Two cited with contempt in medical marijuana case

Two spectators were charged with contempt of court during the Jan. 15 session of the Daviess County Circuit Court when they created a disturbance during a hearing for Jamie Wilson, a medical marijuana patient, who was arrested in Daviess County on Nov. 1.
Kyle Kisner, 32, Wright City, was arrested and taken to Daviess-DeKalb County Regional Jail (DDCRJ) to serve a sentence of 14 days plus court costs. Tanya Roth, 39, Riverside, was arrested and taken to DDCRJ to serve a 5-hour sentence.
The court judgment stated that Kisner and Roth exhibited disorderly, contemptuous, and insolent behavior in the view of the court. Kisner yelled and cursed at the court, and flipped the court off. Roth yelled at the court during the session. The officiating judge was Ryan Horsman.
A group of 15-20 people also protested the Wilson arrest on the lawn of the courthouse on Dec. 3, 2019.
Jamie Wilson, 48, Trenton, was arrested on Nov. 2, 2019, on northbound I-35 and taken to the Daviess-DeKalb Regional Jail, charged with delivery of controlled substance, endangering welfare of child, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Wilson was under surveillance by the NITRO Drug Task Force at the time of his arrest by the Highway Patrol. A four-year-old juvenile was in Wilson’s car at the time of the arrest.
The Wilson case received some attention when the Kansas City Star Editorial Board published a half-page editorial on Dec. 12, 2019.
In the Kansas City article, Daviess County Prosecuting Attorney Annie Gibson said she was not allowed to comment on pending cases, but she acknowledged the legal quagmire that’s playing out as the state continues to implement its voter-approved medical marijuana program. “I do understand that there’s some ambiguity with the law,” she said.
Wilson’s bond was originally set at $10,000, 10% deposit allowed, but Wilson’s bond amount was increased to $75,000 on Nov. 21. A motion hearing is scheduled Feb. 5 in Daviess County Circuit Court.
In a response to this newspaper back in December, Prosecutor Gibson stated “I do believe it is important to note that the defendant is not in custody and is currently on bond. Amendment 14 to the Missouri Constitution carves out very specific exceptions for the possession of marijuana. These exceptions are laid out in detail in the Amendment, as well as the Missouri Department of Health regulations enacted at the direction of Amendment 14. Among these regulations are packaging and labeling requirements, limitations on possession, and information about dispensaries. There are currently no licensed dispensaries in the State. Marijuana remains a controlled substance under both Missouri and Federal law, and laws about possession of marijuana remain in effect, regardless of Amendment 14.”