HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Helena man who plans to appeal his conviction in a medical marijuana case says he's rejected an offer that could reduce his sentence from up to 85 years to as little as 10 years, if he gives up his right to appeal.
Chris Williams wrote to the Independent Record (http://bit.ly/QHZUrK ) and said he will reject the Oct. 11 offer from U.S. Attorney Michael Cotter, saying he plans to continue to fight the government.
Public defender Michael Donahoe didn't dismiss the offer, but wrote in court documents that he'd never seen a post-judgment offer that could reduce the potential sentence by 86 percent. He says it could be generosity on the part of prosecutors, or concern that the conviction might be overturned.
Other parties in the case accepted plea agreements and one received a probationary sentence.
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Information from: Independent Record, http://www.helenair.com
