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trueblue
Joined: 15 Jun 2014
Location: In between the lines
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 Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 2:18 am Post subject: American Kills Himself in Taiwan Court After 4-Year Drug Sen |
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WTF?
A four year sentence and he does this? Wow.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/18/world/asia/taiwan-american-suicide.html?_r=0
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HONG KONG — An American man who had been convicted of growing marijuana in Taiwan killed himself in a courtroom after he was sentenced to a four-year prison term, according to court officials.
The man, Tyrel Martin Marhanka, 41, slashed his throat with a pair of scissors on Thursday, the Changhua District Court said in a written statement. He was rushed to a hospital but could not be saved.
He had been convicted of growing marijuana at his home in Changhua, in central Taiwan, and of importing marijuana and opium poppy seeds. A prison term of up to seven years was possible, but the court gave him the lesser sentence because he had not sold marijuana and was growing it for his own use.
When a court interpreter told Mr. Marhanka the sentence, he replied, “Four years?” The Taipei Times reported, quoting witnesses. He said he did not want to appeal.
“I don’t want to live anymore,” he said, taking out two metal objects, apparently a disassembled pair of scissors, and then cutting his neck, the newspaper reported.
The court expressed “deep regret.” An initial inquiry found a magazine that he seemed to have used to conceal the scissors. A metal detector apparently did not uncover them. The court said that the building did not have enough space for a more advanced scanner but that it would install X-ray machines in a new building.
Mr. Marhanka was not in detention before the hearing and did not show suicidal impulses, the court said. Mr. Marhanka had a wife and two children in Taiwan and had lived there for several years. He had worked as an English teacher, but his neighbors said he lost his job after he was charged in the marijuana case, the Central News Agency reported.
His death is likely to raise questions about security in Taiwan’s judicial system. Last year, inmates in southern Taiwan used scissors from a workshop to take guards hostage. They broke into a prison armory to seize firearms, which six inmates used to kill themselves.
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 9:15 am Post subject: |
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The guy was obviously unhinged, but not because of his growing some weed.
Time to legalize it. Locking people up for growing a plant is absurd, economically retarded and counter-productive. |
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greyhound
Joined: 10 Jun 2016
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:35 am Post subject: |
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How can you kill yourself with a pair of scissors?
My mate got schizophrenia from marijuana use. it can be dangerous to some people. |
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trueblue
Joined: 15 Jun 2014
Location: In between the lines
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| Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 3:53 am Post subject: |
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| caniff wrote: |
The guy was obviously unhinged, but not because of his growing some weed.
Time to legalize it. Locking people up for growing a plant is absurd, economically retarded and counter-productive. |
True, perhaps.
OR...simply don't partake in that business in countries that don't support it.
Better yet...."there is a smart way to do dumb shit". |
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