C2

By Madeleine Leclerc

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

Appearing before Grand Falls youth court judge Jacques Desjardins on Sept. 30, a Tobique First Nation teenager pleaded guilty to committing breaches of her probation on Sept. 10 by failing to abstain from possessing and consuming drugs and activiely participating in an education program, by failing to abide by her curfew on Sept. 18 and failing to abstain from possessing and consuming drugs on Sept. 25.

The teenager was released into her father's custody. She must keep the peace and be of good behaviour, appear in court when required, abstain from consuming alcohol or drugs. The court was told that the teenager will be undergoing a three-month drug rehabilitation program in Quebec prior to her sentencing on Dec. 16.

Possession of marijuana

Another teenager was sentenced to eight months' probation on charges of possession of marijuana and failing to abide by a condition of his probation whereby he was prohibited from possession or consuming alcohol and non-prescribed drugs.

"At approximately 2 a.m. on June 20, Grand Falls Town Police were on patrol when they intercepted the youth's Camaro. The accused was a passenger in the car. Police seized marijuana cigarettes, valued at $15, from the youth who was on probation at the time and was prohibited from possessing or consuming alcoholic beverages and non-prescribed drugs," stated Crown prosecutor Charles Couturier. "The teenager was visibly intoxicated. He has a prior record, with nine convictions within two years."

"The pre-sentence report is negative in his case. He was 17 when the incident occurred. He is now 18 years old. He has not changed his ways," Couturier added. "There seems to be a pattern. He does not respect court orders. His past convictions have not seemed to dissuade him."

"He is not a hardened criminal," stated Legal Aid defence lawyer Luc Roy. "He is a young man with a drug problem. He goes to school and he is not a lost cause."

Judge Jacques Desjardins sentenced the youth to eight months of supervised probation during which he must keep the peace, be of good behaviour, attend a counselling program on a regular basis and attend school and obey all school rules. He must also abstain from possessing and consuming alcoholic beverages and non-prescribed drugs and must complete 50 hours of community service work, preferably on weekends.