People of the State of Illinois vs. Brandon Parsons

Henry County Courthouse: Today, Henry County Judge Colby Hathaway sentenced Defendant Brandon Parsons to four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for possession 650 lbs. of marijuana. Originally, Parsons was charged with Calculated Cannabis Conspiracy, and was facing an eighteen-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections. His attorney, Stephen Komie, pursued a Motion to Suppress, challenging his arrest for an Illinois mud flap violation on an Ohio vehicle.

The State’s Attorney’s Office, when challenged by the Motion to Suppress, dropped the Calculated Cannabis Conspiracy charge, and the Manufacture of Cannabis, which, upon conviction, would have resulted in Mr. Parsons serving eighteen years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Mr. Komie called Mr. Parsons’ mother, Angela Sneed, to testify to her medical condition as a disabled person due to spinal injuries. Her testimony led to the court finding Mr. Parsons was her caretaker, which mitigated the criminal violation of transporting 650 lbs of marijuana. The Court found Mr. Parsons guilty of his second felony of Possession of Marijuana, and sentenced him to the lowest possible sentence of four years, of which he is only expected to serve eighteen months in the penitentiary.

After sentencing, Mr. Parsons thanked his attorney for busting the case down from eighteen years to four years. Mrs. Sneed was seen hugging Mr. Komie for saving her son from a harsh and cruel penitentiary sentence of eighteen years.