Ronnie Joseph Blanc, of Marigot, has been ordered by a Roseau magistrate to pay $1,200 for half a marijuana cigarette found in his home.
When he appeared in court he pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of cannabis.
“For a joint all you man arresting me?” Blanc asked police officers when he was told that he was being arrested for possession of marijuana.
According to court reports, the police had applied and obtained a search warrant on Blanc’s home. At 4:40 am on June 6, the officers went to the house in search of drugs.
However, only a partly burnt marijuana cigarette was found in a match box.
He was represented in the matter by lawyer, Ronald Charles, while the state’s case was presented by police prosecutor Inspector Claude Weekes.
Let’s see what we’re facing in beautiful Dominica right now….. “Police on the verge of getting away with murder” yet still ” Innocent Dominican charged $1200 for a spliff tail”…………………………… Imagine that. We finished in this country. On the same instant every where I turn I see Fags of African / Haitian / Spanish descendants, overcrowding our cities with their bold selves, and cocaine taking over our streets. Our politicians making sluts of our upcoming young ladies.!!!!!!!!! This is ugly Dominica, its time we take a stand, take our country back and DEMAND WHAT WE WANT HERE!!!!!! UNTILL WE GET COURAGE AND DO WHAT WE NEED TO, THIS IS MERELY THE START!!!!!
d govt is yet to realize that legalizing marijuana will actually help to stop the drug problem
boi look some king of police in da boi boi boi
Boy, folks like to call one another “stupid” on DNO! I’d like to know how smart they themselves are!!!
A very intellegent person could write crappy just for the kicks of it. Everything is, “Oh you too stupid.” People are expressing themselves and opinions! Even the “fools” have something to offer.
If they had caught him with a bottle of Rum, I guess that would be fine. Someone told me that they are going to make Viagra Illegal in Dominica – is that true? if that is so, don’t anybody get caught with a BLUE PILL. That’ll be a 10K fine.
Even I’m not a smoker but that fine is just crazy. Everywhere steps are taken to legalize and tax the herb but in Dominica we want to cripple man pockets.
The System in Dominica needs to be revamped! God made that plant you know!! Alcohol claim lives so often and people drink and drive in DA. Yet the Police and Politicians condone and promote the oppression of the natural. Dem bullers wanna legalize their nastiness and the PM said that they can come talk about it with him but for years the Plant in oppression and not one audience have been granted. The Po-LICE and Poli-TICS in Dominica has created a system of destruction for the underprivilaged…so you can’t even free up in your own house now?? Jah Knows!
crazyness,as one roach done another one ar light up,this niggar is been charge,now we smoking it by the bags.
this is stupid!!!stupid!!!i wonder when the police force and the dominica judiciary and above all the politicians going to stop embarrass us!!the frustration starts with persons with crime alot more severe pay less or don’t even make it to court!!!
Best dey cetch u wit cocaine eh dan weed…its a fact check d records!!! Tell me wat message u sendin out!!!!!! So fellas stay clean
Yet stil skerrit sayin he dr 4 d rasta man.. I hear him say dat while addressin african liberation day jus d oda day dr…watch it…..
First time I’ve ever seen a parasite live off another parasite. Come see it in Dominica. “NATURE ISLAND” at its best.
All you giving Frabo hard time over his comments…look at the Dominica system! is it just? $1,200.00 for half a joint? i don’t do drugs and i don’t smoke. But my goodness! they are gone wild in the Court system in Dominica. No wonder folks are living with no hopes. $1,200.00 for a cigarette BUTT? How much is an once???
I would charge the police instead wasting the court time and tax payers money for half a spliff…pure none sense, shame on you officer go catch some real criminals all there
i think they should investigate that joint to know whats in it, for the magistrate to charge him all that and i think that joint should be an atique
Wow thats my boy from down de road, Damn they tripping in DA, thats why I’m moving to Amsterdam. lol
This cannot be right!
people are openly smoking the DANGEROUS crack all over the streets of Roseau and environs, yet you never hear of anynone brought before the law for possesion of crack. Its as if they protecting Crack and destroying de Cali.
DNO , why didn’t we see the the magistrate’s name?
$1200 for a 1/2 a spliff, in an era where most murderers walk away from the the courts scot-free.
pure wickedness
This is pure wickedness. They charged this guy more money for half a cig. and others $1000. for grams, this is ridiculous in DA is who you know.
That’s what I mean!! NO JUSTICE FOR THE POOR. Why $1,200.00? I’m still trying to understand that. This Country will never get better.
police charging all that money for that and you charging 800.00 for 1 case nonsense
the most brokes people in dominica is the police force,u can see it on their face.
And they are lazy too!
and yet still people say behanzin was hard but he was appyling appropriatetly i guess behanzin not there the same thing happen no crying about that
they still with that nonsense about weed come on im not coming back 2 dominica unless they change those stupid laws $1200 for half a spliff come on
i dont care how many warrants the police had. they did not go there for half a joint so why they arrest the man eh. the person that send them by the man maybe had a shipmend coming in or going out so they was keeping the police busy. 1200 hundred dollars for half a joint please police stop the abuse on poor people. oh so it going nah.
I think the court must focus on the real issues. They are just off completely. Silly!
Every action by a government agency costs the state. I’m therefore trying to rationalize the sentence and say maybe executing a warrant costs the state $1,200.00 or more for the police hours, equipment,fuel costs for transportation, court staff hours etc. Somebody’s got to pay for that so smokers need to be less careless till things change. If my reasoning is right then someone with a spliff caught on the street should maybe pay 1/5 of that. You feel me?
Either way that is a stiff penalty when in certain states in US Americans can order their weed on line & get home delivery. Shame on Dominica law enforcement & judiciary.
Take a look at the overall cost:
Time costs money.
Paper work costs money.
Going to Court costs money.
The police, prosecutor, clerk and magistrate have to be paid for their time in Court.
Traveling to and from Court costs money.
Driving to Court costs money – gas.
Wear and tear on the general vehicles used to drive cost money.
Time spent in Court costs money.
Note how much the cost could be and even more.
No wonder lawyers who defend their clients as also criminals charge a lot.
The best thing is not to traffic, sell and ingest illegal drugs. Stay away from drugs for one the are unhealthy. Will this prevent him from using illegal drug?
vietnam you make my night boy. alyopu giving people licence to sell cigarette, it mark big on it cigarette kills, and rum making big accident even people cursing police under the influence. well yes dominica that police really wasnt mr friend. half a joint. police smoking weed.
Magway sah!
$1200 for a roach?
Any how you check it, that is a blatant abuse of authority…
Dominican’s justice system is rubbish, old, corrupt and bias. People get sent to jail for ten years for petty crimes, fined $1,200 for half a joint?
All they see are blue collar crimes, while the government get away with RUBBING it’s ignorant people BLIND.
You’ll get a faster police response if you tell them you found drugs than if you told them someone was trying to kill you.
$1200.00 for HALF A JOINT!! Jah that is maddddddddnesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!
I hv read most if not all the comments u guys hv made..first question was that his first offense, had he been b4 the court prior to that, was he warn that if he appears for any offense relating to drug possession ..those are the questions we hv to ask our self b4 we can make all our comments ..food 4 thought…
The man is used as a goat to send a warning! Is his first drug offence yes!
de other day they fined a man put him in prison for touching a woman bum; I thought it was a bit harsh.. i said the law sucks! you guys gave me thumbs down.. today look more poopoo with the law… All dem police man should be fired!what a bloody waste of time…murderers are out loose, drug lords are travelling to england freely and no arrests by them same old poopoorat Dominican police..
i wash my habds inno my boy…I STOP SMOKE WEED FROM TODAY..muchless for if they catch me with dem telephonr post i does smoke….$20k flatt!
THis is madness self self, absolute rubbish..1,200.oo for 1/2 a joint. So for the whole joint he would have paid $2,400.00.. Oh my!!
$1200 for a half burnt spliff? The Police and the Court do not have more important fishes to fry? It appears the Courts and the Police can only deal with the minors!
so mean to tell me half a joint is almost the cost of a pound of weed and i selling a joint 2 dollars. man i wasting my time i better give that magistrate to sell my weed for me
So d state making money their best creativity, voices from d gettho crying…
So u tellin me… $ something in de morning allu knockin on a man door jus to look 4 herbz… and arest him 4 a half a joint… SMFH.. and still charging him $1200 4 it? yall need to get a life 4 real tho :/
Bablyon kyan stop ganja from burn up!!!!! That is some bs charges. If you search the man for DRUGS and find nothing, put him under surveillance, when you catch him, lock his up and throw away the key.However $1200 for 1/2 a spliff in a match box, meantime kilos upon kilos of coke flowing in and out like bakes and fry fish. Waste of court time. You can’t set people up it weakens your case. Not just the other day you all set a foreigner free caught with hundreds of pounds of weed only $5000.00?
My radical black beauty, I always wondered why your eyes are so small
you can put it in salad for me I’ll eat it. One thing you stand firm in what you believe… Sex!!!. Woman just marry me noh I worship you!
that’s sure to be a setup, the time police burstin into the house after 4 in the morning
what for our system to give harsh charges they don’t. I am not for weed but you gonna charge a man all that money for HALF a joint? When it have these very same police officers selling? smdh…
to all herb smokers ,if they hold you plead not guilty and give them the burden of proof,too many weed smokers plead guilty because they are not ashamed of it and in doing so save the courts time and what do they get in return,rediculously high fines that seem to be the cash cow of the court system,shame on the courts.
Tell me why they not arresting those drunk policemen who drive under the influence almost everyday putting people lives at risk. Tell me why they not arresting those policemen who molest people children? Why is that less significant than the marijuana?
I am willing to support a political party that promises to decriminalizes marijuana, increase the punishment for for selling/trafficking of cocaine, increased punishment for domestic violence and child abuse.
And legalize homosexuality. Oh I am not gay.
so stupid,a footballer beats an 18yr old,and he gets to apologize,yet a man is charged for half a smoke,these magistrates are a joke,dominica justice sytem is like a septic.
yah all I can do is laugh yeh. the kinda nonsense that going on in that country there.
Dominicans read a partial story and do not ask questions!
Hello – they went with a search warrant!
Doesn that say something? perhaps the guy or someone in that house was being investigated and the cops thought they’d find something.
there must be more to the story than that. I refused to believe that 1200 was just for the joint – could have been a combo of different charges that amounted to 1200
there’s no way that the law would allow for a straight 1200 fine for half a joint which ws found in a match box…to many defenses can get him off that one
@ WOW – It’s not what they INTENDED to find. It’s what they ACTUALLY found. You can’t convict and sentence based on that you thought the person might have done but sentencing should be based on the facts presented.
I agree … the fact that they showed up at 4am says they were hoping to get something more. But the FACT is they did not. They should have gone back to the drawing board and consider other elements … did someone tip him off? was it a mistake? Let all things be done decently and in order!
U stupid? U cant read?
HALF A JOINT $1200 FINE!!!!
Hellooooo!!!! Are u serious? Found other things? Like what?
Someonelse in that house is under investigations?
Who’s that?
At 4:40am u search a persons home and find 1/2 a joint and charge them 1200Ec?
For what?
Who get charge for Manno House?
Who get charge for Norma son?
What happened to the south Americans who were caught by the coast guards? (Oh i forgot. They were rewarded.)
Dog gone hypocrrite you are.
So many man kill others and walking free wat is a half joint.Come on dominican we can do better than that.
the court telling them police dont waist they time we joint cases in the court and because is a marigot person they want charge all the money and other people paying 500 for five bags and way bigger weights than tht
Met yo, I suspect is u that set up the man. You call the police. Stop hating. The man took a loan.
well tht person tht talking about rental and bike and congrete truck is jealous allu too jealous all tht allu want to say and vena blanc cant even finish pay for the mixer tht mix the congret go on face and allu will see how the foundation go down. Is story allu want and mine people business and all home and family have more rubbish to clean up.
met yo you too jealous,stupid and lie.what concrete truck,ride or house have to do with this incedent eh. Dominicans just dont like to see their people excell.instead all you spreading tales..Ronnie continue to develop ur self
Simply ridiculous!
if the police had to arrest everybody seen with a joint in the uk there would be big big trouble!
Hello people the Police did their job and the Magistrate was the one who charged the man $1200, I guess if he had a whole joint he would simply pay 2400
all u cyan be serious………dem police always telling man to smoke at their house and doh come out de street to expose urself ……….i think dem police were expecting to find a big stash of weed in de man place……..in their disappointment they decide to charge de man $1500 for a BURNT OUT SPLIFF??????? and how much time all u make ‘shakes’ walk free in de past?
De laws of de universe will act at de right time…………IT MUST BALANCE!!!!!!
Way papa! Wat dominica cumin to half a joint in my house in a box of matches 4.30 in d mornin???? Wel yea dem police doe get d big stash so dey can get dr cut so dey vex
In more developed countries like the US, Canada, UK etc, such an offense is given a fine of less than $500, . OMG, only in la Dominique.
Wrong. The police would not even take a second look at that guy in the countries that you mentioned. In many US states it is perfectly legal under state law to grow a limited amount of marijuana.
Our police love to go after low hanging fruit.
$500.00US =$1,300.00EC
Allu too not easy this is not about no joint Three unexplained rentals,Bikes,House foundation done in one week Concrete trucks coming in like crazy?? Eh where the money coming from eh? Congrats to the CDPF do allu work self…..All of marigot know what the real deal with mister is Good Riddance!!!!!!
Why you don’t ask the PM where he got his money to be building, VVVVVVVVVVVV. Stop mention for Marigot ppl, speak for yourself.
Hi HATER-Bye HATER!
He can only be charged for what he was found with. Otherwise, all what you just said are non-issues – pure hog wash.
wat rubbish i hearing dere na. so because de man do 1 2 likkle ting and hav a likkle rental afta his hard work u vexxx. u well grudgin de man… stop read dno and work like him too. so bcuz dey investigatin de man for anoda ting dey chargin 1200 for a half spliff. waistin resources to persecute for a half joint.
So, it’s okay for some to explain their assets on a meager income but not all? It’s even funnier given that the person arrest and charged is not even in public office. Whoa!! smh … Just saying
if they charging all that for one joint… i wonder how much they would charge for a seed?
A seed is usually priced at fair market value…so if your seed is high up from the monatain in Bells, Warner area it fetches pretty good.
But let’s say you are in the River St area…usually it goes for penny on the dollar.
this is unbelieve that a heavy fine for half a joint but then again is they sending a message or government broke.
Wow..something is wrong with our justice system.. what about the killers that are given bail……. in the states the gov are partially legalizing it with states currently has recreational weed..
Is this country serious in 2013? $1200 for half a joint of marijuana? Really? My my, then these same people will sit on a church bench on Sunday morning, stand up and sing then go for “Holy Eucharist.
Okay officers, continue enforcing “the law.” If this country continues its lopsided policies this country may go back to the crisis in the 1960’s and 1970’s. WATCH!
that is madness …..in the man house wow
Yah tlk alone all u tlkin in dominica pple action speaks louder dan works dat is de point smh act all u hve to act up n dis country
My take…..a police department would not issue a search warrant for half a joint. I think the cops thought they were going for a big catch and since they got nothing they said we gonna have to hit mister with somethiing.
Padna just pay your fine and give up the other stuff….word from the wise..it does not pay
wat madness i hearin dre na.. so bcuz you thought u would hav found somethin and u doe get it u want to kill me for a half joint. so if de man doe involve in dat now and is his likkle weed alone he smokin. dem feds well vex..
It is what is bro….just keep your house clean
SMH… Only in Dominica…
I think that judgement need to be appealed, a half joint in a match box at my home, not even in use at the time, in the privacy of ones home, no intention to supply,cooperating with the Law,for a god given natural plant, do we believe in God and in everything that he made – oh you hypocrites.
because he from marigot and he black and he blue too
4 real …..an he will never be red an dead
These Judges are crazy….makes me wonder if they are scared of the people who really commit the real crimes. ONLY IN DOMINICA! They use so much force and Judgement on petty crimes. IT STINKS!
BON BABYLON!!!
All you have d french police, UK police, US police catching dem coke, crack guns man while dca police busy harassing man for the most harmless substance on EARTH!
For all policy makers Generation Z is upon you, if you all don’t amend these stupid laws and outdated policies, the future will not be too bright.
I for sure along with my peers will not vote if Marijuana is not decriminalized come next election.
This is absolutely rubbish. Now gun men enter Marigot Credit Union, and had the village on edge for days, and they are now out free. Fire booming going on all over the country and this is what Mr. Weekes find he must take to court. He could have given the young man a warning, but no he is from MARIGOT..…Mr. Blanc had a right to ask them: “For a joint all you man arresting me?” It’s a shame on the justice system in DA. NEED TO TAKE A SMOKE ON A JOINT NOW!!!
That is just *…half a joint… I mean come on man when we have murderers walking the street without a care …pure !!
Are we not following what is happening in the world today. just recently the Latin American countries, planned a meeting on how to deal with drugs contrary to the U S position whom they claimed have failed them for decades,what is Dominica’s position on THE NATURALLY GOD given and grown plant?
A warning would do? this looks like we had to penalize someone today.
Half a joint, I most times sweep that away, Wha? de government broke so?, they need money pay back them loans?. Chupesss !!
What would younsay for the guy who slapped the lady on the behind….he was given 6 months
Boy look nonsense in that country, that system sucks.
This was reported to distract the public mind from more pressing matters; Media mind control;
What a waste of state resources! I think the police and court’s time can be much better spent.
you know what happened the police soo lazy with their investigation they didn’t find anything but a half a spliff in a Match Box and you bringing a man to court…….The government cannot pay all those police men so they have to resort to this types of tactics……They know who have the cocaine they know who have the pounds of Weed they know who has the Guns…….so why don’t they go after then…….
Hope he got to finish smoking it…
This system is a joke. half a joint 1200 but man beating woman pays nothing. Murderers on bail being merry.
LOL see de time dey go an search d man house for drugs…dey find early morning so the come down an do a search an dey do get nuttin…dem man search a MATCHES box eh..so you kno da wasnt no big half joint. dey jus fing dey want to bring d man down for sumting..but they make bigger fools of demselves an wating all my tax money to go an search for rubbish…#legalizeit
Not justice but harassment
yes i
Wel l I never! What a waste of public money.
As a former officer, thank God it was not in DA these officers were just pissed off they did not find more, so they wanted to get him by any means necessary. Been there, but never for something this frivolous, i hope someone on the force understand the meaning of frivolous.
Hmmm. I wonder what the fine is for a trafficker.
I give up on my country. for half a joint dey charge d man all that money.
so much crime happening in the country and police sitting on their royal behinds.
boudooooo, i give up papa if is so the country come.
I need a green card somebody!!!!!!! anybody!!!!
What!!!1 for a roach..da my tax money wasting on! a roach…come on man!stop pester ppl life for marijuana na officer! a roach man! a ROACH! JAH IN DOMINICA BOY! mayb $2 d man pay for da wii. a 2boom. A ROACH MAN!
That bull half a joint at his home u charging d man fr that hmmm wicked set up police cus allu doe get wat alu come look fr all u Shame
what he hire ronald charles for? to tell him plead guilty, lol
Refund please Mr Charles
sir, please ask that lawyer for your money back or doh pay.
cause i cant understand how he make u plead guilty.
ronald awa wii. u need more school. go back UWI
crime cya never stop
pure rubbish….when will we address more pressing matters in this country and stop this backward movement???
half of a joint $1200 awa wickedness
This is so beyond stupid i don’t even know where to begin. Why we still criminalizing canabis in this day and age, when rum is worse and so widely abused in DA is perplexing. Not that we should be following blindly, but most developed nations have decriminalize marijuana, why are we still treating this like coke? 9 out of 10 tourist that come to the island would like to smoke and relax, why would we the “nature isle’ keep going after weed? This policy is stupid and just promotes violence where there need not be violence.. Time to make marijuana cigarettes like any other cigarette..
the 9 out of 10 tourist who come on the island ask for the herb!!11
This sentencing is simply draconian in nature….why charge the man all this for half a joint?? Dominica’s legal system seems to be going down the drain and the Magistrates seem to be pulling sentences from out of a hat!!!
SMH…anyway justice lopsided in that D.A. dere eh…
Judge need to address more presing concerns of the country,u murder in Dominica and gets less of a punishment.Shame
so true
That’s just the way it is in Dominica. Murders out walking on the street but they pressing a man for half a̶̲̥̅ joint