An Assistant District Attorney has gotten himself into some trouble after allegedly deciding it would be a good idea to bring some of his marijuana stash into court with him. 43 year-old Jason Cantrell was chatting with New Orleans police officers at the Orleans Parish magistrate court when a joint fell out of his pocket.
The officers looked at each other, laughed, and promptly cited Cantrell for simple possession of marijuana. He was immediately let go. Since 2010 possession of a small amount of marijuana in New Orleans is simply a summons offense, so Cantrell was not arrested or booked. Had this happened in Pennsylvania it likely would have resulted in misdemeanor charges of Possession of a Small Amount of Marijuana, punishable by up to 30 days in prison and a $500 fine. In many parts of Pennsylvania these cases can be pleaded down to summary Disorderly Conduct or a Section 17 or ARD disposition.
Assistant District Attorney Jason Cantrell is currently suspended without pay pending an internal investigation. Cantrell had been practicing law in New Orleans for over 17 years so he was likely aware that it is illegal to possess Marijuana there.
2 comments:
You may want to check your facts his was not an Ada but an assistant city attorney
We checked and you are correct. Where we practice in Montgomery County, PA and Bucks County, PA there are only Assistant District Attorneys, but this gentleman was clearly an Assistant City Attorney as opposed to an Assistant District Attorney.
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