The state lost a felony marijuana case in a jury trial in Bulloch County on Thursday.
Kendall Dangelo Eason was charged with Possession of Marijuana (more than 1 ounce), a felony, by the Statesboro Police Department back in January of 2021. Warrants were executed in early February 2021 and Eason remained behind bars in the Bulloch County jail until April 13, 2021 – more than sixty days.
SPD conducted a field test on the substance but did not send anything off to a lab for additional testing. During trial, the defense contended that the product was hemp. Contrary to the premise of an individual’s right to remain silent, prosecutors held that the defendant should have asserted the substance was hemp at the time of the interaction with law enforcement. Ahead of the trial, the state never confirmed the actual chemical makeup of the substance seized from Eason.
Eason was represented by Statesboro defense attorney Robert Busbee. Chief Assistant District Attorney Barclay Black prosecuted the case for the state before Judge Ronald Thompson.
Ahead of jury deliberations, Black asked the judge to charge the jury with the ‘lesser included’ offense of ‘Attempted Possession’ so that, in the event that the jury wanted to find Eason guilty on the charge for which he was indicted, they could instead find him guilty of a lesser offense of trying to possess more than one ounce of marijuana.
The judge denied the request by Black.
After less than a day-long trial, jurors returned a Not Guilty verdict for Eason.
Disclaimer: The Busbee Law Group advertises with TGV News, however, no one from the firm was consulted for this article.
Totten and Black need to go. These two have to be the worst. Elections for this position cannot come soon enough. Please God bring the Ogeechee Judicial District someone who can do this job correctly.