POT DEFENDANT DISABLES WEB SITE

A Middle Sackville man facing trial for growing and selling marijuana said
prosecutors threatened yesterday to charge him with contempt of court
unless he takes down a Web site he set up to criticize the cops who
arrested him and the laws they are enforcing.

Michael Patriquen, 48, was arrested Feb. 28, 2000, after police seized
several hundred plants, seedlings and home grown pot in several communities.

On Nov. 24, Patriquen set up a Web site www.railroaded.info so people could
read about his case on the Internet.

He said he disabled the Web site last night.

The Department of Justice doesnt like having their dirty laundry aired,
said Patriquen. They were trying to find a way to force me to shut my site
down.

Patriquen said prosecutors delved way, way back in the legal history and
found some archaic case to use as a precedent for charging him with contempt.

If he is charged, he said, his bail could be revoked and he'd have to await
trial in jail. He also fears losing his home, which he put up as a $50,000
bail guarantee.

Patriquens marijuana-trafficking trial starts Jan. 16 in Halifax, and hell
be back in court March 20 to face additional charges of conspiring to
produce the drug.

The former Marijuana Party candidate said his lawyer, Warren Zimmer,
advised him to take down his Web site after a telephone conversation
yesterday with federal Crown attorney James Martin.

Martin confirmed he did speak to Zimmer, but refused to say what it was about.

The matter is before the court right now and, honestly, I can't discuss it,
Martin said.