Pubdate: Fri, 27 Feb 2015
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2015 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/send_a_letter
Website: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Author: Mike McIntyre
Page: B5

FREEMAN TO STAY FREE FOLLOWING CONVICTION

Conditional sentence for pot grow-op

A so-called Freeman on the Land will not have to plant his roots in
jail following a conviction for running a marijuana grow operation.

Scott Peters was given a 13-month conditional sentence Thursday that
allows him to remain free in the community. He was placed on daily
house arrest and must perform 100 hours of community-service work.

The Crown was seeking up to six months behind bars for Peters, who was
convicted by a jury last month following a bizarre, three-day trial.

During sentencing submissions last week, Peters showed up to court
waving a white flag. He told Queen's Bench Justice Robert Dewar it was
a sign of peace, not surrender, and vowed to fight his conviction in
the Manitoba Court of Appeal. He also asked Dewar to release him
immediately with no punishment.

"In the end I have caused no harm," Peters, who acted as his own
lawyer, told court. "I want to be a man of honour, to live my life in
peace."

He called the judicial process "interference with a person's right to
self-govern" and repeated his claims he is being unlawfully
prosecuted. "The government treats people as children and feels they
must punish them," said Peters.

Peters was found with 56 marijuana plants in the basement of his North
End home by police executing a court authorized search warrant in
2012. In his closing argument at trial, Peters demanded to be allowed
to face his accuser in court.

"It says here the Queen vs. Scott David Peters. Well, where is my
accuser? Where is Her Majesty the Queen? Why isn't she on the stand?"
Peters asked. "There is no case against me."

The question was one of many posed during a rambling, 100-minute
closing argument in which Peters railed against the government and
sounded off against fluoride in drinking water, the public school
system and monosodium glutamate, among other things.

He denied any wrongdoing, despite the mountain of evidence against
him.

"No man's life, liberty or property are safe," Peters said at one
point, quoting Mark Twain. "I have the right to use my property as I
see fit. Nobody has the right to question anything."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt