These briefs come from the March 9 proceedings of  Jasper Provincial Court. 

Compromise on cannabis

Cory Donald Larsen has a hefty fine to pay, but he evaded the possibility of more substantial punishment in Jasper Provincial Court, Thursday (March 9). Larsen pled guilty to possession of more than thirty grams of marijuana after being initially charged with possession with the intention of trafficking. 

The charge was laid after the RCMP executed a search warrant in the early morning hours of June 10, 2005. Slightly less than one pound of cannabis was discovered in Larsen’s room, and he informed police that the illegal substance was his. 

Given Larsen’s total lack of a criminal record, Federal Crown Prosecutor Vaughn Myers told the court that he was requesting the maximum penalty allowable, a $1,000 fine. This submission was agreed to by defence attorney Richard Ireland, who said that while the amount of marijuana was considerable, there had been no intention on Larsen’s part to sell it.

“ It was in essence a house possession, but he’s taking responsibility for it,” Ireland said.

Judge D.C. Norheim said that while he would typically not consider handing out the maximum fine for a first offence, he agreed to Myers’ request on account of the fact that the plea was a compromise, given the circumstances. When the victim surcharge was added, Larsen will have to pay $1,100 for his transgression. Myers also requested forfeiture of the marijuana in question.

“You mean you don’t want him to get the dope back?” Norheim joked, before granting the forfeiture.

Costly night out

A Grande Prairie man will be short $500 and will have to spend one year on probation after being picked up by Jasper RCMP last week. Ronald Whelan, who was in Jasper for a skiing vacation, was offered a ride home by the police after they found him and a companion in an evident state of inebriation around 2:40 a.m. on the morning of March 8. When Whelan gave his name, the officers discovered that he was at large under a series of conditions relating to an existing criminal charge. In the summer of 2005, Whelan had allegedly been in possession of stolen property in Grande Prairie, but he was released with a curfew, told to abstain from alcohol and further, to avoid contact with his companion of Wednesday night.

“You promised the court that you’d obey these conditions and here you are doing all three at the same time,” said Judge Norheim, who sentenced Whelan to pay $500 by the end of April and placed him on a 12-month probation that includes required alcohol counselling and treatment if advised by the probation office. In addition, the previous curfew restrictions were extended and Whelan will have to abstain from alcohol and all non-prescribed drugs for the next year.

“You can’t switch from booze to dope, understand?” Norheim said.