Attorney and the Marijuana Bust

I was disturbed by the comments attributed to Mr. Richard Gilbert after his arrest for possession of marijuana (“Burglary Alarm Leads to Attorney’s Marijuana Arrest,” Jan. 6).

Mr. Gilbert, as an attorney, must certainly know that possession of such a large amount of marijuana is a felony, regardless of his personal views on the subject.

He obviously operates an alarm system at his residence to protect his life and property and was undoubtedly aware that the Sheriff’s Department would respond to investigate a possible burglary. What was he expecting the deputies to do--make a note of the broken window and leave?

Mr. Gilbert says that it is not “appropriate for the government to come into someone’s home . . . and register a complaint about what people do in the privacy of their own bedrooms.”

I am not an attorney, but it seems entirely “appropriate” for the deputies to have entered a residence in which they had a reasonable belief that a crime was occurring.

Mr. Gilbert should either disconnect his alarm system (to prevent any unwelcome “intrusion” by the government) or keep his marijuana out of plain view!

DOUGLAS KINER

Aliso Viejo