JM: Tell us about the pre-sentencing process: Wyatt: I had not been formally arrested before pre-
sentencing. I received a packet of papers in the
mail telling me of my charges and to report to
court to be fingerprinted and to have my
preliminary hearing. During the pre-sentencing
process I was harrassed by detectives who were
intent on having me rat out drug dealers and
addicts in the neighborhood. Because I had
several plants, they were convinced that I was a
drug lord and had connections to others that I
could rat out. They were only interested in
getting a bigger bust. I tried to explain that I
had just started growing the plants for the
first time and that I was in no way connected to
the drug game. I only grew them for personal
use. My case was waived to the big courts in
Butler. Erica: it was a super long process spand about a year
and a half with a lot of hearings and attorneys.
I paid out a lot of money to get rid of some of
the charges which didn't turn out the way I
imaginged. it was really confusing and hard to
follow.
JM: Did you have police stop by your house for questioning? If not please give us details on how you came to be arrested. Wyatt: The police showed up at my door in the middle of
the afternoon, right after I got home from work.
They knocked and asked for me, but did not state
that they had a warrant. I was only 18 and
didn't know any laws or rules concerning
warrants, so I opened the door. They asked me
about a quad I had sitting in my garage. They
informed me that the qiad had been reported
stolen a few weeks prior. Another officer then
came around to the front of the house and asked
me why I had marijuana plants growing in the
woods behind my house. I admitted to them being
mine, and the officers then left without
arresting me. A few hours later the undercover
squad showed up and confiscated the plants. An
officer informed me that I would receive
paperwork concerning the case. I was not
arrested or read my rights at that point. Erica: the police did not come to my house they called
me in for questioning and had proof I committed
the crime, so I had to answer questions and get a
lawyer and prepare myself to face charged when I
had committed the crime two years prior I was not
prepared to deal with this.
JM: What was court like? Please give as many details as you recall. Wyatt: My case was postponed several times because of
problems on both sides of the case and took over
2 years until I was finally sentenced. The
District Attorney postponed several times in
order to further investigate what charges he
could make against me. Even though I was a first
time offender, the DA was determined to make an
example out of me. They were trying to get me on
distribution charges even though the 40 plants I
had were only a few inches high, and were not
harvestable. They were also charging me with
receiving stolen property because of the quad I
had let me friend store in my garage. I had no
idea it was stolen, but they charged me anyway.
My attorney also had the case postponed a few
times because he was ill prepared. I sold my
house and my land and all my assests to pay him,
and my mother ended up doing all the work. Erica: long and confusing. I had many court hearings and
a lot of different opportunities I could have
gotten a lesser sentence if I hadn't gotten high
so the charges ended up getting put on my adult
record instead of my juvenile which I wasn't
happy about vecuase I committed the crime when I
was 16.
JM: What were your original charges? What did you end up being convicted of? Wyatt: Felong Manufacturing with intent to deliver, and
Felony Receiving stolen property. I was told
that the Receiving stolen property charge would
only be a misdemeanor and that I would receive
probation which would run with the same time as
my prison sentence. I did not know until after I
signed the deal, that the property charge was
also a felony. Erica: burglary, criminal trespass, theft by unlawful
taking, conspiracy to commit burglary I was
convicted of criminal tresspass