Charles C. Lynch

Last updated

Charles C. Lynch
Born
Charles Cornelius Lynch

(1962-05-15) May 15, 1962 (age 59)
OccupationSoftware Developer, musician, marijuana activist, actor
Years active1962–present

Charles C. Lynch is the former owner of a city sanctioned medical marijuana dispensary in Morro Bay, California. Lynch obtained a Medical marijuana dispensary Business License, a Medical Marijuana Nursery Permit and was a welcomed member of the local Chamber of Commerce. Lynch was compliant with the State of California Medical Marijuana laws, but was prosecuted and convicted under Federal Marijuana Laws which trump State Law. As of July 30, 2014 Lynch remains out on bail pending appeal.

Contents

City sanctioned dispensary

In April 2006 Lynch obtained a Medical marijuana dispensary business license [1] from the city of Morro Bay. In July 2006 Lynch was issued a Medical Marijuana Nursery Permit [2] which allowed him to provide marijuana plants to the members of his dispensary. Lynch was also a member of the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce. The business operated under strict guidance from City and State officials that licensed the marijuana dispensary for over one year.

Raid and arrest

On March 29, 2007, the dispensary was raided [3] by the local Sheriff Pat Hedges in cooperation with the DEA (DEA). The dispensary reopened a week later with the blessing of the city of Morro Bay officials. The dispensary eventually closed on May 16, 2007 after the DEA threatened the landlord of the dispensary with criminal forfeiture of his property.

On July 17, 2007 Lynch was arrested under federal law for marijuana trafficking, and was convicted in August 2008 of operating a drug premises, selling drugs to minors, distribution of over 100 kilos of marijuana, cultivating more than 100 marijuana plants and conspiracy to distribute marijuana. During the trial, his attorneys were barred from referring to the legality of his business under state law.

National controversy

Lynch became a national figure in the dispute between state and federal marijuana laws when Drew Carey and Reason.tv published a story and video about Lynch's case. [4] Other national news networks picked up on the story and Lynch appeared on MSNBC's Marijuana Inc. Al Roker Reporting, [5] ABC News 2020 with John Stossel Bailouts and Bull [6] and Larry King Live. [7] The Lynch story also appeared in an online article on Time.com and briefly mentioned in the April 6, 2009 edition of [8] Top Ten News Stories. Lynch and his supporters also staged significant protests that occurred before the Federal Court House in Los Angeles in February 2009 and October 2008 drawing media attention to those individuals caught between conflicting State and Federal Drug Laws.

Trial and conviction

The Trial, US vs Charles C. Lynch, began on July 22, 2008 in Los Angeles Federal Court room. Lynch was not allowed to mention State Medical Marijuana Laws The evidence. [9] submitted and used by the Government against Lynch during the trial was highly controversial and biased. Much of Lynch's own testimony and evidence was stricken from the record and not allowed to be considered by the jury. On August 6, 2008 Charles Lynch was convicted in Federal Court on five counts relating to operating his state legal medical marijuana dispensary:

Sentencing

In April 2009, Judge George Wu sought but was denied input regarding sentencing from the Obama administration's Department of Justice. Lynch was facing a mandatory minimum sentence of five years or more under federal sentencing guidelines, but the judge applied the safety valve and on June 11, 2009 Lynch was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. [10] The one-year sentence was required because Lynch was convicted of selling to minors under the age of 21. Under California Law there is no age limit for the medicinal use of marijuana and Lynch's Conditions of Business License [11] issued by the City of Morro Bay indicated patients should be '18 or older unless accompanied by a parent.' Under Federal Law anybody under the age of 21 is considered a minor. Judge Wu stated that Lynch had adhered to California State Laws and allowed Lynch to stay out of prison on bail pending appeal.

On April 29, 2010 the Honorable Judge Wu issued a final version of Lynch's Federal Sentencing Memo Sentencing Memo. [12] The Judge also issued the Final Judgement and Commitment Order on April 29, 2010. Judge Wu was lenient in the sentencing and made many statements in Lynch's favor including the following:

"Here, there can be no doubt that the present case falls outside of the heartland of typical marijuana distribution cases for a number of very obvious reasons including..."
"Individuals such as Lynch are caught in the middle of the shifting positions of governmental authorities. Much of the problems could be ameliorated - as suggested in Raich, id. at 33 - by the reclassification of marijuana from Schedule I."
"This Court would, however, agree with Lynch that,.., CCCC’s operations were conducted not in stealth but publicly and prominently. Indeed, the vast majority of the evidence presented to the jury was obtained from Lynch’s and CCCC’s records and premises which could have been acquired at any point pursuant to a search warrant which, in turn, could have been procured at any time after CCCC began its operations, since there has never been any dispute that CCCC was openly possessing and distributing marijuana at its store in downtown Morro Bay."
"Consequently, prior to the California Supreme Court’s decision in Mentch, Lynch could have reasonably believed that the CCCC’s operations complied with California law because it was acting in the capacity of a primary caregiver."
"...before opening the CCCC, he notified governmental authorities including the City of Morro Bay’s mayor and city council plus various local law enforcement entities such as the county sheriffs and (according to Lynch) the DEA. Consequently, should any governmental authority have believed that some public safety issue or other societal interest warranted the prevention of any commencement of CCCC’s operations, that authority could have sought to enjoin the CCCC from opening. None did. Likewise, Lynch took steps to have CCCC comply with applicable laws such as by obtaining a business license, following federal and state labor statutes, etc."
"There was no evidence that anyone ever suffered any injury of any sort as a result of Lynch’s running the CCCC. Lynch kept detailed records of all purchases, sales and other relevant activities of the CCCC (including the identities and other background information as to its suppliers and customers). As a result, his prosecution was greatly facilitated by his own scrupulous record-keeping."

Bond reduction

On Monday May 23, 2011 Federal Judge George Wu ordered Charles C. Lynch's $400,000 bond reduced after Lynch's Federal Public Defenders requested the reduction. Federal Pre Trial officers who are supervising Lynch supported Lynch in his request for the reduction. Lynch's family posted $400,000 bond to bail Lynch out of Federal Detention when he was arrested in July 2007. The government has been holding the property and cash for nearly four years saying Lynch is a flight risk.

Cross appeals

On June 15, 2009 Lynch's Federal Public Defenders filed a notice of appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

On July 13, 2009 the Federal Prosecutors appealed Lynch's one-year sentence insisting that he receive the five year mandatory sentence. It is assumed that the government received permission from the head of the Washington Department of Justice, Eric Holder, in order to file the appeal despite Eric Holder's statements of a change in United States policy regarding Medical Marijuana Dispensaries.

On August 19, 2009 the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the Government's and Lynch's appeals without prejudice, meaning they could be re-filed at a later date, pending the final sentencing judgment to be issued by Judge Wu.

On July 3, 2012 Lynch filed the official documents for Appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. [13]

On July 17, 2012 Americans for Safe Access [14] and a Group of Concerned Lawyers [15] filed Amicus Briefs in support of Lynch's Appeal.

On August 9, 2012 the Government filed for a 120 extension [16] of time to reply to Lynch's Appeal citing consultations with Department of Justice, Solicitor General and other Federal Agencies would be necessary and time consuming.

On November 1, 2013 the Government filed an oversized brief [17] which was denied by the 9th Circuit Court. After nine Extension Requests the Government finally produced another oversized brief [18] which was accepted by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

On May 5, 2014 Charles Lynch's Federal Public Defenders filed an unopposed six-month extension of time [19] to file Lynch's third and final cross-appeal brief he will be able to submit to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The brief is now due November 12, 2014.

Lynching Charlie Lynch

A documentary about Lynch's case, Lynching Charlie Lynch (2011) by filmmaker Rick Ray, premiered at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival on March 9, with a second showing on March 12. [20]

The documentary Lynching Charlie Lynch was released by Brainstorm Media [ permanent dead link ] on April 20, 2012.

Present day

As of February 4, 2014 Lynch remains out of jail under Federal Pre-Trial Supervision on a reduced $200,000 bail posted by his family. In September 2013 Charles left California and is now living in New Mexico.

Related Research Articles

Drug Enforcement Administration United States federal law enforcement agency

The Drug Enforcement Administration is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act, sharing concurrent jurisdiction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security. The DEA has sole responsibility for coordinating and pursuing U.S. drug investigations both domestically and abroad.

Ed Rosenthal American horticulturist, author, publisher, and cannabis grower

Edward "Ed" Rosenthal is a California horticulturist, author, publisher, and Cannabis grower known for his advocacy for the legalization of marijuana use. He served as a columnist for High Times Magazine during the 1980s and 1990s. He was arrested in 2002 for cultivation of cannabis by federal authorities, who do not recognize the authority of states to regulate the use of medical marijuana. He was convicted in federal court, but the conviction was overturned on appeal. Rosenthal was subsequently convicted again, but was not re-sentenced, since his original sentence had been completed.

1996 California Proposition 215 California law permitting medical marijuana

Proposition 215, or the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, is a California law permitting the use of medical cannabis despite marijuana's lack of the normal Food and Drug Administration testing for safety and efficacy. It was enacted, on November 5, 1996, by means of the initiative process, and passed with 5,382,915 (55.6%) votes in favor and 4,301,960 (44.4%) against.

Removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act

In the United States, the removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the most tightly restricted category reserved for drugs that have "no currently accepted medical use,” has been proposed repeatedly since 1972.

In United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative, 532 U.S. 483 (2001), the United States Supreme Court rejected the common-law medical necessity defense to crimes enacted under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970, regardless of their legal status under the laws of states such as California that recognize a medical use for marijuana. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative was represented by Gerald Uelmen.

Legal history of cannabis in the United States Aspect of history

The legal history of cannabis in the United States pertains to the regulation of cannabis for medical, recreational, and industrial purposes in the United States. Increased restrictions and labeling of cannabis as a poison began in many states from 1906 onward, and outright prohibitions began in the 1920s. By the mid-1930s cannabis was regulated as a drug in every state, including 35 states that adopted the Uniform State Narcotic Drug Act. The first national regulation was the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.

The Rohrabacher–Farr amendment is legislation first introduced by U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey in 2001, prohibiting the Justice Department from spending funds to interfere with the implementation of state medical cannabis laws. It passed the House in May 2014 after six previously failed attempts, becoming law in December 2014 as part of an omnibus spending bill. The passage of the amendment was the first time either chamber of Congress had voted to protect medical cannabis patients, and is viewed as a historic victory for cannabis reform advocates at the federal level. The amendment does not change the legal status of cannabis, however, and must be renewed each fiscal year in order to remain in effect.

Charles Lynch may refer to:

Stephen Murphy III American judge

Stephen Joseph Murphy III is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Cannabis in Oregon Use of cannabis in Oregon

Cannabis in Oregon is legal for both medical and recreational use. In recent decades, the U.S. state of Oregon has had a number of legislative, legal, and cultural events surrounding use of cannabis. Oregon was the first state to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis, and among the first to authorize its use for medical purposes. An attempt to recriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis was turned down by Oregon voters in 1997.

Gerard Edmund Lynch is a Senior United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He was confirmed to that seat on September 17, 2009 after previously having been appointed in 2000 by President Bill Clinton to serve on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Judge Lynch was the first appeals-court judge nominated by President Barack Obama to win confirmation from the United States Senate.

Medical cannabis in the United States

In the United States, the use of cannabis for medical purposes is legal in 36 states, four out of five permanently inhabited U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia, as of May 2021. Twelve other states have more restrictive laws limiting THC content, for the purpose of allowing access to products that are rich in cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of cannabis. There is significant variation in medical cannabis laws from state to state, including how it is produced and distributed, how it can be consumed, and what medical conditions it can be used for.

Scott Feil

Scott Feil is an American medical cannabis rights activist, complex aircraft pilot, and businessman. Most known for his involvement in the continuing court case involving Los Angeles Police Department illegal seizure of 209 pounds of medical marijuana, 21 pounds of hashish, 12 pounds of marijuana oil and amounts of U.S. legal tender amounting to $186,416.00 from his Los Angeles based United Medical Caregivers Clinic medical cannabis dispensary, UMCC LLC.

Conant v. Walters, 309 F.3d 629, is a legal case decided by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which affirmed the right of physicians to recommend medical marijuana. The Court of Appeals affirmed the earlier decision of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, which was filed under the caption Conant v. McCaffrey. Though the case involved chronic patients with untreatable diseases, the decision does not name these conditions as a prerequisite, nor does it limit drugs which may or may not be illegal.

The Kettle Falls Five is a name given to five defendants who were charged with 5 violations of federal law including growing, cultivating and distributing cannabis and firearms charges at their 33-acre property near the town of Kettle Falls in eastern Washington. This prosecution was done despite the defendants adherence to Washington State law allowing the growing of cannabis for medical use. One of the defendants, cancer patient Larry Harvey, was not permitted to argue his medical need for the plant in court. Despite this handicap, the defendants were acquitted of 4 out of 5 counts in federal court in Spokane, Washington on March 3, 2015.

Cannabis in the United States Virgin Islands

Cannabis in the United States Virgin Islands is illegal for recreational use, but possession of under 1 ounce (28 g) is decriminalized. Medical use was legalized in 2019 through a bill that passed the Senate 9–4.

2016 Florida Amendment 2

The Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, also known as Amendment 2, was approved by voters in the Tuesday, November 8, 2016, general election in the State of Florida. The bill required a super-majority vote to pass, with at least 60% of voters voting for support of a state constitutional amendment. Florida already had a medical marijuana law in place, but only for those who are terminally ill and with less than a year left to live. The goal of Amendment 2 is to alleviate those suffering from these medical conditions: cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic nonmalignant pain caused by a qualifying medical condition or that originates from a qualified medical condition or other debilitating medical conditions comparable to those listed. Under Amendment 2, the medical marijuana will be given to the patient if the physician believes that the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a patient. Smoking the medication was not allowed under a statute passed by the Florida State Legislature, however this ban was struck down by Leon County Circuit Court Judge Karen Gievers on May 25, 2018.

Cannabis in Washington (state) Overview of cannabis use and culture in Washington state

Cannabis in Washington relates to a number of legislative, legal, and cultural events surrounding the use of cannabis. On December 6, 2012, Washington became the first U.S. state to legalize recreational use of marijuana and the second to allow recreational marijuana sales. The state had previously legalized medical marijuana in 1998. Under state law, cannabis is legal for medical purposes and for any purpose by adults over 21.

Robert Edward "Ed" Forchion Jr., also known as NJWeedman, is an American Rastafari cannabis rights and free speech activist, perennial candidate, actor, writer, and restaurateur. He is the founder of the Legalize Marijuana Party.

Hemp Industries Association v. Drug Enforcement Administration, often shortened to HIA v. DEA, refers to two lawsuits concerning the legality of cannabis extracts and other products from the hemp plant that have very low or nonexistent natural THC levels, including CBD oil, in the United States. The first is from 2004 and the second is from 2018.

References

  1. Medical Marijuana Dispensary Business License
  2. Medical Marijuana Nursery Permit
  3. Morro Bay Dispensary Raided by Federal Agents
  4. Raiding California Drew Carey Documentary
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Al Roker Marijuana Inc. with Charles C. Lynch
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) John Stossel with Charles C. Lynch
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Larry King Live with Charles C. Lynch
  8. Time Magazine
  9. Counts and Evidence Used Against Lynch During Trial
  10. Huffington Post News Article
  11. Conditions of Business License
  12. April 29, 2010 USA vs Lynch; Federal Sentencing Memo
  13. July 3, 2012 USA vs Lynch; Lynch's Appeal to 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
  14. USA vs Lynch; Americans for Safe Access Amicus Brief
  15. July 17, 2012 USA vs Lynch; Group of Concerned Lawyers Amicus Brief
  16. August 9, 2012 USA vs Lynch; Government Request for extension of filing Appeal Brief
  17. November 1, 2013 USA vs Lynch; Government Over Size Brief Denied by 9th Circuit
  18. March 27, 2014 USA vs Lynch; Government Over Size Brief Accepted by 9th Circuit
  19. May 5, 2014 USA vs Lynch; Defendant Request for extension of filing Appeal Brief Granted
  20. Archived February 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine 2011 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival list of films in competition