SIMPSON'S SENTENCED TO TIME DEEMED SERVED

AMHERST - Rickey Logan Simpson has twice been convicted of drug
charges and has twice been a free man the same day as his sentencing.

Simpson, who believes he has the cure for ailments such as cancer with
hemp oil, entered a guilty plea Monday afternoon to one charge of
trafficking, a charge that was laid while he awaited sentencing on
other, similar, drug charges.

He was sentenced to eight days in custody, time deemed served by his
remand time, and given a lifetime firearms prohibition.

"In this case, it's entirely clear that Mr. Simpson took a risk,
probably a calculated risk, while awaiting sentencing and ran the risk
of finding himself in the situation he finds himself in today," said
Judge Carole Beaton in delivering her charge. "Because the risk was a
calculated one and given the timing of this incident, clearly custody
is warranted, but at what quantity."

On Nov. 30, Simpson was arrested as he left the courthouse on Victoria
Street where he was appearing for a sentencing hearing on one count
each of possession of less than 30 grams of cannabis, possession of
less than three kilograms of tetrahydrocannabinol for the purpose of
trafficking and unlawful production of cannabis marijuana.

When he was taken into custody, he was remanded for four days.

After hearing Simpson plead guilty, Crown attorney Monica McQueen
recommended a sentence of 30 days custody be imposed, as well as a
lifetime firearms prohibition.

McQueen asked the courts to consider the timing of the event in
relation to the others, referring to the pending sentence.

"The timing also occurs soon after the preparation of the pre-sentence
report and I suggest the activity of attending for the interview
should have brought forward the seriousness of the events Mr. Simpson
has been in previously," said McQueen.

"The Crown acknowledges that the motivation was not a profit-minded
motivation. At the time of the sentencing, Mr. Simpson was in the
position of a first time (drug) offender, but this has very different
circumstances - this is his second offence."

After being appointed to the Supreme Court, Simpson's original lawyer,
Duncan Beveridge, had to step down. Representing Simpson Monday was
Elizabeth Buckle.

"Because of Mr. Simpson's guilty plea, he acknowledges that he broke
the law," said Buckle.

"Mr. Simpson is an unusual offender...he had never hidden from the
police what he did."

In her recommendation, Buckle noted the four days spent in custody
when Simpson was arrested, which would be considered eight days in the
courts.

"The sentence he has already served is fit and proper, and if an
additional sentence be needed, then it should be a fine."