DRUG DEALER FAILS TO SWAY JUDGE WITH 'GOD'S WORD'

God considers cannabis "good" and God's law is the ultimate authority,
not the courts.

That was just one of the novel arguments put forward by former Maple
Ridge mayoral candidate and Guilty Pleasures sex shop owner William
Perry at his sentencing hearing this week.

"By God's word, which is in fact the ultimate authority, cannabis
marijuana is a fruit producing, seed bearing plant that God says is
good," said Perry at Wednesday's sentencing.

Perry also told the judge that he only sold marijuana to the
customers, who later turned out to be undercover cops, out of a
compassionate desire to help them avoid marijuana laced with harder
drugs, which street level drug dealers often sell.

"They will approach an individual like a wounded duck crying the blues
about how scared they are that the marijuana they're smoking, and have
been smoking for a period of time...is more than likely laced with
drugs that they'd rather not be a part of," he said. "When you care
about people and you know that they're at risk -- I myself once or
twice a week would medicinally use recreational marijuana that I knew
was of a clean, natural, organic source that was well taken care of
and loved and nurtured -- that they were probably better off and safer
if I were to help them so as not to have them go down the street as
they said they would and go and buy it off someone they'd already
adamantly told me they were scared of."

However, provincial court judge Pedro de Couto was unconvinced of the
merits of Perry's arguments and sentenced him to 24 months in jail on
three counts of drug trafficking and one count of possession for the
purpose of trafficking.

Perry was convicted of selling drugs to undercover cops on four
occasions in April and May of 2008 out of Guilty Pleasures. It was his
second conviction for drug trafficking. Perry was also previously
found guilty of selling drugs to undercover police officers out of his
sex shop in 2005.

de Couto said he recognized that Perry has a "philosophy about marijuana
use" and that he's an advocate for decriminalization. de Couto commented
that Perry uses the Bible as "both a sword and a shield." de Couto said
"there's no question Canada was founded on Christian principles" but he
asked Perry to consider something Jesus said from the Bible: 'Render unto
Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are
God's.'

"Clearly he suggested that citizens respect the laws of the state as
well as those of God," said de Couto.

Perry not only quoted from the Bible during the sentencing, but also
from Mark Twain and railed against drug prohibition.

"It's not a crime to be a little ahead of your time," he
said.

de Couto said regardless of Perry's views on Canada's drug laws, he
has to uphold the current law.

Perry has been in jail since June 2008, when he was arrested for his
second set of trafficking charges. He was on an 18-month conditional
sentence at the time for his first trafficking convictions. de Couto
gave Perry 13 months credit for the six and a half months he'd served
before being sentenced so Perry will still serve another 11 months in
prison.

Federal Crown prosecutor David Greenbank asked for the 24-month
sentence, citing parts of a pre-sentencing report in which Perry
repeatedly stated he'd done nothing wrong. Greenbank said Perry also
re-offended while under a conditional sentence order, which
"demonstrated that he has little respect for the law."

Greenbank noted that the author of the pre-sentencing report suggested
that Perry should be referred to "forensic outpatient services for
mental health for a professional opinion on his current mental state."
Greenbank asked for a period of probation for Perry after the 24-month
sentence due to a need for ongoing supervision.

"I would say Mr. Perry could probably use some assistance," said
Greenbank.

However, de Couto said he wasn't convinced that anything would be
accomplished by putting Perry on probation.

When Perry heard his sentence he said, "Twenty-four months that's an
extreme sentence for grams of marijuana."

He said his 79-year-old father is "on his last legs" and Perry said he
likely won't he'll be able to see him again due to the jail sentence.

"I don't consent to 11 more months than I've already put in," said
Perry.

He also said he didn't consent to a DNA order from de Couto.