My 19 yr old daughter is on federal probation for possession of 2.5gms of marijuana. She had completed 6 months of that when she came up positve, 2 in a row, for marijuana AND was arrested for a.10 DUI in the state of Virginia. This all happened at a very emotional time for her.
SHe has held a job for 6 months & was promoted to manager; has registered for classes at the community college & has completed the court ordered abuse counseling but since these violations has willingly begun a more intensive outpatient rehab program.
I suppose I would like to know the worst & the best outcome. She lives at home.

Worst outcome, they put her in prison to serve her original sentence.

Hello lulubelle:

Well, of course she's traumatized. Apparently, the federal government has brought ALL its weight to bear on a 19 year old girl for little more than two joints worth of pot. I'm sure they've screwed her around plenty. When they arrested her, they probably threw her on the ground and stepped on her head. She's no longer eligible for college loans, and her record will follow her for the rest of her life. Yes, they screwed her over bigtime.

Of course, they're not ashamed. They're too mean spirited and cold hearted to be. Well, I'm ashamed for them. I apologize to her for being a victim of the good old US of A.

2.5 grams of pot - I've never heard of anything so outrageous! We ought to STAND UP against it!

I understand how this affair could make her give up... But, she can't. There IS life after probation. She must be on misdemeanor probation, meaning she can't have more than a year. They couldn't have charged her with a felony... Did they? OMG.

excon

PS> Tell her to stop the drinking. She can smoke again when she gets off probation. Stopping the pot for a few months is a piece of cake. Drug rehabilitation for marijuana is silly.

Thank you Fr_ Chuck & Excon... I appreciate you taking the time to answer me. Her federal court date is separate from the from the DUI court date. We had gotten a lawyer for the DUI but don't know if we should find a different one for federal or use the same for both...

I am mystified as how someone could be on Federal probation for such a minuscule amount of pot. Usually the Feds don't bother with anything less than 2 tons of pot. There must be more extenuating circumstances here. The fact she got a DUI while on any probation means that she's obviously violated her original probation meaning no subsequent arrests.

Was daughter holding with intent to sell? Otherwise I don't understand.

The DUI - well, she's in violation of probation, emotional time for her or not. That's not an excuse - but you know that. She could be revoked and serve out the original sentence.

I wouldn't be happy about the pot (particularly if she's got it in your house) but I would be very unhappy about the DUI.

JudyKayTee

My daughter was 19 & away @college & happened to be naïve enough to be in a state park (federal property)when they were caught with a couple of joints.
You're right though, no excuse... too many deaths for her to cope with & she struggles with depression... probably should never have sent her off to college but very difficult for a parent to know what to do??
We have an attorney & she will pay the piper... but we are heartbroken - she's not a criminal mastermind - just a stupid kid.

Oh - it's more the Federal property than the amount.

Obviously she's not a criminal mastermind - if so, she'd be running around loose like all the other criminal masterminds.

Well, and as a parent you don't know what to do. Hopefully this is a lesson learned and your Attorney does a good job for her. And she's young - she has plenty of time to get her life back together AND she has your support which some kids don't have. And it's important.

Thank you JudyKT... we start family counseling tonight at an outpatient rehab - she has agreed to a 12week intensive program but trying to hold on to her job. Hopefully the judge will be having a good day.

What do you mean about the property? My husband (her father) is a top official in the DOD... can that help? You'd think I would understand all this having been a military wife all these years(21)!!

No, I meant that being caught with pot on government property is probably the reason she got charged, more than the amount she/they actually had.

You never know what a Judge will listen to - and hear - but certainly her father's career is not going to hurt her.

(And who knew you should pay attention to what your husband is saying - ? :D)