Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Should possession of two marijuana cigarettes be punishable by 13 years in a Louisiana prison? No way, according to a crowd gathered Saturday (March 7) in Broadmoor to push for the release of Bernard Noble, convicted in 2011 as a habitual offender of possessing marijuana and sentenced to more than a dozen years in prison.
At the corner of Napoleon and South Claiborne avenues, dozens gathered in support of Noble, a New Orleans native and father of seven who is serving a 13.3-year sentence at the Jackson Parish Correctional Center in Jonesboro.
Commonsense NOLA and the Orleans Public Defender's office joined Louisianans for Responsible Reform and the Drug Policy Alliance to host the rally.
Noble, 49, was arrested while riding his bike in the Broadmoor area in 2010. Police searched him and found 2.8 grams of marijuana, the equivalent of two cigarettes, supporters say. Because he had prior non-violent drug offenses -- for small amounts of cocaine and marijuana -- an Orleans Parish jury convicted him under a state law that gives harsher punishments for habitual offenders.
Two trial judges, Terry Alarcon and Franz Zibilich, sentenced him to only five years after hearing his case. But Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro's office appealed, all the way to the Louisiana Supreme Court. That court decided that Noble's case was unexceptional, and thus unworthy of a break from state law.
Organizers are hoping that Gov. Bobby Jindal will grant clemency to Noble.
"As of today, Mr. Noble has been in jail for four years. That's four years that he's missed Christmas, missed birthdays, and missed first days of school," said Noble's attorney, Donna Weidenhaft.
Noble's youngest child suffers with autism, organizers said. Another child has rheumatoid arthritis.
Supporters say that Noble has a high school diploma, a business license and a commercial driver's license. Court filings also showed that Noble had been gainfully employed for more than 20 years.
Kevin Caldwell of Commonsense NOLA, an organization dedicated to implementing a regulated marijuana market in New Orleans, said that cases like Noble's prove that Louisiana has an interest in keeping its prisons filled, so that private entities can turn a profit. He added that Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the United States, which in turn has the highest such rate in the world.
Ideally, "simple possession of cannabis should be similar to a jaywalking ticket," Caldwell said. "And in the privacy of your own home, you should be able to pursue your happiness."
New Orleans City Councilwoman Susan Guidry was also present. Guidry sponsored a 2010 city ordinance that made marijuana possession a municipal, rather than criminal, offense.
"What happened to Mr. Noble is not what our city is working toward. It is not," Guidry said, to cheers.
Intermittedly, dozens of college students, sentencing reform activists and others in the crowd shouted, "Be Noble! Free Noble!" The Beautiful People Brass Band serenanded protesters with "When the Saints Go Marching In," and other crowd favorites.
At the end of the rally, attendees filled out cards addressed to the Louisiana Board of Pardons, urging Noble's release.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: 13 years in prison for two marijuana joints? Bernard Noble supporters cry foul | NOLA.com
Author: Jessica Williams
Contact: Contact Us - NOLA.com
Photo Credit: Jessica Williams
Website: New Orleans, LA Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - NOLA.com
At the corner of Napoleon and South Claiborne avenues, dozens gathered in support of Noble, a New Orleans native and father of seven who is serving a 13.3-year sentence at the Jackson Parish Correctional Center in Jonesboro.
Commonsense NOLA and the Orleans Public Defender's office joined Louisianans for Responsible Reform and the Drug Policy Alliance to host the rally.
Noble, 49, was arrested while riding his bike in the Broadmoor area in 2010. Police searched him and found 2.8 grams of marijuana, the equivalent of two cigarettes, supporters say. Because he had prior non-violent drug offenses -- for small amounts of cocaine and marijuana -- an Orleans Parish jury convicted him under a state law that gives harsher punishments for habitual offenders.
Two trial judges, Terry Alarcon and Franz Zibilich, sentenced him to only five years after hearing his case. But Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro's office appealed, all the way to the Louisiana Supreme Court. That court decided that Noble's case was unexceptional, and thus unworthy of a break from state law.
Organizers are hoping that Gov. Bobby Jindal will grant clemency to Noble.
"As of today, Mr. Noble has been in jail for four years. That's four years that he's missed Christmas, missed birthdays, and missed first days of school," said Noble's attorney, Donna Weidenhaft.
Noble's youngest child suffers with autism, organizers said. Another child has rheumatoid arthritis.
Supporters say that Noble has a high school diploma, a business license and a commercial driver's license. Court filings also showed that Noble had been gainfully employed for more than 20 years.
Kevin Caldwell of Commonsense NOLA, an organization dedicated to implementing a regulated marijuana market in New Orleans, said that cases like Noble's prove that Louisiana has an interest in keeping its prisons filled, so that private entities can turn a profit. He added that Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the United States, which in turn has the highest such rate in the world.
Ideally, "simple possession of cannabis should be similar to a jaywalking ticket," Caldwell said. "And in the privacy of your own home, you should be able to pursue your happiness."
New Orleans City Councilwoman Susan Guidry was also present. Guidry sponsored a 2010 city ordinance that made marijuana possession a municipal, rather than criminal, offense.
"What happened to Mr. Noble is not what our city is working toward. It is not," Guidry said, to cheers.
Intermittedly, dozens of college students, sentencing reform activists and others in the crowd shouted, "Be Noble! Free Noble!" The Beautiful People Brass Band serenanded protesters with "When the Saints Go Marching In," and other crowd favorites.
At the end of the rally, attendees filled out cards addressed to the Louisiana Board of Pardons, urging Noble's release.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: 13 years in prison for two marijuana joints? Bernard Noble supporters cry foul | NOLA.com
Author: Jessica Williams
Contact: Contact Us - NOLA.com
Photo Credit: Jessica Williams
Website: New Orleans, LA Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - NOLA.com
