Church of Universe Loses House, Pair Get Jail
Thu, May 01, 2008 5:46 pm
Source: TheSpec.com
A Hamilton judge has hammered Church of the Universe founders Walter Tucker and Michael Baldasaro, sentencing them to hefty jail terms and ordering the seizure of their east-Hamilton headquarters
In a strongly worded decision, Superior Court Justice John Cavarzan said, "544 Barton St. E. is a marijuana convenience store that operates for profit like a prohibition-era speakeasy, but disguised as a church."
Cavarzan sentenced Baldasaro, 58, who has 12 prior trafficking-related convictions, to two years in a federal penitentiary on two counts of marijuana trafficking, involving about 2.5 grams worth $30. He handed Tucker, 75, a 12-month jail sentence for three counts of trafficking, involving $40 worth of pot.
The pair were convicted in November after selling small quantities of marijuana to an undercover police officer between May 2003 and February 2004.
Cavarzan ordered their church headquarters forfeited to the Crown as "offence-related property" under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The jailed pair have 30 days to have their personal effects removed from the building.
Tucker and Baldasaro established the Church of the Universe in 1969 in Puslinch. Since that time, they have ceaselessly advocated for the legalization and recognition of marijuana as a socially beneficial and health-giving herb.
But Cavarzan stressed this was not a case of simple possession, but of drug trafficking, which the Supreme Court of Canada has stated is a serious offence. He noted that the pair ran a commercial enterprise that had attracted violent crime in the past, including the attempted robbery of Tucker by two armed men looking for his cache.
Tucker, who is hard of hearing, told the judge he was disappointed at being sent to a provincial jail while Baldasaro would be serving federal time. Placing his arm around his longtime friend, Tucker asked, "Why don't you sentence me to the same time as Reverend Baldasaro? Because if he deserves two years, then I deserve it too."
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it ain't
May 12 2008, 10:03 am
it's over
May 8 2008, 2:40 pm
anonymous
May 7 2008, 10:18 pm
- WHAT THE CROWN DOES NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW
- WHAT THE SPECTATOR MISSED
- WHAT CHCH TV LEFT OUT
1. The cops take a year of spending our tax dollars to investigate the Reverends after the Reverends reported an armed robbery attempt upon themselves. THIS IS THE HELP THEY GET WHEN THEY CALL!
2. In separate under cover buys, the police obtain $30 of weed from one Reverend and $40 of weed from the other. AFTER A WHOLE YEAR, THIS IS ALL THEY COULD OBTAIN!!
3. The police execute a search warrant and discover several pounds of completely budless and virtually leafless stems and branches. ALL THEY FIND IS 'SHAKE'!! VALUELESS!
4. The police and the Crown decide to DESTROY the "shake" as a matter of "standard procedure" and do NOT present it as evidence to the court. They decide NOT to include this weight of so-called "analyzed as cannabis sativa" in the charges that were brought BECAUSE THIS WOULD GUARANTEE A JURY TRIAL which the Crown wished to avoid! THIS IS DIRTY TRICK #1 which was reported merely as "tactical reasons" in the Spectator.
5. This weight of shake, that was not presented during the trial phase of the case (to avoid facing a jury), was allowed to be considered during the sentencing phase! WHAT HYPOCRISY! IN MY OPINION, DUE PROCESS WAS DENIED TO CHALLENGE THIS EVIDENCE. This is Dirty Trick #2.
6. The weight involved was then used as one of the reasons that a harsh sentence would not be "disproportionate"! Dirty Trick #3.
7. Since a heavy sentence was now allowable, property forfeiture was added to the punishment as well as confiscation of all money seized at the residence and in the church and in their bank accounts!!! Dirty Trick #4.
8. Since forfeiture can only be applied when danger to the community can be demonstrated, the Judge reasoned that storing a supply of illegal cannabis provoked the armed robbery attempt and thereby constituted a danger to the community! Dirty Trick #5. This too is hypocrisy because it is PROHIBITION that made that supply so attractive as a valuable target.
Reverend Michael Baldasaro is 58 and got two years. Reverend Walter Tucker is 75 and got one year and, bless his soul, said boldly to the judge, "You gave him two years, you should give me two years, I am just as guilty as he is. It doesn't seem fair." The stone-faced [Orwellian] 'Justice' Cavarzan remained unresponsive. Brother Michael said, "I am disappointed in you, your Honour, but not unexpectedly disappointed."
church of the universe
Tosh
May 7 2008, 4:59 pm
south of nowhere
May 7 2008, 1:52 pm
Oh, police: -YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU ARE BEING USED-
Love, GLOBAL WARMING IS A LIE
Check Reality
May 6 2008, 4:02 pm
Reality Check
May 6 2008, 4:00 pm
Reality Check
May 6 2008, 3:52 pm
umm
May 5 2008, 2:55 pm
Reality Check
May 5 2008, 4:52 am
hubahuba
May 4 2008, 4:48 pm
anonymous
May 4 2008, 4:27 pm
umm
May 4 2008, 10:39 am
Reality Check
May 4 2008, 10:29 am
Ignorance just means you don't know yet , stupidity means you'll likely stay that way . Read a book or have someone read to you . Good luck with that .
anonymous
May 4 2008, 9:01 am
CANADA
May 3 2008, 11:06 am
DIDDY
May 3 2008, 7:56 am
Reality Check
May 3 2008, 6:04 am
You are stupid and have some need to demonstrate that stupidity . Understand this , the sheer volume of your bullshit doesn't give it any merit .
Suggs4Drugs
May 3 2008, 1:50 am
we dont fight back because we are a peaceful culture.
Most of the Cannabis Culture are sick and ill people who need it for medicine. Though there are gansters who are pro legalization, but they just make the rest of us look bad.
Jut sit back and chill, one day the 90's generation will run this country and with more common sence (I hope).
Smoke a blunt, relax.
Ali
May 3 2008, 12:23 am
Iam Yur God
May 2 2008, 11:25 pm
They have an open war against the people,(war on drugs) When will the people fight back?
Alcohol was relegalized for a reason. Because the people fought back, Violently.
1 example of 2nd ammendment at work. They got guns, so we got guns, Fight for Freedom. It's the only way.
anonymous
May 2 2008, 9:09 pm
420bay.com
May 2 2008, 6:10 pm
Reality Check
May 2 2008, 4:30 pm
anonymous
May 2 2008, 2:10 pm
Cannabis is widely used in India by Hindu gurus and Middle Eastern sufis. Salvia Divinorum and psilocybin mushrooms ("Magic Mushrooms") are used in the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Ayahuasca is used ritually among Amazonian Indians. The "Fly Agaric" (Amanita Muscaria) mushroom has a long shamanistic use in Europe and Russia. Also, in Europe Damiana, various Nightshades (Solanaceae) like Datura, Brugmansia, Belladonna and other plants have been used. Peyote ((Lophophora williamsii)) and other Mescaline containing cacti has a widespread use among Mexican and some North American Indians. Aztecs used the LSA containing seeds (similar to LSD, but not as potent) of the very common morning glory (Ipomoea violacea) creeper, and the related Hawaiian Baby Woodrose, present in other places than Hawaii despite its name, has also had use among indigenous people because of its LSA-containing seeds. In some places, even frogs and fish are consumed for their intoxicating effects.
In many Eastern countries, including China (which is said to be dominated most by Confucianism), opium has been used, especially by the elderly, without many social problems. In countries like Thailand (Buddhist) and Bali (Hindu), the leaves of Kratom tree have been used as an ingredient in a tea with mild stimulant and opioid properties.
[edit] Ancient Greece
Many Ancient Greek mystery religions are hypothesized to have centered around the use of entheogen, such as the Kykeon central to the Eleusinian Mysteries. Recent research suggests that the prophesies of the Delphic Oracle were uttered by Priestesses under the influence of gaseous vapors.
[edit] Hinduism
Much of Hindu belief and practice grew out of the use of Soma, a god, plant, and drink which is the focus of the Rigveda. The continued entheogenic use of drugs such as Cannabis is not uncommon among various Hindu sects. Cannabis is connected with the god Shiva who is said to have rested in the shade of the Cannabis plant on a particularly hot day. In gratitude Shiva gave the plant to mankind. Often the drink Bhang is drunk in Shiva's honor, it is a tea typically cooked with milk, spices, cannabis leaves and flowers
church of the universe
May 2 2008, 1:59 pm
- WHAT THE CROWN DOES NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW
- WHAT THE SPECTATOR MISSED
- WHAT CHCH TV LEFT OUT
1. The cops take a year of spending our tax dollars to investigate the Reverends after the Reverends reported an armed robbery attempt upon themselves. THIS IS THE HELP THEY GET WHEN THEY CALL!
2. In separate under cover buys, the police obtain $30 of weed from one Reverend and $40 of weed from the other. AFTER A WHOLE YEAR, THIS IS ALL THEY COULD OBTAIN!!
3. The police execute a search warrant and discover several pounds of completely budless and virtually leafless stems and branches. ALL THEY FIND IS 'SHAKE'!! VALUELESS!
4. The police and the Crown decide to DESTROY the "shake" as a matter of "standard procedure" and do NOT present it as evidence to the court. They decide NOT to include this weight of so-called "analyzed as cannabis sativa" in the charges that were brought BECAUSE THIS WOULD GUARANTEE A JURY TRIAL which the Crown wished to avoid! THIS IS DIRTY TRICK #1 which was reported merely as "tactical reasons" in the Spectator.
5. This weight of shake, that was not presented during the trial phase of the case (to avoid facing a jury), was allowed to be considered during the sentencing phase! WHAT HYPOCRISY! IN MY OPINION, DUE PROCESS WAS DENIED TO CHALLENGE THIS EVIDENCE. This is Dirty Trick #2.
6. The weight involved was then used as one of the reasons that a harsh sentence would not be "disproportionate"! Dirty Trick #3.
7. Since a heavy sentence was now allowable, property forfeiture was added to the punishment as well as confiscation of all money seized at the residence and in the church and in their bank accounts!!! Dirty Trick #4.
8. Since forfeiture can only be applied when danger to the community can be demonstrated, the Judge reasoned that storing a supply of illegal cannabis provoked the armed robbery attempt and thereby constituted a danger to the community! Dirty Trick #5. This too is hypocrisy because it is PROHIBITION that made that supply so attractive as a valuable target.
Reverend Michael Baldasaro is 58 and got two years. Reverend Walter Tucker is 75 and got one year and, bless his soul, said boldly to the judge, "You gave him two years, you should give me two years, I am just as guilty as he is. It doesn't seem fair." The stone-faced [Orwellian] 'Justice' Cavarzan remained unresponsive. Brother Michael said, "I am disappointed in you, your Honour, but not unexpectedly disappointed."
church of the universe
May 2 2008, 1:48 pm
Pubdate: 26 Feb 2007
Source: Daily Reveille (LA Edu)
Contact: editor@lsureveille.com
Website: http://www.lsureveille.com/
Author: Stan White
Referred: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n234/a03.html?319647
Viewed at: http://media.www.lsureveille.com/media/storage/paper868/news/2007/02/26/Opinion/Letters.To.The.Editor-2742682.shtml Cannabis, "the tree of life," brings healing and peace
The tree of life, also known as cannabis, kaneh bosm and marijuana, is a plant, not a drug. However, it is one of the most important considering your column: "Religion, Drugs Similarly Affect Brain" (Feb. 23, 2007), though America's current political leaders - read, disobedient Christians - deem it the devil weed.
Cannabis holds survival in its realm; the very last page of the Bible tells us the leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of the nations. Healing in every sense of the word with the ability to bring world peace and cure disease. Interestingly, while God, The Ecologist, indicates all the plants are good on the very first page of the Bible, cannabis prohibition may be the original sin.
If there ever was a plant that greedy war mongers should fear and exterminate, it's the tree of life.
(Coming soon to MAP http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/ )
church of the universe
May 2 2008, 1:46 pm
http://www.rcmpwatch.com/rcmp-investigates-death-of-woman-in-chilliwack-jail-cell/#comment-2527
Peter Small (Toronto Star) - A retired RCMP officer who provided guns for a self-described mobster has been convicted of 10 firearms offences, including illegally removing serial numbers.
[snip]
. “He can get on with his life,” said Kruger’s lawyer Lou Strezos. He has faced the charges for 4 1/2 years “at great toll to my client and his family.”
---
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/283414
Kruger's lawyer, Lou Strezos, said he had faced a 4 1/2-year ordeal "at great toll to my client and his family." At the centre of the case was Charles "Chuck" Yanover, a self-described "con man extraordinaire" and mobster, who illegally purchased guns and ammunition and imported prohibited firearms.
Suggs4Drugs
May 1 2008, 10:26 pm
When will this nonsence of sending people away for plant end? This is the 21st fucking century!
umm
May 1 2008, 9:39 pm
umm
May 1 2008, 6:55 pm
umm
May 1 2008, 6:52 pm
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