Pubdate: Fri, 21 Nov 2003 Source: Anchorage Daily News (AK) Copyright: 2003 The Anchorage Daily News Contact: http://www.adn.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/18 Author: Tataboline Brant, Anchorage Daily News Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 ( Students - United States) Student Faces Drug Charge ANY AMOUNT OF POT IN A SCHOOL ZONE IS A FELONY A West High School senior is facing a felony drug charge after a very small amount of marijuana was found by police in her car on school grounds, according to documents filed in court this week. Police spokeswoman Anita Shell did not know exactly how much pot was discovered, but said that it was a small enough amount that if it wasn't found in a school zone, the charge would have been a misdemeanor. Shell said state law provides stiffer charges and penalties for pot in a school zone, the same way statutes boost speeding fines. Officers stumbled across the pot while investigating a liquor store theft, Shell said. Around 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 27, she said, an employee at the Aurora Village Oaken Keg on Northern Lights Boulevard reported that a young man had stolen a 1.75-liter bottle of Jim Beam whiskey. The employee provided police with the license plate of the Pontiac Grand Am the man fled in, Shell said. Police contacted the owner of the Pontiac, who said her daughter had driven the car to school, Shell said. The mother gave police permission to search the vehicle, Shell said. The family could not be reached for this story. Police went to West High to talk to the teenager. They did not find the whiskey when they searched the car, but did spot a small amount of pot in a center console, according to Shell and charges filed in court Tuesday. Police say the teen told them the pot was hers. The 18-year-old student, who has no other adult criminal record, is charged with fourth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance, a felony, court documents say. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison and a $50,000 fine. A 19-year-old man, who is not a West student, was charged with theft in the liquor store incident, Shell said. According to state statutes, it is a Class C felony to possess any amount of marijuana on or within 500 feet of a school or on a school bus. The law provides for an exception to the stiffer charge if the offense occurs within a private residence that is within 500 feet of school grounds. The penalties are stiffer for harder drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. Possessing any amount of those substances on or near school grounds is a Class B felony, punishable by a fine up to $100,000 and 10 years in jail if convicted, which is a harsher penalty than if the drugs were possessed elsewhere. The quantity of illegal drugs a person is found with in school zone cases does not affect the charge against them, but it could well be a factor in sentencing if convicted. Anchorage School District officials said they could not comment on what administrative actions were taken against the student. According to the district's 2003-2004 High School Student Handbook, a first offense by a student who violates the school's drug policy will result, among other things, in an automatic 10-day suspension and referral to a drug-alcohol program. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake