Medical Marijuana Businessman Christ Sues Missoula Police, Others For $50M

Truth Seeker

New Member
In a lengthy complaint with footnotes about the "f" word and being vegan, Jason Christ is suing the Missoula Police Department, Missoula County Attorney's Office, Missoula County 9-1-1, and other parties in U.S. District Court.

Christ, a medical marijuana businessman, is asking for $50 million in punitive damages, among other demands, for the defendants' "willful and malicious actions" that have caused him "emotional distress."

Court documents note Christ, representing himself, is so harassed by the law that the city and county have lost him income, "affected his bodily functions" and forced him to camp "down a vast network of unimproved dirt roads."

In 2009 and 2010, Christ gained wide recognition helping hundreds of people obtain physician recommendations for medical marijuana with his traveling one-day clinics. In 2011, his focus swung to legal matters and, acting as his own lawyer, he filed 13 lawsuits — mostly against former business associates and competitors — and he's been embroiled in legal action and restraining orders filed by and against him since.

The most recent lawsuit, however, notes Christ's legal actions aren't getting far. His more than 1,300 pleadings in 25 civil and one criminal case are falling on deaf ears, and at least one judge has called him a problem, according to court papers.

"The court called plaintiff a 'difficult litigant,' based solely on the number of pleadings, not on the merits of those papers," read court documents.

Attempts to seek resolution at the highest levels are failing as well. The "governor of the state of Montana has refused to hear any complaints," Christ wrote, and the attorney general hasn't responded, either, even though Christ sued the state for access to his medicine, marijuana.

"The AG has never returned the plaintiff's calls," reads the document.

Missoula County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg said he assumes the court will dismiss the lawsuit "at some point." It names as one defendant a "Paul" Van Valkenburg, which the county attorney said he believes is a reference to himself and "part of his (Christ's) ineptness."

"Basically, we disagree with all of the allegations in his complaint," Van Valkenburg said. "And it's just part of what we have to deal with in dealing with Mr. Christ."

Charges filed against Christ for allegedly threatening Verizon employees are pending, and Van Valkenburg said that case is set for trial Oct. 24.

The Verizon case involves Christ's complaints to the telephone company. If Verizon didn't resolve his problems, Christ said he "was going to come down there and 'bomb the (expletive) store.' "

In the current lawsuit, he notes defendants are using the "f" word out of context, and he explains in a footnote.

In another footnote, Christ discusses camping in the woods and his lack of weapons: "Incidently (sic), plaintiff is vegan (vegetarian) and does not hunt, does not own any weapons, but is not allowed to have any, to protect himself in the woods — from bears and such."

City Attorney Jim Nugent said the city defendants named in the suit haven't been served with it yet. The city referred the case to its pooled municipal insurance group to defend because of the high amounts of money involved, said Nugent, described in the lawsuit as "an anti-medical marijuana city attorney."

Christ is asking for $1.568 million in lost business, $50 million in punitive damages, $34,000 for legal defense against frivolous lawsuits, and $26,850 as payment for defending himself.

"He wants some pretty outlandish money," Nugent said.

The lawsuit tells a meandering saga of the events leading up to its filing, and it spells out charges and requests. Excerpts include:

- "By 2010, plaintiff's business had served over 15,000 patients, Montana State Court experienced it's (sic) first jury nullification/mutiny with regards to criminal marijuana possession, causing the proseuction (sic) to lose cases."

- "Law enforcement provided misinformation and heavy lobbying efforts in 2010 and 2011 to eliminate the medical marijuana act. As a result, in 2010 the Montana Legislature passed a repeal bill ... and frightened all but two doctors from exercising their free speech rights."

- "The defendants instituted a frivilious (sic) charges against the plaintiff — misdemeanors and felonies, some based on a single phone call where the plaintiff used the word 'f***.' These calls were charged against the plaintiff in various forms, including an alleged bomb threat."

- "In early 2012, as a result of the ongoing harrassment (sic) by the police and their affirmative actions to deprive the plaintiff from equal protection, the plaintiff was forced to leave Missoula County." Christ headed to the woods. "Plaintiff was camping near Lolo Hot Springs, about 20 miles into Mineral County, down a vast network of random unimproved dirt roads, near the end of one of them, in the middle of nowhere."

- There, "one of many strangest and most frightening interactions with law enforcement occurred." Deputies found him and pointed their guns at him while he was working on legal papers in his car even though he was only camping.

- "Plaintiff has been denied many rights during the pendency of the criminal charges against him. He is not allowed to have alcohol, to own a weapon, to use drugs, to travel, to enter bars, no contact with Verizon and required to hire an attorney."

Jason_Christ.jpg


News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: missoulian.com
Author: Keila Szpaller
Contact: missoulian.com | Contact Us
Website: Medical marijuana businessman Christ sues Missoula police, others for $50M
 
Back
Top Bottom