Many of us have been in English class in school, learning all the complicated grammar rules that come with it. While others might have liked it, some of us probably couldn’t wait until the class was over or wish to be saved by the bell.
However, what we didn’t realize is that fluency in English and impressive grammar might come in handy when we’re facing jail time.
This week 2 students involved in a drug deal found themselves in an extraordinary situation where being attentive in English class finally pays off as the judge ruled out jail sentence in court for them. Who knew conjugating verbs properly could save you from getting jail time?
These two students, 19-year-old Luke Rance, and 21-year-old Brandon Kerrison, were arrested on December 17, 2017 as Rance had been selling Kerrison cannabis which he had bought in bulk.
Nearby officers had become suspicious after smelling the distinctive odour and arrested them both. Rance was found with 7 additional bags of cannabis and a small amount of cocaine while Kerrison only carried 2 bags of cannabis. When Rance’s apartment was searched, it yielded a stash of cannabis worth 1200 pounds.
Although cases like this happen fairly often, Judge David Hale took a special interest in their chat messages due to their “grammar and punctuation” which he deemed of higher standards than normally used by dealers.
He added “Cannabis may be an experiment that you find pleasurable,” but warned for serious consequences. He continued telling them that the court often get cases where lives have been “desperately affected” by the use of cannabis.
Another factor in his decision was the slowness of the court system, which “does not do the system much credit” and had caused the defendants’ families a long period of severe stress due to the possible impending jail sentence hanging over their heads. During this period, the two students stopped their illegal activities and thus, showed good behavior.
The final sentencing came down to 12 months of community work for a total of 100 hours for both of them. However, Kerrison will have to enroll in a rehabilitation programme.
The judge also warned: “I hope a court never sees either of you again.”
Maybe those English classes were more useful than we thought. And even if their “impeccable grammar” had saved them from going to jail, it would be better to just be on the safe side and avoid using illegal substances.
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