There’s no law against rubbing people the wrong way, but it seems the Mercer County prosecutor put Ed “NJWeedman” Forchion on trial for it, twice.
Sure, the prosecutor will say that’s not why Forchion, 54, marijuana activist and Pemberton native, was arrested and imprisoned for 15 months, and was unsuccessfully tried twice for witness tampering.
But when two juries turn thumbs down twice within six months on tampering allegations, a case can be made that something other than zeal for truth, justice and the American way fueled all those wasted man hours to prosecute a patriotic pothead. And Forchion is a patriot. He served nearly eight years in the Marines, Army and New Jersey National Guard.
The verdicts came after Forchion, who is not a lawyer, represented himself in court. At the first trial last autumn he wore a Rastafarian-style knit cap and pot-green suit. At the second trial, last month, he wore the same Rasta cap paired with a jacket and pants adorned, collar to cuffs, with pot leaves.
While wearing these get-ups, he opened his first trial last November by apologizing to the jury for being nervous, saying, “I would have done this a whole lot smoother had I smoked a bong this morning.” He opened his second trial last month telling the jury, “I’m an ass, sometimes.”
Not guilty. Twice. The state’s tampering case was flimsier than Gov. Murphy’s wool sneakers.