Two men have received separate fines for possession of cannabis from magistrate Bernard Pacquette after pleading guilty to the offense.
Earl Francis, a 43-year-old truck driver of Fond St. Jean, was arrested in Canefield after a police received a “tip off.”
He was found in possession of 102 grams of the illegal substance.
He was fined $800, given two months to pay or in default, spend one month in jail.
Another man, 28-year-old Joseph Anderson Roberts, was arrested for possession of 25.9 grams of cannabis at the Fond Cole bus stop.
Reports are that the Anti Crime Task Force was on patrol and spotted some young men in the area and decided to search them. This resulted in the arrest of Roberts. He pleaded guilty and was fined $500.00 to be paid by November 23, 2013 or in default one month in jail.
Both men were represented by lawyer Peter Alleyne, who told the court that “it was time that the legislators took note of what was happening in other parts of the world as it relates to the use of marijuana.”
Alleyne, who is a Rastafarian and wears dreadlocks, told magistrate Pacquette that it was time that the “legislators in Dominica do what was necessary to decriminalize marijuana.”
However, Magistrate Bernard Pacquette reminded him that he needed to make that representation to “the powers that be…the legislators” but in the absence of that he is guided by the laws of Dominica and marijuana was and continues to be “illegal” and Alleyne needs to so advise his clients.
Arrest them!
You must be reading the law books upside down or watching to much american crime dramma. So let me educate u. The police search person under suspicion. The law gives the police this legal umbrella which is a matter of discretion by said police officer. You a civillian does not have such power. If you read the police act you will see what it says. I dont know the chapter, i don’t live in dominica but our jurisdiction is similar.
Now don’t try to miseducate people and tell them that you can tell a police officer in uniform or in plain clothes who have properly identified themself that u can’t be searched. You are wrong. There the law gives the police another set of powers. The power of arrest. A police can arrest u 1. On view 2. On suspicion 3. On the charge of a third person. So u will be arrested on suspicion of carrying an illegal substance taken to the station and still search. Oh don’t be foolish then and say u can’t take me. Another charge of resisting arrest can be added. Educate yourself before you mislead people
Yah so true bout lil dey doe no what goes around comes around so u tink venezula n de other south american wanna stop cocoiane lol never dat is dem pple gold ! So a lil weed dat hve de country moving ! But de guns de hve on dere side if de belief is heaven de goin hell ! Hell is empty and all de deivls are here eh ! Fear no police
Until your time comes
Yow the drug is illegal they should not have it on them it could be a joint illegal is illegal
yow possie, fornication is against God’s Law. And I’m sure that you have or is currently engaging in sex before marriage. Many of us do. It is a sin. Sin is Sin thou shall not sin. You seem to be a hypocrite!!!!
Mr Big who brings the cochrane in Dominica still free
Mattana, his voice trembling, told the pope that unemployment “oppresses you and wears you out to the depths of your sou
Why would the drug squad bite the hands that feed them? They would be out of a job if they looked for and arrested the real drug dealers.
“Reports are that the Anti Crime Task Force was on patrol and spotted some young men in the area and decided to search them.” LOL @ that. No better than Mamo Charles’ regime.
ok
In my opinion, police should or must have a warrant to search for drugs on someone. This Drug Trade is global. Why is it that certain persons are not being searched (as the Prime Minister’s Dad and police officers uncles who are Drug dealers that the Commissioner and past Commissioners knows. Eh Be Weh. Mon Mauvais Dominic eh.
What kinda craziness is that? Police just see some guys by the road and just DECIDE TO SEARCH THEM? PEOPLE PEOPLE PEOPLE POLICE CAN’T LEGALLY SEARCH YOU WITH NO PROBABLE CAUSE/REASONABLE SUSPICION. If however they tell you to empty your pockets and you do it then you have just given them permission to search. Anytime an officer tells you or asks you to empty your pocket DO NOT DO IT. Tell them that you do not consent to a search. They may even go ahead and search you even if you did not give consent. If in the event they find a little weed and they searched without your consent the case will be thrown out. POLICE CANNOT JUST DECIDE TO SEARCH SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE. That’s why probable cause and reasonable suspicion exist.
For those who wanna try and oppose what I say as usual please go read the law books so you would know what am talking about. This is not my opinion this is what THE LAW STATES. I DID NOT MAKE THE LAWS
You must be reading the law books upside down or watching to much american crime dramma. So let me educate u. The police search person under suspicion. The law gives the police this legal umbrella which is a matter of discretion by said police officer. You a civillian does not have such power. If you read the police act you will see what it says. I dont know the chapter, i don’t live in dominica but our jurisdiction is similar.
Now don’t try to miseducate people and tell them that you can tell a police officer in uniform or in plain clothes who have properly identified themself that u can’t be searched. You are wrong. There the law gives the police another set of powers. The power of arrest. A police can arrest u 1. On view 2. On suspicion 3. On the charge of a third person. So u will be arrested on suspicion of carrying an illegal substance taken to the station and still search. Oh don’t be foolish then and say u can’t take me. Another charge of resisting arrest can be added. Educate yourself before you mislead people
I’m wondering what kind of weed u smoke
it looks like it was mixed with diesel and cow shit
let them go and PLEASE go after the guys hauling crack and coke, get your priorities straight.
the ministers who are ripping of the poor people of dominica that needs to be arrested,wake up police officers,marijuana is not cocaine.
arresting people that smoking weed is a waste of time and not productive to society, it criminalizes non criminals by giving them a record for something that should be legal. The real issue of drugs in Dominica is the hard drugs being imported and distributed on the island. If the task force want to arrest people they can arrest the dealers selling to the parot, and the suppliers selling to the dealers. Marijuana should be legal already… even cultivated and taxed like a business for the government.
Where in the world are people being executed for herb? Dominicans are so dumb!!!
That lawyer not easy………..smh
I support alleyn but the magistrate is right!
people dont WEAR locks its not a hat,any way well done to the big scary police who have brought two big time criminals to justice,i know the police must be proud in taking grammes and grammes of this evil scurge from our streets
what would be the effect it cannabis was made legal in Dominica to some extent. the price would definite drop since scarcity causes increase in prices (price /demand curve). Every body would plant their own thing no stealing of each others own, less crime , marijuanna actually quiets the mine not a stimulant like alcohol . Uruguay has started the revolution ,(http://www.exposingthetruth.co/uruguay-first-legalize-marijuana/#axzz2fny5Gpt7) Sad thing u all were not in Uruguay lol,
I personally going to draft out my own way i think we should legalize weed and send it up to the PM. I am serious about that. It’s time we allow people to smoke their joint, afterall how bad can it be, we allow them to snoke cigarettes and drink HARD rum but the one that can actually help certain people with sicknesses and pain we jail them for it. Thats a joke now, people must come together and untite on that issue.
I find this situation very odd. A place that’s swimming in cocaine, I know it, police know it, you or I can get it very easily if we want; And here they are targetting Marijuana, ‘on a tip-off’, ‘just spot-checking’ young men they ‘see’
??
And what do they find…..Marijuana. I know people are paying attention and see this as what it is, a witch hunt. That should not happen in Dominica. Just read the story, you’ll get it.
Those who sell/traffic in cocaine ensure that they are not caught.
so now u can just see some young men doing nothing wrong and search them? only in dominica. New York City’a stop-and-frisk program lasted less than two years and On August 12, 2013, U.S. District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin ruled that the stop and frisk practice was unconstitutional and directed the Police to adopt a written policy to specify where such stops are authorized, basically meaning no warrant you cant search me..wake up dominicans…
I recently heard, health-wise, marijuana is worst than cocaine. Obey the Law and you will have nothing to worry about.
If they fail to pay the fine they will receive one month jail. Is this all? They deserve more than one month. I would send them to no less than six months. They must learn a lesson. Do not shoot me!
As for Alleyne, he is rude, out of place and insubordinate to inform the judge about changing the Laws and in front of criminals. He embraced the opportunity but as the saying, “He was in the right church but in the wrong pew.”
The judge does not have the authority to change Laws. It is out of his jurisdiction. His response was an excellent one and to the point. I hope this put Alleyne in his place. Have respect for the judge. He is superior to you. Know your place. Learn to speak to him respectfully.
Well instead of just going by what you hear, do some RESEARCH! Cannibus is the ONLY “controlled substance” that has never caused a death. You cannot OD on weed. It is also a vegetable. When you produce cocaine you have to put it through a process. That is what makes it a drug. Processing it out of its natural state.
while America making the small islands governments shake down their people for weed,they are now openning dispensers all over to sell weed medecinal or not.
Yardie! it seems that thing have you seeing double? Man if you feel so strongly about legalization of the drug, take what you have to the market lead by example in that effort see how far you will reach and hope the Lawyer represent you for free. Money talk BS. talk.
officer a lil weed wii
Okay Dominicans.. atleast we have a sensible layer… Just legalize it na so long… and read the story again… i spot a number of odd things
1. Police were “tip off?” and went to arrest a man who has a job and probably a family to suppost.
2. Anti Crime Task Force saw a young man on a busstop and decided to RANDOMLY search him…
WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WIT YOU PEOPLE!!!
Lololol ikr
Who people? Are you referring to the Police? They were tipped off and they decided to search the other men. The latter were obviously conducting themselves in a suspicious manner.
There is nothing wrong with the police. They were simply performing their jobs. They scored.
If a lawyer could give this remark what can you expect from the guys.
This lawyer is unethical. For one in his position shame on him. He sounds like a radical lawyer.
instead of patrolling around harassing little weed smokers go and get the big time drug dealers ah u know who dem b
Surely you could help them?
They need the help of all nationals to fight crime. Some nationals know who the big-time drug dealers are. Try conducting undercover investigation. 
Mem bete, mem pwel. It’s the same s…it; drugs! drugs! drugs! that impair the brain and turn people into paros.
but wha kide ah bull is dat 25grams is a very small quantity the only thing you can do with this amount of weed is smoke it come on babylon de wickedness you do will come back to hunt you all when dey throw all you ras out of the force you all look like dogs on de road i have seen how some of you all turn out so go ahead and continue doing jah children wickedness in the name of jah Rastafari we will have the last laugh
Control yourself and your temper. The police must perform their job. It is not against the Law and expectations of God. God will not punish them for that.
who is Rasstafari ? stupes de man done dead an bury waiting for judgement day like all of us
While Mr. Alleyne is looking forward for the decriminalization of marijuana, he should also know that in some parts of the world, people are being executed for the use of marijuana. So I’m asking him, which law should we follow?
Where is that pray tell
I tried google and bing search and came up with no such information not even wikipedia have it so come again with that rubbish information
You know you just told a damn boldface lie right? But you will say it and disappear! Back up what you say. Country statistics date no of persons. Sakway manteh
what r you talking about!? in some parts of the world they imprison women that are raped and execute servants that defend themselves. What does that psycho religious crap have to do with civilized people of Dominica. We are an Island people, weed is an Island herb.
Pay the fine and then return to your burning bush.
What a habit!