The convictions of two medical marijuana dispensary and collective operators in southern California has been thrown out by Long Beach Superior Court Judge Joan Comparet-Cassani, who cited many issues with the original trial, not the least of which was an obvious bias on the part of Judge Charles Sheldon toward the prosecution.

Joe Byron and Joe Grumbine were convicted in December 2011 for pot sales relating to operating two dispensaries in Long Beach and a collective in Garden Grove.

Judge Sheldon dismissed himself from the case after sending a congratulatory letter to the prosecutor in the case, but that was apparently just the tip of the bias iceberg. Judge Sheldon kept out relevent defense evidence – according to Judge Comparet-Cassani – sustained multiple prosecution objections while taking until page 1,004 of the trial transcript to sustain one for the defense, and even had the defense attorney in tears as he ordered the jury to be brought in.

The men will now get a new trial. In the words of Judge Cassani, “This was a terrible, terrible, terrible trial.”

Another hearing in the case is scheduled for May 8th, but a new trial isn’t likely until later in the summer. Hopefully this one is fair and not just a show trial for some judge to prop up a favored attorney.

- Joe Klare