MARIJUANA TRIAL DATE MOVED TO MARCH 25TH

A West Slope couple accused of growing 40 marijuana plants illegally in
their backyard will not be in court this week as expected.

The trial of Lisa and Keith Whitaker has been pushed back until March 25.
The delay is necessary because Erik Schlueter, the deputy district attorney
prosecuting the case, said he has to attend to family matters.

The Whitakers are charged with cultivation and offering to furnish
marijuana. If convicted of both charges, Lisa, 35, could be sentenced to
four years in prison. Keith, 33, could get sentenced eight months longer
than his wife because of a 1999 conviction for growing marijuana.

The couple, from Garden Valley, are medical marijuana patients who say they
grow the drug to treat themselves and others. Each has a doctor's
recommendation that allows them to use and grow marijuana.

The case scheduled to go to jury trial this week began Sept. 12 when
investigators noticed a large number of pot plants on their property.

In 2000, they were charged with possession of the drug for sales when
officers found packaged marijuana on their property. They were found not
guilty and the court gave them back 4.2 pounds of marijuana which had been
confiscated.