OMG BUST! PLEASE READ, ADVICE PLEASE!!!!

[bijnas]

Okay well, I was in NC this past weekend camping and I got back in to town Sunday night. I've consulted with a couple lawyers and retained one. As of right now, there is no warrant for my arrest. I am back in my apartment and I just finished cleaning up the complete ransack the cops pulled on all my shit. My lawyer doesn't expect charges to be brought against me since they haven't already and they already arrested somebody. I live in a large metropolitan area, and this small grow in my bedroom is not one of their top priorities according to my lawyer. He is also good friends with the girl who was arrested' attorney (they're even in the same office) so he is going to be following her case closely and making sure that their defense isn't going to be trying to pin it all on me. I mean, I didn't go around telling everyone about my grow and none of this would've happened if they weren't getting ridiculously wasted in my apartment with my TV on 58 (it only goes to 60 and I discovered this when I came home and turned on my TV). So right now its just kind of a waiting game, hoping that the police aren't going to try and charge me with anything. So right now, I am safeish.

What they took: My tubs, including everyhting in them; light bulbs, plants and thermometer. They took the carbon scrubber, a small fan that pointed inwards, my FF nutes, and the premixed nutes I had made, the cannabible 3, jorge cervantes' grow guide, 2 other grow books, a note that I wrote on how to take care of the plants, and for some reason the pump to my air mattress.

SO yeah, thats about all right now.

[Flameon]

Hey, I'm sorry if this causes some ill-feeling, but it has to be said, and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be the only one to say this.

First things first, there are two rules when growing cannabis:

1. Do not tell anyone about your grow, and
2. Do not tell anyone about your grow!!

Lets be clear. This was your grow, in your apartment, and you were the one who choose to get other people to look after it while you went away. Right?

I can agree with you that the stupid behaviour of your 'friends' brought the cops to your door, but surely the biggest lapse of judgement is yours for leaving irresponsible people in 'charge' of your illegal plants (putting aside the fact you chose to risk growing in a place you didn't own).

I can also understand that you might be scared of the consequences of getting busted, but to to try and 'justify' letting your friend take the rap for your mistakes by saying things like:

I mean, I didn't go around telling everyone about my grow and none of this would've happened if they weren't getting ridiculously wasted in my apartment with my TV on 58 (it only goes to 60 and I discovered this when I came home and turned on my TV).

is weak!

Be a man about it. You screwed up! You were foolish to involve unreliable people in your growing activities, but, and this is the bottom line, that was your choice and your poor judgement.

It worries me to read you say that your getting your attorney to make sure your friend 'isn't going to be trying to pin it all on you'.
Tell me your not really going to 'sell' your friend out to save your own ass?
Yes, she was stupid, but lets be real, no more stupid than you were to involve her in it and leave her in charge.

[stinkyattic]

He is also good friends with the girl who was arrested' attorney (they're even in the same office) so he is going to be following her case closely and making sure that their defense isn't going to be trying to pin it all on me. .

This is very sad.

By the way- does the girl who was arrested know that the attorney that SHE is paying for is listening to YOUR attorney, in a situation that is a wicked conflict of interest? If she doesn't, thats straight up SLIMY. Disgusting.

[jsn9333]

Hey bijnas,
Since people are coming down on you really hard I just want to say I support you, I'm glad you seem to be okay so far (as okay as someone can be who got raided), and thanks for the update. A lot of people get advice here and then never bother to let us know how it went... so thanks.

It sounds like people here want you to feel guilty for letting your friend pay for her stupidity. Don't! If the cops don't charge you, then that is their decision... don't beg for trouble.

It sounds like, in your city, cops are going for the big growers and don't screw around with the little guys like you *unless* you are causing a disturbance (as in blasting the TV at its loudest while smoking out an entire unit in an apartment building, probably screaming and carrying on like you own the place, pissing the neighbors off immensely without giving a f*ck, and basically begging the cops to show up and find out what the hell is going on.)

Sure it is illegal to grow. But those laws are immoral and in my opinion we have the right, under God, to ignore them. You have done nothing wrong. In hindsight it was a mistake to leave these people with your plants, but how were you to know they would be so incredibly stupid? Live and learn. We all make mistakes.

By all means have your lawyer follow her case and defend you if she starts to implicate you. This was her mistake. The police have your note and can charge you if they want.

[jsn9333]

This is very sad.

By the way- does the girl who was arrested know that the attorney that SHE is paying for is listening to YOUR attorney, in a situation that is a wicked conflict of interest? If she doesn't, thats straight up SLIMY. Disgusting.

I'm not sure her lawyer is "listening to" his attorney... his attorney is just following her defense closely. In the real world lawyers are usually friends with each other.... whether or not they work in the same office. So this is actually pretty standard. If they are "teaming up" on her, then that would be illegal and immoral. However, they may just be keeping each other up to date.

I do see your point, and it looks bad. Bit it may not be. And either way, I think bijnas needs to worry about his own defense and let her worry about her own defense... *especially* if she starts trying to pin the consequences of her own stupidity on him. I feel bad for her... but I would feel worse if bijnas took the fall considering he did nothing wrong (nothing to piss off the neighbors and attract the attention of the police).

[Flameon]

Hey bijnas,
Since people are coming down on you really hard I just want to say I support you

Hey, look I'm sorry if you think I'm 'coming down' hard on binjas, but really, I don't think I am and it wasn't my intention.
I too hope they BOTH get a break on this one and avoid the clutches of the legal system unscathed.

I also share your frustration at the stupidity of the law, and understand your point of view. In an ideal world we should all be able to grow and enjoy our plants without worrying about State interference. But, we don't (sadly) live in that world yet, and until we do, we need to take some level of responsibility for our actions and watch each others backs.

either way, I think bijnas needs to worry about his own defense and let her worry about her own defense... *especially* if she starts trying to pin the consequences of her own stupidity on him. I feel bad for her... but I would feel worse if bijnas took the fall considering he did nothing wrong (nothing to piss off the neighbors and attract the attention of the police).

What do you mean 'trying to pin the consequences of her stupidity on him'? They're his plants aren't they?
Correct me if I've misread, but this isn't a bust about noise or pot smoking, but of cultivation. Surely you're not saying you think its OK for binjas to 'stitch up' his 'friend' and let her take the fall for his plants? Even if she was dumb enough to play the TV too loud.

[stinkyattic]

And either way, I think bijnas needs to worry about his own defense and let her worry about her own defense... *especially* if she starts trying to pin the consequences of her own stupidity on him. I feel bad for her... but I would feel worse if bijnas took the fall considering he did nothing wrong (nothing to piss off the neighbors and attract the attention of the police).

She was stupid to agree to plant-sit.
She was stupid to make noise.
But they weren't her plants.
They are Bijnas' plants.
I hope everyone gets off easily, but the brunt of the blame here lies with the person who initially decided to break the law- even if the law is unfair, it's the law, and until it is changed, that's that. You can be as discreet as you want, but the moment you ask someone to plant-sit, you understand that they might make a mistake- and not planning for that is YOUR mistake.
Just goes to show- if you want something done right, do it yourself. That's what pumps and timers are for. The consequences of human error are usually harder to deal with than the consequences of mechanical failure...

[jsn9333]

Legally they are her plants too. She was cultivating them while he was gone. She is guilty of breaking the same exact cultivation laws he is guilty of. The cops are not going to let her off just because bijnas comes forward and says, "They were mine." They are both guilty under the same laws. Better only one of them should suffer then both of them... and even better if the stupid one suffers (if someone has to).

Of course we all agree no one should ever be charged with cultivation. But if someone has to get it I say let her deal with it for being such an idiot. Who knows, maybe they aren't even charging her with cultivation... perhaps they're letting her plea down to simple possession given the situation. I don't know.

She did wrong, and she needs to learn how to be a more responsible cannabis user. Bijnas did nothing wrong, and all he needs to learn is to get more mature friends (or a timer, pump, etc.)

What do you mean 'trying to pin the consequences of her stupidity on him'? They're his plants aren't they?
Correct me if I've misread, but this isn't a bust about noise or pot smoking, but of cultivation. Surely you're not saying you think its OK for binjas to 'stitch up' his 'friend' and let her take the fall for his plants? Even if she was dumb enough to play the TV too loud.

She was stupid to agree to plant-sit.
She was stupid to make noise.
But they weren't her plants.
They are Bijnas' plants.

[netdog]

At least they didn't take his computer...

[bijnas]

Right, well I know some people are thinking I'm a horrible person for not "manning up", but here's the thing; me getting in trouble isn't going to save her. Under the law she is subject to the same penalties even though it wasn't her grow.

As for leaving someone stupid in charger and this and that, I don't know if I stated it, but the girl who got arrested was NOT the person I left in charge. I never said anyone could be in my apartment besides the person whom I left the keys with. Unfortunately, she wasn't to be trusted either as she gave the keys to the girl who got arrested.

My lawyer isn't trying to like pin it all on her or anything, but her lawyer and my lawyer are best friends, and my lawyer just happens to be on the NORML board of directors (a key element to me retaining him) it was mere coincidence that she retained the other lawyer. Neither of us are trying to pin it on one another, but right now she is the one who is charged, and no one wants anyone else to go down for this. Our lawyers have assured us that the most stringent thing either of us could reasonably face is 24 months probation and upon completion of that probation the record be wiped off. Right now her lawyer thinks she'll only have to take four 2 hour State Attorney's Drug Awareness classes and the whole thing will be dismissed. So please understand I am not taking the posistion of "fuck it let her take the blame".

I know the plants were mine, I know I am the one who initiated the grow, BUT I am not the one responsible for the bust. She knew full well that the plants were there, I mean you'd have to I don't live in a very big apartment and I had to move it out of the closet because of temps. They had been apparently been partying there all week and I guess it pissed my neighbor off, which is completely understandable. He is a normal person with normal hour jobs and shares a wall with me, so the noise all week probably would have pissed anyone in that situation off. I talked to him and explained the situation that I was out of town and I didn't know about all the noise and shit. He said he tried to knock and bang on the door to get someone to come out so he could confront them about the noise, but I guess no one could hear them through the noise and the stonedness. Thats when he called the cops, because he was fed up with it. They end up getting advanced warning of the cops entering the building and all try to bail out the door when they are then face to face with the cops and just crumble and let the cops just walk in. I on the other hand, do not smoke in my apartment because I worry about the cops having probable cause to enter my apartment, don't have wild parties on weeknights all week and I don't go around talking about it to everyone.

I think it is fair to say the bust was completely their fault.

And they didn't take my computer because I had it with me, THANK GOD!

And as far as not owning the place I'm growing in, 2 bedroom condos go for $500,000 around here, so I'd like to see someone else on here buying up some property here just to do a closet grow. My lessors aren't in any sort of trouble, and it's not as if I was growing in my parents house or something, so I see it as a non-issue.

So, recap: Me turning myself in isnt going to help anyone, she isnt facing anything too horrible, the grow was mine but under the law shes just as responsible, and we're not bitter enemies or something who are trying to fuck eachother over.

I want to thank EVERYONE who has replied, even the people who now think I'm a horrible person and hated on me, because I wouldn't want just the bright side of everything.