Pubdate: Sat, 10 Aug 2002
Source: Morning Sentinel (ME)
Copyright: 2002 Morning Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.onlinesentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1474
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

HEMPSTOCK CZAR SHOULD LISTEN TO JUDGE'S ORDER

It might seem a bit incongruous to expect the organizer of a pro- marijuana 
festival to live completely within the law.

But Don Christen, the founding organizer of Hempstock, could at least 
pretend that judges and courts matter to him.

To start, Christen should stop flouting the court by ignoring an order 
preventing him from organizing, promoting or holding Hempstock XII, which 
is scheduled to begin Thursday.

Despite that court order, Christen says his four-day festival in Starks 
will go on.

Earlier this week, Somerset County Superior Court Justice Joseph M. Jabar 
ruled that Christen and his pro-marijuana group, Maine Vocals, were in 
contempt of court for organizing and promoting an event that could violate 
Starks' mass gathering ordinance.

Jabar also denied their bid to overturn the Starks Planning Board's refusal 
to approve a mass gathering permit for Hempstock.

Minutes after Jabar issued his rulings, which came at the end of a 
five-hour hearing at Somerset County Superior Court, Christen pretty much 
told the judge what he could do with his decisions.

"Oh, we're still going to hold Hempstock," a defiant Christen told a reporter.

This is the kind of belligerence and disregard for laws that have 
characterized Christen's behavior over the years.

He continues to thumb his nose at the court and at Starks' ordinances.

Last year, Starks officials beefed up the town's mass-gathering rules in an 
effort to gain better control over the crowds at certain activities - most 
notably, Hempstock.

The new ordinance requires that a permit be obtained for events at which 
750 people or more are expected to gather for at least six hours.

The old rule required permits for gatherings of at least 2,000 people that 
were expected to last 12 hours or more.

In the past, Hempstock has drawn as many as 7,000 people in a day.

In court on Thursday, Christen's lawyer said his client had come up with a 
plan that would satisfy the ordinance. That plan calls for allowing only 
700 campers to stay over at the festival site for the length of the 
festival. They would be issued special wrist bracelets.

Christen would then admit as many as 3,800 people before the start of each 
of the five-hour concerts being held twice each day.

In between the concerts, Christen would have everyone except the 700 
campers leave. And after a break of an hour or two, 3,800 people would be 
let back in and the music would resume.

Understandably, Jabar said he doubted that Christen would be able to get 
thousands of people to leave between shows.

Thus, the judge told Christen that Hempstock XII would violate Starks' 
ordinance. Jabar reaffirmed the court's order that Christen not hold the 
pro-pot festival.

Jabar continued the case for a week to see if Christen adheres to the 
order. If he proceeds with Hempstock XII, Christen will be in blatant 
violation of that order.

Jabar will then decide Christen's punishment.

And in the end, we fear, the nonsense will only continue.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager