N.J. LAWMAKERS URGE GOV. CHRISTIE TO PARDON ILL SOMERSET MAN
CONVICTED OF GROWING MARIJUANA

Two state lawmakers called on Gov. Chris Christie today to pardon a
Somerset County man sentenced to five years in prison for growing
marijuana to treat his multiple sclerosis and commute his sentence to
probation.

Senators Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) and Nicholas Scutari (D-Union)
described the prison term facing John Ray Wilson as "cruel, unusual
and unnecessary" in a letter written to the governor today. Wilson,
37, of Franklin Township, was sentenced to five years in prison last
week after he was found guilty of second-degree manufacturing and
third-degree drug possession by a jury in December.

"The decision to bring drug manufacturing charges against Mr. Wilson
demonstrates a clear case of absence of prosecutorial discretion,"
the senators wrote in the letter. "That is cruel, unusual and unnecessary."

Wilson, who claims he only grew the 17 marijuana plants and
psilocybin mushrooms found in his backyard to treat his multiple
sclerosis, was acquitted of the most serious charge against him,
first-degree operation of a drug-manufacturing facility.

Judge Robert Reed defended the proposed sentence last week in front
of a Somerville courtroom filled by supporters of the New Jersey
Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, citing Wilson's criminal
record and the fact that he was smoking marijuana years before he was
diagnosed with MS.

The 37-year-old became a poster child for passage of the medical
marijuana act, which cleared the Senate by a vote of 25-13 on Jan.
11th and will allow state residents to obtain prescriptions to use
the drug to treat chronic and debilitating diseases in July.

Lesniak and Scutari today said Christie should commute Wilson's
sentence to a term of supervised probation.

"The only good coming from allowing this sentence to stand is that
Mr. Wilson will now be able to get the pain-easing drugs he could not
afford in freedom, but now at the taxpayers' expense."

Michael Drewniak, spokesman for Gov. Christie, declined to comment on
the letter from Lesniak and Scutari.

"We appreciate their support," said Wilson's attorney James Wronko.
"But if Gov. Corzine didn't grant him a pardon, I don't have a lot of
hope that a brand new governor in the middle of a financial crisis is
going to divert his attention to pardon Mr. Wilson."