Addendum help, please. Forum

[newage23]

I've searched through the forum and haven't quite found something that fits my specific case. This past 4th of July I took a trip to Florida with a friend of mine. She brought some weed with her and the obvious way this story is going is that we ended up being stopped and searched (which I had refused). They found it, it was less than a joint. At any rate because it was my car they charged me with possession (Class A misdemeanor). I was not arrested, I was given a written notice and sent on my way. The case was dismissed before it reached pretrail; due to a lack of evidence. I don't regularly smoke, in fact I can specifically cite every single time I've ever smoked weed (it's four times, didn't make it to five).

My issue is that the circumstances of my case sound, to me, a lot like excuses. I don't have a downward spiral that this turned around for me. I feel like to make it seem more honest in an addendum would require me to be dishonest and overstate the events that lead up to it. There's no point in saying the weed didn't belong to me, because it might as well have. Do I need to get that specific in my addendum? Or is it enough to simply state where the "arrest" (does the citation for a misdemeanor count as that?) took place, and that charges were never brought against me as a result? Plus it happened so recently I'm not going to be able to show anything has changed, and I haven't gotten it expunged yet...

Even if it was expunged for C&F it's going to come up anyway.

[furrywalls]

I've searched through the forum and haven't quite found something that fits my specific case. This past 4th of July I took a trip to Florida with a friend of mine. She We brought some weed with us and her and the obvious way this story is going is that[/s] we ended up being stopped and searched (which I had refused). They found it, it was less than a joint. At any rate because it was my car they charged me with possession (Class A misdemeanor). I was not arrested, I was given a written notice and sent on my way. The case was dismissed before it reached pretriall; due to a lack of evidence. I don't regularly smoke, and learned my lesson blah blah blah.

Probably something like this as a rough draft

[whymeohgodno]

Honestly they won't care. You're not a repeat offender and this is hardly something to be concerned about as an isolated incident. Just make sure you disclose it.

[hype9857]

If I were you, I would just state the facts. Which don't include you taking more responsiblity. If it was hers, just say so (unless you were intending to share with her, then it's a tad disingenuous). Then I would add a little thing saying how even despite these circumstances, you take responsibility for what happened. And now you realize you have to be more careful who you surround yourself with, especially as the driver in the situation, etc. blah blah blah.

[glewz]

Make sure you use formal terms - not "weed"

[omninode]

Make sure you use formal terms - not "weed"

+1

[newage23]

Make sure you use formal terms - not "weed"

I was just going to use "cannabis" since that's what the actual possession charge is for: possession of cannabis.


How about:


"On Friday July 2nd, 2010 while traveling with a friend through Florida I was stopped in XXXX, FL. A search of my car ultimately lead to the discovery of a small amount of cannabis contained in our belongings. I was not arrested; I was given a misdemeanor citation for possession of cannabis under 20 grams, and sent on my way. The charges were ultimately dropped before the Pretrial was scheduled to begin due to a "lack of evidence."

While the outcome was much better than it could have been; the entire situation taught me a valuable lesson in that you're not only responsible for yourself, but to an extent your associates. Whether the weed belonged to me or to her became immaterial, it was my car and I was responsible for its contents. Further, I had never had cannabis-- or any illicit substances-- in my car before. The reality that I could and was caught the very first time became a poignant realization that serious consequences are not reserved to the realm of habitual users. I have a newfound respect for the law, and hope that the situation can serve as a point of improvement in my life, rather than tarnish it."

[Ratchet Jackson]

Make sure you use formal terms - not "weed"

I was just going to use "cannabis" since that's what the actual possession charge is for: possession of cannabis.


How about:


"On Friday July 2nd, 2010 while traveling with a friend through Florida I was stopped in XXXX, FL. A search of my car ultimately lead to the discovery of a small amount of cannabis contained in our belongings. I was not arrested; I was given a misdemeanor citation for possession of cannabis under 20 grams, and sent on my way. The charges were ultimately dropped before the Pretrial was scheduled to begin due to a "lack of evidence."

While the outcome was much better than it could have been; the entire situation taught me a valuable lesson in that you're not only responsible for yourself, but to an extent your associates. Whether the weed belonged to me or to her became immaterial, it was my car and I was responsible for its contents. Further, I had never had cannabis-- or any illicit substances-- in my car before. The reality that I could and was caught the very first time became a poignant realization that serious consequences are not reserved to the realm of habitual users. I have since not had any incidents similar to the aforementioned, nor a prior history of offenses. I have a newfound respect for the law, and while not attempting to make excuses for my behavior, Iand hope that the this situation can serve as a point of improvement in my life, rather than tarnish it."

My two cents.

[albanach]

In your first post there was less than a joint. In the second there was less than 20 grams. Google suggests 20 grams would be sufficient for up to 40 joints.

Why were you stopped? Why was your car searched? If you refused the search, the police would surely have required probably cause to search you?

I'd try to be more concise because at the moment you could be seen to be raising more questions.

[newage23]

In your first post there was less than a joint. In the second there was less than 20 grams. Google suggests 20 grams would be sufficient for up to 40 joints.

Why were you stopped? Why was your car searched? If you refused the search, the police would surely have required probably cause to search you?

I'd try to be more concise because at the moment you could be seen to be raising more questions.

I think you misunderstand.

In the state of Florida misdemeanor possession is ANY amount under 20 grams. Anything over 20 grams is felony possession. So, that's how it appeared on my citation (misdemeanor possession of cannabis under 20 grams) even though the actual amount was probably under 1 gram.

If you want to know the specifics of the encounter, I was actually already pulling off onto the shoulder of a road to look for something in my backseat. A bit behind me was an unmarked police car who stopped behind me. The police officer came up, inquired about why I was stopped. At the time I did not know that they had a sign set up further down the road that said "drug checkpoint ahead" and they assumed I had positioned myself away from it to discard whatever I had. He asked to search my car. I told him no. At this point he told me that he smelled "combusted cannabis" and called his partner over who confirmed. They asked if I'd been smoking (which, despite the status of the joint I hadn't smoked recently and no one has ever smoked anything in my car). I told them no. They insisted it was pervasive. They had us get out of the car (didn't search either of us), and called a K-9 unit. We waited around for them to get there. The dog, I guess, reacted at the passenger side front door because that's when they started proclaiming they didn't need a warrant to search my car. They searched the cab, didn't find anything. They searched the trunk, still nothing. On their second pass through they found the joint in a bag inside another bag in the trunk (and actually looked really disappointed). They started telling me that they were going to tear the car apart to find "the rest of the dope." I remained silent because I figured I was going to jail anyway at that point for taking up so much of their time. But, the guy came back (from processing stuff in his car)and handed me a written citation. He talked to me for a few minutes about pleading guilty, and then I was let go. Got back the road, came around the corner and saw the sign and realized what had happened.

For the record I do know they wouldn't have actually stopped me at the drug checkpoint, being aware of that made it so much more depressing.

[glewz]

Make sure you use formal terms - not "weed"

I was just going to use "cannabis" since that's what the actual possession charge is for: possession of cannabis.


How about:


"On Friday July 2nd, 2010 while traveling with a friend through Florida I was stopped in XXXX, FL. A search of my car ultimately lead to the discovery of a small amount of cannabis contained in our belongings. I was not arrested; I was given a misdemeanor citation for possession of cannabis under 20 grams, and sent on my way. The charges were ultimately dropped before the Pretrial was scheduled to begin due to a "lack of evidence."

While the outcome was much better than it could have been; the entire situation taught me a valuable lesson in that you're not only responsible for yourself, but to an extent your associates. Whether the weed belonged to me or to her became immaterial, it was my car and I was responsible for its contents. Further, I had never had cannabis-- or any illicit substances-- in my car before. The reality that I could and was caught the very first time became a poignant realization that serious consequences are not reserved to the realm of habitual users. I have since not had any incidents similar to the aforementioned, nor a prior history of offenses. I have a newfound respect for the law, and while not attempting to make excuses for my behavior, Iand hope that the this situation can serve as a point of improvement in my life, rather than tarnish it."

My two cents.

RJ127 is on point here. And again, don't use the word "weed" or "joint"

[albanach]

I think you misunderstand.

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I figured it would be like you described and wasn't doubting your statement. What I was trying to say, however, was that it's possible that someone reading could read more questions from your addendum than you answer.

To that end I was trying to say you may wish to try and word it so those questions don't arise. Also, keep it as short as humanly possible.

[albanach]

Here's my attempt to raise fewer questions:

In July 2010 I was traveling with a friend in Florida when I stopped my car to retrieve an item from the back seat. Unbeknown to me, I had stopped close to a police check point. A police car approached and the officer requested to search my vehicle. Upon doing so, he discovered a small quantity of cannabis in a bag belonging to my companion. As the driver, I received a misdemeanor citation. The charge was subsequently dropped. I have no other citations or offenses. The situation has taught me a valuable lesson in that you're not only responsible for yourself, but to an extent your associates.

[newage23]

Make sure you use formal terms - not "weed"

I was just going to use "cannabis" since that's what the actual possession charge is for: possession of cannabis.


How about:


"On Friday July 2nd, 2010 while traveling with a friend through Florida I was stopped in XXXX, FL. A search of my car ultimately lead to the discovery of a small amount of cannabis contained in our belongings. I was not arrested; I was given a misdemeanor citation for possession of cannabis under 20 grams, and sent on my way. The charges were ultimately dropped before the Pretrial was scheduled to begin due to a "lack of evidence."

While the outcome was much better than it could have been; the entire situation taught me a valuable lesson in that you're not only responsible for yourself, but to an extent your associates. Whether the weed belonged to me or to her became immaterial, it was my car and I was responsible for its contents. Further, I had never had cannabis-- or any illicit substances-- in my car before. The reality that I could and was caught the very first time became a poignant realization that serious consequences are not reserved to the realm of habitual users. I have since not had any incidents similar to the aforementioned, nor a prior history of offenses. I have a newfound respect for the law, and while not attempting to make excuses for my behavior, Iand hope that the this situation can serve as a point of improvement in my life, rather than tarnish it."

My two cents.

RJ127 is on point here. And again, don't use the word "weed" or "joint"

Did I use them somewhere in the rough draft?

I think you misunderstand.

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I figured it would be like you described and wasn't doubting your statement. What I was trying to say, however, was that it's possible that someone reading could read more questions from your addendum than you answer.

To that end I was trying to say you may wish to try and word it so those questions don't arise. Also, keep it as short as humanly possible.

I see your point.

Here's my attempt to raise fewer questions:

In July 2010 I was traveling with a friend in Florida when I stopped my car to retrieve an item from the back seat. Unbeknown to me, I had stopped close to a police check point. A police car approached and the officer requested to search my vehicle. Upon doing so, he discovered a small quantity of cannabis in a bag belonging to my companion. As the driver, I received a misdemeanor citation. The charge was subsequently dropped. I have no other citations or offenses. The situation has taught me a valuable lesson in that you're not only responsible for yourself, but to an extent your associates.

I like this a lot, actually. I might change up the "what I learned" but the core information about the offense seems excellent.

[Ratchet Jackson]

Here's my attempt to raise fewer questions:

In July 2010 I was traveling with a friend in Florida when I stopped my car to retrieve an item from the back seat. Unbeknown to me, I had stopped close to a police check point. A police car approached and the officer requested to search my vehicle. Upon doing so, he discovered a small quantity of cannabis in a bag belonging to my companion. As the driver, I received a misdemeanor citation. The charge was subsequently dropped. I have no other citations or offenses. The situation has taught me a valuable lesson in that you're not only responsible for yourself, but to an extent your associates.

This reads well. For good measure, at the end I would just add something along the lines of "If you have any questions or require any further information about this incident, please feel free to contact me at your convenience". Other than that, sign it, seal it, stamp it, send it.

[albanach]

This reads well. For good measure, at the end I would just add something along the lines of "If you have any questions or require any further information about this incident, please feel free to contact me at your convenience". Other than that, sign it, seal it, stamp it, send it.

No.

They are processing dozens or hundreds of forms per day, spending a couple of minutes on each application. That line says, I've more I could tell you but I'm not saying it here. Why else would you suggest they contact you? Since there's plenty of other applicants with similar numbers, it's an open invitation to reject, since that's much easier than contacting the applicant.

You want an addendum to put their mind at rest that you have told them all they need to know, that the incident is in the past and there's no history of similar incidents. The statement achieves that as it is.

[Ratchet Jackson]

This reads well. For good measure, at the end I would just add something along the lines of "If you have any questions or require any further information about this incident, please feel free to contact me at your convenience". Other than that, sign it, seal it, stamp it, send it.

No.

They are processing dozens or hundreds of forms per day, spending a couple of minutes on each application. That line says, I've more I could tell you but I'm not saying it here. Why else would you suggest they contact you? Since there's plenty of other applicants with similar numbers, it's an open invitation to reject, since that's much easier than contacting the applicant.

You want an addendum to put their mind at rest that you have told them all they need to know, that the incident is in the past and there's no history of similar incidents. The statement achieves that as it is.

I'll agree to disagree with you on this one. I see it as a willing statement to comply with any follow up questions adcomms may have, which sometimes occurs during the application process. The addition of the aforementioned statement is just as I described it, for good measure. Not a necessity. OP will be fine either way.

[newage23]

I appreciate the input RJ127/albanach!


I'm uneasy about putting in the line about contacting me-- wouldn't they contact me if they had questions regardless of whether or not I state that? It seems like I'm saying "here's what I think is enough information, but there's possibly more I think you might want to know" where albanach's says "here's what you need to know."

[Ratchet Jackson]

I appreciate the input RJ127/albanach!


I'm uneasy about putting in the line about contacting me-- wouldn't they contact me if they had questions regardless of whether or not I state that? It seems like I'm saying "here's what I think is enough information, but there's possibly more I think you might want to know" where albanach's says "here's what you need to know."

Yeah good point. No need to add. I would have added it more to say like "I'm willing to cooperate and have nothing I'm hiding from you" sort of thing but your drafted addendum is good as it is.

[ISTAND]

Were you driving under the influence of weed? I ask because I'm wondering why you got pulled over in the first place and what was the probable cause the police had to conduct a search unless it's common procedure to undergo automatic searches for traffic stops in FL?

[albanach]

Were you driving under the influence of weed? I ask because I'm wondering why you got pulled over in the first place and what was the probable cause the police had to conduct a search unless it's common procedure to undergo automatic searches for traffic stops in FL?

The OP explained this above, and it's covered in the draft addendum too.

[newage23]

I'm sorry about reviving this topic for something that might be trivial, but I have a copy of the discovery, I decided to check it out to make sure my addendum was okay; in the arrest narrative the officer writes "[...] found in the truck [sic] with <My name>'s belongings a small box that contained cannabis [...]" (he meant trunk) for the location where he found the contraband. Is this normal language because it was located in my car? Or are they going to question my statement that it wasn't in my bag.

[QandAphorism]

I've searched through the forum and haven't quite found something that fits my specific case. This past 4th of July I took a trip to Florida with a friend of mine. She brought some weed with her and the obvious way this story is going is that we ended up being stopped and searched (which I had refused). They found it, it was less than a joint. At any rate because it was my car they charged me with possession (Class A misdemeanor). I was not arrested, I was given a written notice and sent on my way. The case was dismissed before it reached pretrail; due to a lack of evidence. I don't regularly smoke, in fact I can specifically cite every single time I've ever smoked weed (it's four times, didn't make it to five).

My issue is that the circumstances of my case sound, to me, a lot like excuses. I don't have a downward spiral that this turned around for me. I feel like to make it seem more honest in an addendum would require me to be dishonest and overstate the events that lead up to it. There's no point in saying the weed didn't belong to me, because it might as well have. Do I need to get that specific in my addendum? Or is it enough to simply state where the "arrest" (does the citation for a misdemeanor count as that?) took place, and that charges were never brought against me as a result? Plus it happened so recently I'm not going to be able to show anything has changed, and I haven't gotten it expunged yet...

Even if it was expunged for C&F it's going to come up anyway.

Apply to schools in California and you'll be fine.

[albanach]

I'm sorry about reviving this topic for something that might be trivial, but I have a copy of the discovery, I decided to check it out to make sure my addendum was okay; in the arrest narrative the officer writes "[...] found in the truck [sic] with <My name>'s belongings a small box that contained cannabis [...]" (he meant trunk) for the location where he found the contraband. Is this normal language because it was located in my car? Or are they going to question my statement that it wasn't in my bag.

...Upon doing so, he discovered a small quantity of cannabis belonging to my companion. As it was located near my belongings, I received a misdemeanor citation...

If you were truly unaware of it's presence, you could say 'belonging to my companion. I had been unaware of its presence however, as it was located near my belongings, I received a misdemeanor citation...