Pubdate: Wed, 18 Dec 2013
Source: Chico Enterprise-Record (CA)
Copyright: 2013 Chico Enterprise-Record
Contact:  http://www.chicoer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/861
Note: Letters from newspaper's circulation area receive publishing priority
Author: Ryan Olson

JURY CONVICTS WOMAN ON MARIJUANA, CHILD ENDANGERMENT COUNTS

OROVILLE - A jury has convicted a woman on marijuana and child 
endangerment counts for a grow and conditions at her Concow-area 
residence in 2011.

The Butte County Superior Court panel of four men and eight women 
took about six hours before reaching a verdict today in the trial of 
Daisy Jean Bram, 33.

The jury found Bram guilty of felony counts of cultivating marijuana 
and possessing it for sale. Investigators found 95 marijuana plants 
and 7.1 additional pounds at Bram's Yellow Wood Road residence on 
Sept. 29, 2011.

Bram had faced two child endangerment counts, one each for her two 
young sons, regarding unsafe elements inside the house, including 
marijuana left in the open and indications of other drug use.

For her son Thor, jurors ruled Bram was not guilty of misdemeanor 
child endangerment likely to cause great bodily harm, but convicted 
her on a lesser count of misdemeanor child endangerment.

For her son Zeus, the defendant was convicted of misdemeanor child 
endangerment.

Bram, who represented herself at trial, wept after the verdict was 
entered, but she was angry outside the courthouse.

"This was a complete sham," Bram said, vowing an appeal.

She said she wasn't allowed a proper defense, and cited issues such 
as the prosecution providing test results on evidence during the 
trial and not being allowed to cite her medical marijuana 
recommendation under Proposition 215.

Her partner, Jayme Jeff Walsh, approached jurors outside as they left 
the building. He facetiously thanked them for their service and told 
them the court wouldn't allow them to consider a medical marijuana defense.

Walsh faces similar marijuana charges and has a trial setting date Thursday.

Bram said she told the court under oath that her oral recommendation 
from a deceased doctor was valid and sufficient for legal purposes, 
but it wasn't allowed. She and Walsh also had Walsh's recommendation 
recertified last week, but it wasn't admitted.

On Monday, Judge Robert Glusman ruled no valid evidence was presented 
regarding the certified use of medical marijuana and it couldn't be 
used as a defense.

Outside of court, deputy district attorney Jeff Greeson said the 
recommendations could have been submitted under subpoena to the court 
for consideration as evidence, but it wasn't done.

Regarding the test results, Greeson said he informed Bram of the 
results as soon as they were available. The results showed a 
substance found on spoons was heroin. He noted the spoons had been 
available for defense testing for a long time.

The prosecutor said the case was always about a poorly set-up 
industrial marijuana processing facility set up in a house and two 
helpless young children forced to live there. Greeson said he was 
impressed and heartened that the jurors could reach a verdict after 
sitting through an emotional case.

"I'm pleased that this two-year journey has come to this conclusion," he said.

The judge set sentencing for Jan. 21. He also appointed attorney 
Jesus Rodriguez to represent Bram during the sentencing phase.

Bram remains out of custody.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom