Australia - Judge orders teen to write essay on dangers of drugs

[~lostgurl~]

Judge orders teen to write essay on dangers of drugs

26 May 2008
TV3 (NZ)

An Australian judge has ordered a teenager caught with Ecstasy to write a 2,000-word essay on the dangers of using drugs.

Nicholas Benjamin Siiankoski, 18, pleaded guilty to possessing a dangerous drug and was sentenced Friday to three years' probation and 100 hours of community service.

But Justice George Fryberg also ordered the teen to write a researched essay on the effects of cannabis and Ecstasy after he admitted experimenting with other drugs and using marijuana since he was 15. He has three months to write the essay.

The judge originally ordered a 3,000 word essay, but Siiankoski's lawyers argued it down to 2,000 words, saying the teenager received low grades in school and would struggle with the longer assignment.

AP

http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/Judgeorder...1/Default.aspx

[Bajeda]

I wouldn't do so well with that sentence. I would get the essay done, but something tells me the judge wouldn't be especially happy to read it.

[Panthers007]

Be ashame if that guy found his way in here and talked with a few of us.....send that Judge on quite a ride.

[dr_haldol]

Think this is kinda wise judge. He doesn't want the teen to be simply prosecuted but to get him to making his thoughts about drugs and why they could be dangerous. Which isn't a bad thing IMHO.

[psyche]

This is a nice decision. When you are doing drugs you should know the facts. Educate, don't condemn.

I wrote a 13-page treatise on drugs when one was needed for the newly invented school subject health(knowledge). It was an honest and as neutral as possible, but it had such things in conclusion that it'd be wise to legalize drugs, or at least that it's unwise to keep them illegal. It received a fairly good, though not excellent, grade. One grade it lost because of the outlook that wasn't an exact copy of the model, but nothing complaining it for being too pro-drug. Just noted that an interesting point of view you got.

On the other hand, my brother did a marijuana-related videoclip in the arts and the teacher didn't like it at all. He started questioning if my brother used drugs and if he would admit if he used, to which he replied that ofcourse not. The teacher said something along the lines of considering to report him to police, and I'm not clear on this one so maybe he did. Maybe I should've asked if my essay was a blasphemy, then.

[KaMaKaZiEs]

wtf cannabis had nothing to do with his conviction so why does he have to lie about its "dangers"

[RaverHippie]

Originally Posted by KaMaKaZiEs

wtf cannabis had nothing to do with his conviction so why does he have to lie about its "dangers"

Originally Posted by ~lostgurl~

But Justice George Fryberg also ordered the teen to write a researched essay on the effects of cannabis and Ecstasy after he admitted experimenting with other drugs and using marijuana since he was 15. He has three months to write the essay.

Reading's a useful skill on a text base forum

I hope the essay makes its way to DF, would be interesting to read.