High-Ranking Anti-Pot Rhode Island Lawmaker Busted for…Pot Possession
- Posted on April 26, 2011 at 12:38am by
Emily Esfahani Smith
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EAST HAVEN, Conn. (AP/THE BLAZE) — The minority leader of the Rhode Island House, who recently dismissed debate over the decriminalization of marijuana as not worthy of legislators’ time, is facing pot-possession charges in Connecticut.
Robert Watson, a Republican from East Greenwich, was stopped at a police checkpoint Friday and charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and driving under the influence, East Haven police said.
Watson drew fire in February when he gave a speech to the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce in which he said facetiously that lawmakers had their priorities right “if you are a Guatemalan gay man who likes to gamble and smokes marijuana.”
Via WPRI:
RI Lawmakers react to Rep.’s DUI charge: wpri.com
He later said he was using humor to express concern that some issues were dominating the legislative agenda at the expense of economic issues.
A police report on Friday’s traffic stop said Watson smelled of alcohol and marijuana and performed poorly on sobriety tests. An officer found a bag of suspected marijuana and a wooden pipe in Watson’s pocket. An alcohol breath test performed at the police station determined that Watson’s blood-alcohol level was 0.05 percent, below the state’s 0.08 limit.
Watson was released on $500 bond. He faces a May 11 court date.
Watson issued a statement in which he denied he was driving under the influence. He said he was in Connecticut to help a friend move and was driving home from dinner when he was stopped.
“Trace evidence of marijuana was discovered and I was charged with operating under the influence, a charge I vehemently deny,” Watson said in the statement.
After his February speech, Guatemalan community leaders called on Watson to apologize, but Watson said an apology wasn’t warranted.
Watson won’t face immediate political repercussions for the charges. The state‘s Ethics Commission doesn’t investigate allegations that fall outside a lawmaker’s public duties.
So far, lawmakers are standing by him.
House Speaker Gordon Fox, D-Providence, often finds himself at political odds with Watson but on Monday called him a friend and offered support “during this difficult time.”
Gov. Lincoln Chafee, an independent, called the incident “very unfortunate” but said Watson is entitled to due process.
Watson plans to discuss the criminal case with his fellow Republican House members Tuesday.
Rep. Laurence Ehrhardt, R-North Kingstown, said the drug charges aren’t causing him to reconsider his support for Watson. But he worries the incident could distract lawmakers from more important work.
“It’s obviously very unfortunate,” Ehrhardt told The Associated Press. “But I will fight to make sure this doesn’t divert us for one minute from the budget.”
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Comments (84)
GiGi80
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 5:29am@grandmaof5
Report Post »“And a president who used cocaine.” Do you mean Obama or Bush, Jr., who also admittedly used cocaine? And had was arrested in Kennebunk, Rhode Island — err, I mean Maine — for DUI?
GiGi80
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 5:51am“. . . and was arrested . . . ” No edit function for posts.
Report Post »GiGi80
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 5:25am@grandmaof5
Report Post »Do you mean Obama or Bush, Jr., who also admittedly used cocaine. And was arrested in RI — oops, I means Maine — for DUI?
GiGi80
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 5:22am“Crime High-Ranking Anti-Pot Maine Lawmaker Busted for…Pot Possession”
Report Post »Yet, the article is about a lawmaker from Rhode Island. FYI — Rhode Island is NOT in Maine.
Editor? Proofreader? And since there are no other comments addressing this error, further proof that most who comment here only read the (often misleading) headlines.
THE-FINAL-ACT
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 5:21amMaybe he wanted to get caught. Must be hell to always smoke alone.
Report Post »4wheels
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 5:09amFor God sakes – legalize drugs. At least Marijuana. We tried just say no. America said no to just say no. What do we get for being like this in our country? Legalize and tax it like a bottle of Jack Daniels. It won’t stop drugs, it wont help the health of our country – but it will stop people from shooting one another to sell the stuff. If we looked at what our actions have done to Columbia and Mexico we could get that the whole drug thing is our fault. Legalize it all.
Report Post »lambe71
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 4:55amThey are all such hypocrites.Do as I say not as I do.
Report Post »gzwrbc
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 3:44amSo…what part of this has to do with Maine?
Report Post »verityquest
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 5:44amRight?
Report Post »Ialmostforgot
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 7:36amMy question too. Me thinks the reporter forgot. You know, short term memmory issues.
Report Post »Sinista MACE
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 2:59amPoliticians are hypocrits.
Well, knock me over with a feather.
Report Post »mygunsweetness
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 2:46amYes I smoked some officer but I didn’t inhale.
Report Post »mygunsweetness
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 2:42amwell once again is ok for the rich to do what ever they want and he’ll get away with it,a slap on the hand.Charlie Sheen will probably be his councilor for home rehab or maybe Paris Hilton will hold his hand threw the 12 step program.
Report Post »DaveOregon
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 2:33amHypocrites seem to all fine solise and a sense of “community” in being politicians. Party affiliation means nothing – they are all pretty much the same – minus the Tea PArty folks – not seen anything bad in print on those folks. We really need a large toilet – just huge – where we can flush these folks (course -they’d probably all wind up inhabiting the sewers and breeding like rats and it be the Morlocks come to life. Oh well, flushing them would still be fun!).
Report Post »SHOWMESTATEGUY
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 2:20amIf you are going to talk the talk, then walk the walk. No person is perfect, but this type of thing gives democrats wet dreams.
Report Post »GetUpOnTheWheel
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 2:05amWhat else is new? Another hypocrite.
War on Drugs = useless waste of time/money….just more nanny state intervention where none is needed.
It may take a generation to re-learn, but people will learn to avoid bad things all on their own without nanny state making it a law. Some will fail no matter what, but we already have those people now…people who get wrapped up in it because of the money and “glamour”, etc..
Report Post »TulsaYeeHaw
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 1:44amWhat a horse’s ass…..That is what you get when you try to use gov’t to tell others how to live. Ass.
Report Post »TulsaYeeHaw
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 1:46amFor anyone curious, what the hell is the “guatamalen community?” Really, seriously? The guatamalen community needs to grow a thicker skin. Or is that ‘insensitive?l’
Report Post »anutter
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 1:13amSo give the guy a scooby-snack already, he’s probably got the munchies.
Report Post »miles from nowhere
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 1:10amWell, thats one job that went to pot.
Report Post »bumpbs
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 1:06amBest part of communism, socialism and progressivism… Do as I say and not as I do.
Report Post »Fudd the wabbit hunter
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 1:02amWell, whatayaknow!!! Looked up the word hypocrite in the dictionary, and there was Watson’s picture…
Report Post »jds7171
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 12:55amTHis is just another example of the elitist pigs. They follow the model of do as I say, not as I do. Stupid progressives in the republican party. Get out. We don’t need you telling us what to do.
Report Post »roachesneverdie
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 1:17amAmen, bro, progressives infiltrated both parties giving both of them bad raps all the time!!!
Report Post »PrfctlyFrank
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 1:44amHey come on… Give the guy a break.. He was doing some investigatory work to polish legislation and had to take a trip ta da projects to get the data he was looking for.. Oh yeah, and he didn‘t want his cover blown so he hasn’t told nobody yet.. Probably…
Report Post »Mominfla51
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 7:16amAgreed!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 12:55amlol
Report Post »AW1 Tim
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 12:52amThis is news?
Report Post »A great place to cut spending would be the entire “War on Drugs” budget.
Exrepublisheep
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 12:47amI don‘t care if you do or if you don’t. But if you say no-one can but you do…
Report Post »BLACKDIAMONDSKIER
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 1:03amWhat’s the word for that…..yea, yea, I think they call that “hypocrite.”
Report Post »wifezilla
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 3:47amDitto
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 12:46amThere are firefighters who are arsonists.
Report Post »There are cops who prosecute pedophiles while being a pedophile themselves.
There are bankers who are embezzlers.
There are BTAF agents who sell guns to drug cartels.
Etc.
grandmaof5
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 3:00amAnd a president who used cocaine.
Report Post »ZaphodsPlanet
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 3:32amLet’s not forget….. TSA agents who feel up your kids and really like it.
Report Post »RealAmerican2011
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 12:43amoh the horror….
alcohol is the greater evil.
Report Post »GONESURFING
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 4:26amI’ll drink to that.
Report Post »stifroc
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 12:41amWell… smoke em if ya got em.
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 1:03amAn officer found a bag of suspected marijuana and a wooden pipe in Watson’s pocket.
Report Post »————
Hehehehehehehee….all this heartache for just one baggie ?
And a wooden pipe ? Dude, learn to roll a joint *_o
banjarmon
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 1:09amA RINO toker from Connecticut would you believe.
Report Post »roachesneverdie
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 1:16amOkay, he wasn’t drunk, but he may have been “high”. It doesn’t matter what jparty he claims association, stupid is as stupid does, good luck to him fighting this one! I can say from personal experience about 30 years ago that I was a greater danger to society if I was high rather than drunk because I was far more out-of-control over my actions, but I was still alert and had a ravenous appetite that needed satisfaction so I was more likely to get behind the wheel. By not repeating that behavior I believe I survived long enough to recount the escapade as stupid but lucky. That is why I’ve never been in favor of leaglizing or decriminalizing pot, it seems we have less ability to control people’s behavior than with alcohol.
Report Post »TulsaYeeHaw
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 1:48amSpeaking of pot, I have a stomach virus and last night, the pot and I…..Ooooh, wrong kind of pot.
Report Post »GONESURFING
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 2:06amMuch adou about nothing. He does look like a hypocrite though. Oh, gotta go, feel those munchies coming on.
Report Post »hifi74
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 7:05amI just have to think about the whole ass house casting first stone thing. As far as I’m concerned just another politician that has the mentality of do as I say not as I do. Personay I think they should just legalize it, tax it, and be done with it.
Report Post »demint.disciple
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 7:27amWell, who better to know what the law should be than someone who actually smokes it ? I trust his judgement better than some moronic liberal havard grad, that doesn’t smoke…
Report Post »VerySeniorCitizen
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 7:28amHey Guys. How come nobody has yet called out the headline?? I’ve been reading the comments on this thread and it seems that nobody seems to know that Providence,‘Rhode Island’ IS NOT in Maine!!! But I guess Maine is ‘close enough’ to Rhode Island not to be of concern.
It also tells me something about this site’s editors!!
Report Post »mrsmileyface
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 8:32amRemember boys and girls its do as I say not as I do with liberals, progressives and RINO’s.
Report Post »Leadthemtothelight
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 8:59amDoh!
Report Post »Professional Infidel
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 9:23amNever carry more than you can eat!!
Report Post »American Soldier (Separated)
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 10:18amI bet he wish they passed the bill decriminalizing it now!
Report Post »DonWoods
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 10:21amListen to Milton Friedman and William Buckley … just leagalize it and shut up.
Report Post »highcarry
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 10:42amin these times it,s best to go back to someone who is far wiser than these politicians. “ pot can get you through times of no money better than money can get you through times of no pot”. ( fat freddie- the fabulous furry freak brothers).
Report Post »six6six
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 12:42pmAnother Republican hypocrite.
Report Post »VerySeniorCitizen
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 2:12pm@DONWOODS
A bit tough talking to William Buckley these day. He’s been dead since 2008. Got someone else in mind??
Report Post »obamanation
Posted on April 27, 2011 at 1:02pmi’m smokin right now
Report Post »