Quadriplegic Serving 10-Day Sentence For First-Time Marijuana Charge Dies In DC Jail

[Dr.Doom]

Washington, DC: A 27-year-old quadriplegic man sentenced to serve ten days in a Washington, DC jail on charges that he possessed a minor amount of marijuana died while in custody last week due to inadequate health care, including prison officials' failure to provide him with a ventilator.

The victim, Jonathan Magbie, had been paralyzed from the neck down since the age of four, was unable to breath on his own, and required nursing care 20 hours a day.

Magbie was sentenced to spend ten days in jail on September 20, 2004 after pleading guilty to one charge of marijuana possession. Though prosecutors had recommended probation, the judge in the case ordered Magbie to serve jail time - noting that the defendant had told pre-sentence investigators that he would continue using marijuana because it made him feel better.

NORML Executive Director Keith Stroup called Magbie's death "one of the most tragic results of marijuana prohibition I have witnessed in the 35-year history of the organization."

He concluded: "Although Jonathan Magbie died from causes currently under investigation, it is clear that his death was the result of the overly punitive laws criminalizing the use and possession of marijuana. There is little doubt that were it not for marijuana prohibition, Jonathan Magbie would still be alive today. He did not deserve to die for smoking marijuana."

http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6282

[Pappy&Me]

The judge was maybe under the influance of prescription drugs ,like most of us . Maybe he wants to protect the legal drug pushers territory .

I don't like pot, but it is safer than alot of this stuf pushed on society by drug corps.

Check out commercials...may cause rash, virus,cancer or sudden death, but your sinus problem will be better .

Not to speak of the drugging of our slower or energetic kids . Teacher says , 'little Tommy has too much energy or too little attention span , [ like most healthy little boys ] ' , drug him !

[GROFF200]

The judge in the case should get the death penalty in my opinion. Of course that would never happen, but it should.

[Corporate Avenger]

Bastards, another American citizen murdered by the government.

[zipper99]

But if they let him go with probation, the next thing would have been our city streets teeming with hundreds of stoned quadraplegics....

[BadNews88]

Originally Posted by zipper99

But if they let him go with probation, the next thing would have been our city streets teeming with hundreds of stoned quadraplegics....

Yes, staving us to death with their crutches and smashing us into the earth with their wheelchairs.

[Dr.Doom]

There is evil in the system

[zipper99]

Evil systems don't kill people, people kill people....or...er..

[Dr.Doom]

im saying the court has no compassion for a sick man they just go by the book end of story.

[SwiftSloth]

The war on drugs is a great success at every turn.

[oki]

america should be ashamed. Ill light one up for him tonight.

[Dr.Doom]

yes we should. All this crap about Marijuana evil bad comes from the 20's its all about money and greed. You can look it up these are facts. Paper could be made cheap from hemp so a big paper comany felt threatend and pulled ssome strings. Drug Zar Harry Anslinger got the propaganda rolling.

[KanuckiStang]

I bet the judge, after sentencing this poor slob to death, went home to his big mansion and filled a snifter with his 80-proof brandy and enjoyed an evening's buzz from that...

[Gibson]

And of course, the pro-weed people don't even truly care about the guy. They are just taking advantage of this poor guys death to further their cause.

[Dr.Doom]

Originally Posted by Gibson

And of course, the pro-weed people don't even truly care about the guy. They are just taking advantage of this poor guys death to further their cause.

Whatever

I think sick people with no other alternaive should be able to smoke as much weed as they want. I aslo think people who use it for fun should be left alone. It really makes no since to me alchol a leagal "drug" kills millions is responsible for most wrecks...but weed is singled out. trust me you could smaoke an ounce of pot or drink a handle of liqour your going to be more messed up off that handle than the weed.

[GROFF200]

At the very least, I think this illustrates that the notion we in the USA live in a free country is utter bullshit.

[Mister E.]

Originally Posted by Gibson

They are just taking advantage of this poor guys death to further their cause.

As well they should. People who advocate the elimination of unjust, ridiculous laws should take full advantage of examples which show how unjust and ridiculous they are.

[jojo]

Death happens.

[Pappy&Me]

H eer should have goten time in jail , but then again , a lot of stoned pot heads on the roads is saciry .

[Mister E.]

Studies have shown that drivers under the influence of marijuana are far safer on road than those under the influence of alcohol. While both impair performance, they have the opposite effect on driving behavior -- in that the potheads realize they are impaired, drive more cautiously.