Pounds of Pot RETURNED?!?

Seattle Criminal Defense Lawyer Aaron Pelley has made local and national news with his recent request for pounds of marijuana to be returned to his medical marijuana patient-client.

From The Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

“Felony drug charges were filed, a deal was struck and Zugsberger ultimately pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession. Zugsberger was freed on three-months probation.

His marijuana, though, remained in custody.

At issue, attorneys for both sides allowed, was the variance in medical marijuana laws between the two states. While California and Washington both allow the medical use of marijuana, Washington allows patients to possess 1 ½-pounds pot while California permits them five pounds.

Late last month, Zugsberger’s defense attorney Aaron Pelley filed a petition with King County Superior Court demanding that the pot be returned to Zugsberger. In a compromise, Pelley said, the judge ruled that Zugsberger would be returned his marijuana in 1 ½-pound portions at seven-day increments.

“To my knowledge, it was the first time anyone has asked for their marijuana back,” said Pelley, who is active with the marijuana-law reform organization Cannabis Defense Coalition. “It’s the weirdest case I’ve ever dealt.”

Ian Goodhew, deputy chief of staff to King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, said prosecutors argued against the immediate return of Zugsberger’s full load of pot in part because doing so would violate state law.

“Although Mr. Zugsberger had valid documentation from the state of California, he had far more marijuana than what state law allows,” Goodhew said. “When he asked for his marijuana back, our department asked the court to follow Washington state law and the department of health guidelines.”"

Aaron Pelley did a masterful job getting the courts to return all of Mr. Zugsberger’s marijuana. If you have a criminal charge in Seattle, Mr. Pelley is not only a rising star in our community, but a great friend to have.

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