Skip to main content
Please enter a legal issue and/or a location
Begin typing to search, use arrow keys to navigate, use enter to select

Find a Lawyer

More Options

PSA: Do Not Mail Pot to Federal Judges

By George Khoury, Esq. on October 24, 2018 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Marijuana may be legal in several states around the country, but mailing pot certainly isn't. And gifting some of the smelly green stuff to judges is certainly out of the question.

Despite the greyish legality, it's still a drug, and gifting anything, let alone drugs, to a judge on your case is a sure fire way to have your case go up in smoke. We all know Justice Kavanaugh likes beer, but you don't see litigants lining up to hand him cold ones now, do you?

Below, you can read more about the story of Jeffrey Nathan Schirripa, and learn the lesson that he apparently needed to be taught again.

Refer Sadness

After spending about twenty minutes reviewing various orders, it's still really unclear just what in tarnation Mr. Schirripa is actual trying to do. A prior filing of his (or someone with his exact same name and propensity for silly legal filings) seems to request payment from the federal government for creating some antiterrorism software that saved the day, despite having never been asked to make it (?).

But what is abundantly clear about this case is that he not only sent 18 little baggies of pot to all the judges when he requested a rehearing en banc, he also sent marijuana to the initial appellate panel review, and was admonished then as well. Naturally, when he files his petition for writ, SCOTUS can probably expect to receive nine bags as well.

How to Get Pot to the Court

While Mr. Schirripa may have used improper methods to deliver marijuana to the court, it's not that crazy of an idea that actual marijuana may be needed in court for a variety of reasons (apart from medicinal stress relief of the judiciary, staff and clerks) like evidence, or ... an exhibit. This will become more and more true as marijuana legalization policies get crafted and it becomes more widely and publicly available.

So when the day comes that you need to get pot to the court, if the Controlled Substances Act is still in effect, use a private courier or another method to ensure hand delivery, and you should probably get permission from the judge, or clerk, in advance.

Related Resources:

You Don’t Have To Solve This on Your Own – Get a Lawyer’s Help

Meeting with a lawyer can help you understand your options and how to best protect your rights. Visit our attorney directory to find a lawyer near you who can help.

Or contact an attorney near you:
Copied to clipboard