Judge to return to bench after drug charges

[diggitydank420]

Must be nice.

http://www.wnewsj.com/main.asp?SectionID=49&SubSectionID=156&ArticleID=173600&TM=5956.138

[FONT=ARIAL BLACK, ARIAL, SANS SERIF]Bowling to return to bench after drug charges[/FONT]

[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]ROSE COOPER[/FONT]
[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]County Editor[/FONT]

[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]Clinton County Juvenile Court Magistrate Roger Bowling will soon be back on the bench.
Bowling, 58, who was charged Dec. 9 with two misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, appeared Jan. 23 in Hillsboro Municipal Court where the case was transferred after Clinton County Municipal Court Judge Chad L. Carey stepped aside. Judge David McKenna, of Hillsboro Municipal Court, and Prosecutor Fred Beery, brought the case against Bowling.
A spokesperson in the Clinton County Municipal Court said the possession of drug paraphernalia was dismissed with prejudice under a plea agreement. For the possession of marijuana charge, the court ordered a $158 bond forfeiture.
A Wilmington resident, Bowling was charged after Wilmington police executed a search warrant at his home for illegal narcotics. Police detectives found marijuana, marijuana seeds and stems, pipes with residue, rolling papers and burnt marijuana cigarettes, according to a media release from the Wilmington Police Department.
At the time the charges were filed, police said anonymous tips led to a three-month investigation. During the investigation, detectives “developed probable cause,” said police, prompting the issuance of the search warrant.
After he was charged, Bowling was removed from the bench and initially placed on paid administrative leave, according to Clinton County Juvenile Court Administrator David Hockaday.
Clinton County Probate Judge Allen Gano said Bowling was later placed on leave without pay.
Judge Gano said Bowling has gone through the steps required under the county’s drug policy. “The drug policy urges us to take steps to rehabilitate,” he said.
Bowling began rehabilitation “on his own initiative,” Gano said. “He was taking the steps that fit into the county policy. We followed that from the beginning. I’m pleased with the way he has dealt with it. I’m satisfied at the sincerity of his efforts. As the county policy would have us do, he will get a second chance,” the judge said.
There was never an indication in any of Bowling’s work performance there was a problem, Gano said.
Bowling is expected to return to the bench at the end of February or beginning of March. “This is the right thing to do under the circumstances,” Gano said. “After a good deal of consideration and discussion with him, it was an appropriate decision. He’s done the rehabilitation and I’m satisfied he will be able to perform.”
Gano said the magistrate’s decisions are always reviewed by the judge.
Bowling has served as a Clinton County magistrate for more than 10 years.
As juvenile court magistrate, Bowling oversees a number of juvenile cases, most of them traffic offenses, said Hockaday. Bowling also handles a variety of other cases, including juvenile misdemeanor drug cases.
[/FONT]

 

[misshestermoffitt]

Ummm, shouldn't someone be confiscating everything that he owns? Shouldn't he lose his job? Where is his jail sentence? How about probation? Shouldn't everyone he sentenced for marijuana be let out? WTF?


This is why people say to the law. It'd be different if there were one set of laws for everyone, but since there is a different set for each different person, people are saying fuck it.

 

[TheBrutalTruth]

Ummm, shouldn't someone be confiscating everything that he owns? Shouldn't he lose his job? Where is his jail sentence? How about probation? Shouldn't everyone he sentenced for marijuana be let out? WTF?


This is why people say to the law. It'd be different if there were one set of laws for everyone, but since there is a different set for each different person, people are saying fuck it.

Yeah, I can not see how he's qualified to make judgment on the law if he is not going to follow the law. Public figures must (even if it means having some one travel with them with a gun to their head) be above reproach. Which means they can not break the law. It also means that if they do break the law the punishment must be much harsher on them than it would be on a private citizen.

That is the only way to maintain faith in the government.

When public figures such as this judge get away with things like this with out repercussions that would face a normal citizen it undermines faith in the legal system.

Much like when people here about cops letting people they know go on traffic stops, it undermines the legal system.

People ask, "Why the fuck should I follow the law if those c**ksuckers are getting away with not following the law?"

 

[GrowTech]

all he did was have some pot...

 

[TheBrutalTruth]

all he did was have some pot...

Yeah, and further judgment must be reserved unless some one here knows how he sentences people that are in his court on marijuana charges. If he enforce the law with out quarter, then he should have faced the same, but worse as befitting his position as a public employee. I think the death penalty would be sufficient, if he is enforcing the same laws that he himself violated. Or if not that, he should have lost his job.

At any rate, it is clear that the bureaucrats and politicians we have do not understand what it means when people say that public figures must be above the law. They don't understand that it means that public figures must be beyond reproach. They seem to think that it means that they are given free reign to break the laws they are charged with enforcing.

 

[medicineman]

It did say he Judges juvenile Marijuana possession cases. I wonder if he'll be as lenient on them as the court was on him?

 

[GrowTech]

Yeah, and further judgment must be reserved unless some one here knows how he sentences people that are in his court on marijuana charges. If he enforce the law with out quarter, then he should have faced the same, but worse as befitting his position as a public employee. I think the death penalty would be sufficient, if he is enforcing the same laws that he himself violated. Or if not that, he should have lost his job.

At any rate, it is clear that the bureaucrats and politicians we have do not understand what it means when people say that public figures must be above the law. They don't understand that it means that public figures must be beyond reproach. They seem to think that it means that they are given free reign to break the laws they are charged with enforcing.

I'm sorry, we he presiding at his own court dates? His consequences are decided by another judge, as is his allowance to continue his career...

Are you educated as to be a judge, or even all of the legalities of a case regarding a judge with drug charges?

 

[Kash Krop]

all he did was have some pot...

Finally! Thank You.JEEZ

 

[TheBrutalTruth]

I'm sorry, we he presiding at his own court dates? His consequences are decided by another judge, as is his allowance to continue his career...

Yeah, but the standards that he applied should be applied to him. If he was lenient towards people on similar charges (just having/using/growing pot) then he deserves leniency. If he was a ruthless son of a bitch, well, he should have that same standard applied to him.

However, you are right about him not being able to judge his own case. However, that doesn't invalidate my point about the need for government officials to be beyond reproach.

If anything it makes it that much more important, because it is not likely that the city/county would convene a panel of citizens to judge the case against him. I actually doubt that there was a jury trial.


Are you educated as to be a judge, or even all of the legalities of a case regarding a judge with drug charges?

What the hell does this have to do with anything?

Are you psychic?

Same totally irrelevant question. It has no connection with the discussion.

 

[110100100]

[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF] There was never an indication in any of Bowling’s work performance there was a problem, Gano said.[/FONT]

Maybe because there was no problem?

Some of you are jumping to the conclusion that he was treated differently than anyone else facing the same charges in the same area he lives. The article seems to indicate otherwise. I have no idea how colored the report is but without knowing all the facts I think reserving judgment as Truth said is the right thing to do.

 

[diggitydank420]

The one thing that anyone has failed to talk about is how they got a warrant to search his house in the first place. Surely it was a political rival.

 

[anhedonia]

Stupid cops even took the seeds and stems fucking idiots.

Cool avatar diggity.

 

[TheBrutalTruth]

The one thing that anyone has failed to talk about is how they got a warrant to search his house in the first place. Surely it was a political rival.

A political rival that knew he smoked pot?

:: shrugs :: possibly, if the judge was dumb enough to talk about it openly.

 

[misshestermoffitt]

The thing is, that as someone who punishes other people for not obeying the law, he should be expected to have higher standards where obeying the law is concerned.

It's a "do as I say, not as I do" situation.

So a judge that sentences people for pot, got caught with pot amd gets to keep his job. I'm sure as someone who is expected to know the laws that he knew he was breaking the law before he did it. He should have that charge on his record forever just like those people who get caught with a pipe and have that one their record forever making it so that all decent jobs are out of reach due to that one conviction where no one else was hurt.

Wouldn't that be about the same as a cop getting a DUI and walking away with his job and drivers license still intact?

I'm not against pot, but there should be one set of laws for everyone, not this set of laws for judges, and another for cops and a third for politicians, and a fourth for lawyers and a fifth for CEO's and a sixth for the IRS and a seventh for people who make over 200 K per year and ................

 

[gogrow]

The thing is, that as someone who punishes other people for not obeying the law, he should be expected to have higher standards where obeying the law is concerned.

It's a "do as I say, not as I do" situation.

So a judge that sentences people for pot, got caught with pot amd gets to keep his job. I'm sure as someone who is expected to know the laws that he knew he was breaking the law before he did it. He should have that charge on his record forever just like those people who get caught with a pipe and have that one their record forever making it so that all decent jobs are out of reach due to that one conviction where no one else was hurt.

Wouldn't that be about the same as a cop getting a DUI and walking away with his job and drivers license still intact?

I'm not against pot, but there should be one set of laws for everyone, not this set of laws for judges, and another for cops and a third for politicians, and a fourth for lawyers and a fifth for CEO's and a sixth for the IRS and a seventh for people who make over 200 K per year and ................

i agree thats not how it should be; but it is how it is... dont really see anything we can do about it...

 

[GrowTech]

Regardless, you want this judge to be chastised for something you would otherwise expect/want yourself to get away with. Until you're ready to say that EVERYONE should be thrown in prison for 3 years for pot, why say it about this cat?

Sure he is the law and sure he probably gave people stiff sentences for small shit BUT perhaps this is his first time and maybe they just cut him some slack

I mean... my first time getting busted for something I got let off gently...

I also never went back to commit the same crime... and I enacted a personal policy of "Don't commit more than one crime at a time"

I think this is as serious as such an issue should be taken considering the fact that we have REAL issues to deal with right now in this screwed up joke of a country.

Just my two cents.

 

[OregonMeds]

I don't see any problem with this, it's the same treatment anyone else would have gotten for simple posession. They would not steal any of your homes etc for posession and use and you folks, well most of you would not loose your jobs for that either. Technically cops wouldn't go to the trouble to even seek a search warrant on most people for simple posession. They would want something more first like a large grow or dealing so in reality his position caused this whole thing to go badly for him.

He got the exact opposite of special treatment.

That his peers would let him keep his job I think actually reflects good change in the way it's beeng viewed and this case gives just another good example for us to point to.

By being a pot smoker that judge is one of us as much as he is one of them.

 

[110100100]

The thing is, that as someone who punishes other people for not obeying the law, he should be expected to have higher standards where obeying the law is concerned.

It's a "do as I say, not as I do" situation.

So a judge that sentences people for pot, got caught with pot amd gets to keep his job. I'm sure as someone who is expected to know the laws that he knew he was breaking the law before he did it. He should have that charge on his record forever just like those people who get caught with a pipe and have that one their record forever making it so that all decent jobs are out of reach due to that one conviction where no one else was hurt.

Wouldn't that be about the same as a cop getting a DUI and walking away with his job and drivers license still intact?

I'm not against pot, but there should be one set of laws for everyone, not this set of laws for judges, and another for cops and a third for politicians, and a fourth for lawyers and a fifth for CEO's and a sixth for the IRS and a seventh for people who make over 200 K per year and ................

Miss I totally understand where you're coming from, I do but your advocating one set of laws for you and me and another harsher set for that judge.

Don't forget laws are different in every area and the article seems to indicate that he was treated just like anyone else with his charge in his area. If that's the case then I have no problem with it.

This judge did not make the laws. Its his job to hear the cases, make judgments and hand out sentences. For all we know because he's a pot smoker, he may be more lenient on MJ offenses. He may not be and if that was the case I'd say let him be a blow up doll for some dude named Bubba. We don't know one way or the other here. Many times though a judges hands are tied as far as how he can sentence because of mandatory minimums. Lawmakers create this shit not judges.

I know cops that do not agree with MJ prohibition who will NOT arrest someone with pot if they can avoid it but sometimes they have to because its their job.

 

[diggitydank420]

The point I was trying to get across is how police can get a search warrant so easily. All they need is for anyone to say that you have weed in your house. That's it, no physical evidence, just hearsay.

 

[OregonMeds]

The point I was trying to get across is how police can get a search warrant so easily. All they need is for anyone to say that you have weed in your house. That's it, no physical evidence, just hearsay.

That's not true. They had to have found some other evidence to back up the claim before the warrant would have been issued.

I would bet money they went through his trash and found stems, ash, seeds, something along those lines and then got the warrant. Either that or they visibly saw evidence of that or bongs or something through one of his windows.

It is crazy that they'd get a warrant just for this though.