
In addition to Cissell’s political history, the Judge listened to Cissell’s criminal history, including a including a previous marijuana possession charge and an OWI.   He also was convicted in giving a false address on a petition in Ferndale related to the ballot initiative.
The attorney from the Prosecutor’s office also said Cissell was continuing to sell marijuana, and they read quotes from an oc1115.com interview where Cissell talked about owning a dispensary in Detroit.
Cissell told the Judge he did not think jail “is going to help anything.”  He said “In my little corner, the 27th District… I’m just going to try my hardest to make my community better.”
For previous stories see http://oaklandcounty115.com/?s=andrew+cissell.
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