Judge Caught Smoking Cannabis Hemp, Sentenced

A recent article in the African American newspaper the Florida Courier headlines "Dope-smoking judge cuts deal". According to the article, Circuit Court Judge Lawrence Korda was caught taking a toke under a shade tree in a Hollywood park, near a group of children. He formally apologized, and was ordered to undergo six months of drug testing and 25 hours of community service.

Having been discovered by two officers in training, the judge was made to lay on the ground by the non-uniformed officers who said they 'smelled' marijuana, and followed its scent to the judge. Which brings up a curious question, how were they able to identify the smell of marijuana? At what point in training is law enforcement familiarized with the aroma of Cannabis Hemp? When uniformed officers arrived to back up the two trainees, the judge was not arrested. Apparently, they were exercising their right of officer's discretion.

Angry parents turned out with signs at the judge's hearing 'urging stiff punishment', says the article, in an effort to have him removed from the bench. Is there a justifiable reason to remove this judge from the bench? It is highly likely that he's been smoking marijuana all of his adult life, if not from before then, and more than likely all of his professional career.

Nevertheless, the question is this: Did it affect his performance? His impartiality? His concept and understanding of the law? The NAACP says he set a bad example by smoking marijuana, but what was the bad example? The fact that it is illegal and Mr. Korda is a judge could be reason enough to justify the claim that he set a bad example, but the lack of any quantitative evidence of marijuana's toxicity in turn justifies the judges lackadaisical attitude toward its criminality.