ATLANTA - Authorities say an Atlanta man was arrested after trying to carry marijuana into the Fulton County Courthouse on Wednesday. Deputies say when 26-year-old Ricky Hefflin tried to go through the security checkpoint, they found 19 small baggies of pot in his pocket.
Fulton County deputies say Hefflin was asked to empty his pockets and put his items in a bin for scanning by the courthouse magnetometer. But they say he refused, stating, “I don’t have anything.”
Deputies say Hefflin then walked through the security scanner and was instructed to empty his pockets again. They say he became nervous and refused to comply. Hefflin was then searched, and deputies found a plastic bag with 19 smaller, individual baggies inside it.
Upon questioning, authorities say Hefflin indicated the bags were stuffed with marijuana. He was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. He was also charged on two active warrants against him for battery.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP)—The NFL suspended Falcons defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux for one game Tuesday after his arrest last year on marijuana charges.
Babineaux will miss the Falcons’ Sept. 12 opener at Pittsburgh. He also has been fined one week’s pay, $260,000 of his $2.2 million salary.
Babineaux pleaded guilty to felony marijuana possession July 19. The charge was reduced in a Gwinnett County court to three misdemeanor counts. He received one year of probation.
Police found 1 1/2 ounces of marijuana in Babineaux’s car when he was arrested in December. He and a friend were driving through suburban Atlanta at the time.
Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue has signed a law banning the controversial drug K2—also known as synthetic marijuana.
K2, also known as "spice," mimics the effects of THC, the chemical in marijuana.
HB 1309 was sponsored by State Representative Jay Neal and State Senator Ed Harbison.
"K2 is a potent drug that can be difficult to detect," said Governor Perdue. "Adding it to our state's banned substances list will protect Georgians' safety and health."
The move by state legislators to restrict access to synthetic marijuana comes in light of a number of medical emergencies linked to the drug. The Georgia Poison Control Center reported nearly 50 calls relating to synthetic marijuana since the beginning of the year.
ATLANTA - Authorities say an Atlanta man was arrested after trying to carry marijuana into the Fulton County Courthouse on Wednesday. Deputies say when 26-year-old Ricky Hefflin tried to go through the security checkpoint, they found 19 small baggies of pot in his pocket.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP)—The NFL suspended Falcons defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux for one game Tuesday after his arrest last year on marijuana charges.
