Pubdate: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 Source: Maple Ridge Times (CN BC) Copyright: 2009 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc Contact: http://www.mrtimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1372 Author: Amy Steele Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/spirit.htm (Spiritual or Sacramental) DRUG DEALER FAILS TO SWAY JUDGE WITH 'GOD'S WORD' God considers cannabis "good" and God's law is the ultimate authority, not the courts. That was just one of the novel arguments put forward by former Maple Ridge mayoral candidate and Guilty Pleasures sex shop owner William Perry at his sentencing hearing this week. "By God's word, which is in fact the ultimate authority, cannabis marijuana is a fruit producing, seed bearing plant that God says is good," said Perry at Wednesday's sentencing. Perry also told the judge that he only sold marijuana to the customers, who later turned out to be undercover cops, out of a compassionate desire to help them avoid marijuana laced with harder drugs, which street level drug dealers often sell. "They will approach an individual like a wounded duck crying the blues about how scared they are that the marijuana they're smoking, and have been smoking for a period of time...is more than likely laced with drugs that they'd rather not be a part of," he said. "When you care about people and you know that they're at risk -- I myself once or twice a week would medicinally use recreational marijuana that I knew was of a clean, natural, organic source that was well taken care of and loved and nurtured -- that they were probably better off and safer if I were to help them so as not to have them go down the street as they said they would and go and buy it off someone they'd already adamantly told me they were scared of." However, provincial court judge Pedro de Couto was unconvinced of the merits of Perry's arguments and sentenced him to 24 months in jail on three counts of drug trafficking and one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking. Perry was convicted of selling drugs to undercover cops on four occasions in April and May of 2008 out of Guilty Pleasures. It was his second conviction for drug trafficking. Perry was also previously found guilty of selling drugs to undercover police officers out of his sex shop in 2005. de Couto said he recognized that Perry has a "philosophy about marijuana use" and that he's an advocate for decriminalization. de Couto commented that Perry uses the Bible as "both a sword and a shield." de Couto said "there's no question Canada was founded on Christian principles" but he asked Perry to consider something Jesus said from the Bible: 'Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's.' "Clearly he suggested that citizens respect the laws of the state as well as those of God," said de Couto. Perry not only quoted from the Bible during the sentencing, but also from Mark Twain and railed against drug prohibition. "It's not a crime to be a little ahead of your time," he said. de Couto said regardless of Perry's views on Canada's drug laws, he has to uphold the current law. Perry has been in jail since June 2008, when he was arrested for his second set of trafficking charges. He was on an 18-month conditional sentence at the time for his first trafficking convictions. de Couto gave Perry 13 months credit for the six and a half months he'd served before being sentenced so Perry will still serve another 11 months in prison. Federal Crown prosecutor David Greenbank asked for the 24-month sentence, citing parts of a pre-sentencing report in which Perry repeatedly stated he'd done nothing wrong. Greenbank said Perry also re-offended while under a conditional sentence order, which "demonstrated that he has little respect for the law." Greenbank noted that the author of the pre-sentencing report suggested that Perry should be referred to "forensic outpatient services for mental health for a professional opinion on his current mental state." Greenbank asked for a period of probation for Perry after the 24-month sentence due to a need for ongoing supervision. "I would say Mr. Perry could probably use some assistance," said Greenbank. However, de Couto said he wasn't convinced that anything would be accomplished by putting Perry on probation. When Perry heard his sentence he said, "Twenty-four months that's an extreme sentence for grams of marijuana." He said his 79-year-old father is "on his last legs" and Perry said he likely won't he'll be able to see him again due to the jail sentence. "I don't consent to 11 more months than I've already put in," said Perry. He also said he didn't consent to a DNA order from de Couto. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin