Wilson County Sheriff's OfficeWhat do you do when you’re up in court for drug possession? Well, you light up a joint in the middle of a court room, of course.
Alright, that’s probably not the right answer, but that’s exactly what one Southern fella did, and to be honest, you’ve got to admire his brass neck.
Spencer Boston was set to appear in General Sessions Court in Lebanon, Tennessee, on Monday for a simple drugs charge, but what ensued was a lot more dramatic than your average court appearance.
Check it out here:
It won’t come as any surprise that the 20-year-old was later charged with possession for a second time after choosing to spend his time at the podium lighting a joint, allegedly in a bid to push for the legalisation of marijuana.
I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure that’s not exactly the best way to go about it, Spencer.
The marijuana-enthusiast is said to have begun speaking about new weed legislation before sparking up his own blunt and swiftly being removed from the courtroom.
Video footage of the incident released by the sheriff’s office shows Boston taking to the podium before Judge Haywood Barry and reaching into his pocket to pull out what looks to be a rolled marijuana cigarette. The 20-year-old then lit the cigarette with a box of matches and began smoking it.
Wilson County Sheriff's OfficeReports say the smell of marijuana filled the room as you can see people moving away from Boston in the clip. Officers are then spotted quickly moving towards the offender, before removing him from the courtroom.
Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan told the Nashville Tennessean the incident was ‘one of the craziest things [he’d] ever seen,’ adding that many of the people in the room burst into fits of laughter over the ridiculousness of what was happening.
Court documents reveal Boston is being charged with disorderly conduct and a second charge of simple possession of marijuana, which is classed as a schedule VI drug in the state.
His protest performance landed him in jail for 10 days for contempt of court, with a bond set at $3,000, the New York Post reports.
Because of its schedule VI status in the US, marijuana is regarded as having low potential for dependency or abuse, however Tennessee has chosen not to legalise the drug for medical purposes – with the exception of low-THC cannabidiol, or CBD oil, prescribed by a doctor for an approved medical condition – and still imposes harsh penalties for possession, use and sales.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.