Evidence
More Hot Water for Michael Phelps: Sheriff May Charge Him Over Pipe Pic
Posted Feb 3, 2009, 05:25 pm CST
By Martha Neil
International publicity about a published photograph in which Olympic swimming star Michael Phelps is seen taking a hit off what appears to be a marijuana pipe—as Phelps himself has admitted and offered an apology for—wasn't just causing a sensation with fans.
A sheriff in South Carolina says he will charge Phelps with a crime if he can prove that he was smoking weed in his jurisdiction, reports the State. This is not an idle threat, since the photo reportedly may have been taken at a campus party in his county.
News of possible prosecution by Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott follows word from authorities at the University of South Carolina and Columbia, where the school is located, that they don't intend to pursue a criminal investigation.
"This case is no different than any other case,” the sheriff told the newspaper yesterday. “This one might be a lot easier since we have photographs of someone using drugs and a partial confession. It’s a relatively easy case once we can determine where the crime occurred.”
A misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession, if filed and proven, could result in a sentence of as much as 30 days in jail and a $570 fine, plus court costs, according to the State.
Hat tip Jonathan Turley via @BlawgWhisperer.
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