Sheriff: Man pleading for pot legalization lights up in front of judge

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A 20-year-old man was arrested this week after police said he smoked marijuana in front of a judge in a Tennessee courtroom.

Spencer Alan Boston was called to the podium Monday in front of Judge Haywood Barry on a simple drug possession charge, according to Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan.

Boston was apparently expressing a viewpoint that marijuana should be legalized. He is accused of then reaching into a pocket and pulling out a marijuana cigarette, lighting up and smoking, police said.

Boston then turned around to make a comment to those sitting in the courtroom, and officers immediately took him into custody, Bryan said.

Many in the courtroom burst out laughing, Wilson County sheriff's Lt. Scott Moore said.

Boston is charged with disorderly conduct and simple possession, according to police. His bond is $3,000, according to jail records.

The marijuana that Boston smoked did have a strong odor, Bryan said.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Man lights marijuana cigarette in front of judge, sheriff says