Pubdate: Fri, 23 Jun 2017
Source: Columbus Dispatch (OH)
Copyright: 2017 The Columbus Dispatch
Contact:  http://www.dispatch.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/93
Author: Mary Beth Lane

CASES PROCEEDING AGAINST MARIJUANA PETITION CIRCULATORS ACCUSED
OF TURNING IN BOGUS SIGNATURES

Criminal charges filed against petition circulators accused of
falsifying signatures on petitions for the marijuana-legalization
ballot issue in 2015 show that people must be careful, Delaware County
Prosecutor Carol O'Brien said.

"It serves as a cautionary note that people circulating petitions need
to be very careful and follow the law when they are gathering
signatures," O'Brien said. "People need to be careful to only sign
their own names."

O'Brien commented Friday as four cases continued to move through
Delaware County Common Pleas Court.

A jury Thursday convicted Genesis J. Humphrey, 26, of Columbus, of
election falsification, a fifth-degree felony punishable by a maximum
of a year in prison. Judge David Gormley scheduled sentencing for Aug.
7.

On Thursday and Friday, respectively, Gormley ordered Kyle J. Dufour,
26, of Groveport, and Celeste A. Clark, 31, of Columbus, to pay a $300
fine and court costs after each pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of
falsification, a first-degree misdemeanor. They initially were charged
with election falsification.

Andrew T. Mullet, 21, of Grove City, has pleaded not guilty to
election falsification and two related fifth-degree felony charges and
is scheduled for trial July 27.

The four paid circulators were accused of allowing some people to sign
the petitions on behalf of other people, even though the circulators
said they witnessed each person sign his or her own name as required.

Voters rejected the marijuana-legalization ballot issue in November
2015. Ohio allows the use of medical marijuana under a law that took
effect in September.
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