Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Broward County Court; Jury Rules Medical Marijuana Patient “Not Guilty” on All Counts

A jury in the 17th Judicial Circuit in Broward County, Florida ruled that Ft. Lauderdale resident, Jesse Teplicki, was “not guilty” on all criminal charges surrounding his medical use of marijuana for the treatment of his chronic anorexia. Michael C. Minardi, partner at the Kelley Kronenberg law firm and longtime medical marijuana advocate, successfully argued Mr. Teplicki’s medical necessity defense in front of a jury of his peers. Today’s verdict is groundbreaking in that it is the first time that the “medical necessity” defense was successfully argued in a jury trial, since Florida courts established the defense over 20 years ago. 

Florida for Care Executive Director, Ben Pollara, reacted to the verdict with elation, “This verdict that Mr. Minardi won for Jesse Teplicki is a game changer on the eve of the start of the 2015 legislative session. Legislative leaders in Tallahassee now have to look at medical marijuana through the lens of this precedent established by a Florida jury, in addition to the 58% of Floridians who voted for medical marijuana at the polls last November.”

He continued, “the medical use of marijuana is no longer solely a political issue with wide popular support, it is legal precedent in Florida courts. This ruling should be a message to the legislature that they should act this session on establishing a medical marijuana system in our state so that sick and suffering Floridians don’t have to fight in court for the right to use the medicine recommended by their doctors, as Mr. Teplicki did today.”

No comments: