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Resident says she faces three felony charges after gifting homegrown marijuana; supervisors express sympathy but decline intervention
Summary
Linda Morales, a Buckingham County resident and veteran, told supervisors she faces three felony charges after gifting homegrown marijuana and said a preliminary hearing produced evidence that, in her view, shows no illegal conduct; the board expressed sympathy but took no formal action.
Linda Morales, a 61‑year‑old veteran and Buckingham County resident, told the Board of Supervisors she is awaiting a possible grand‑jury indictment on three felony charges after giving homegrown marijuana away to neighbors.
Morales said she purchased five acres in Buckingham to run a veterans training program and has regularly shared produce and other items from her farm. "This past January, I gifted something that I'm very proud to have grown on my property. Three days later, a warrant was executed on my property. My firearms were taken, and my personal use of marijuana was also taken, and three felonies were charged against me," Morales said.
She told the board that at a July preliminary hearing her attorneys were told the Commonwealth's attorney intended to present the case to a grand jury. Morales said she has already spent about $18,000 in attorney fees and that a trial is scheduled for Sept. 9. She said lab results and other testimony at the preliminary hearing showed no laws were broken, and asked the board for assistance in resolving what she described as an overblown reaction by law enforcement.
A neighbor, Donna Lanell McRae Jones, said she attended court and observed the evidence and similarly described Morales as acting “from the goodness of her heart” in gifting items. Several supervisors expressed sympathy for Morales and said they had known her as a long‑time, helpful member of the community.
Board response and limits: Supervisors repeatedly emphasized they lacked authority to intervene directly in law enforcement or prosecutorial decisions. One member suggested the board could ask the Commonwealth's attorney or sheriff to review the circumstances; the county attorney cautioned the board against taking legal action or directing prosecutorial discretion. "I would advise not doing that, doing a legal process," a county attorney‑type speaker said during the meeting, advising against formal board intervention in an active legal matter.
What was not changed at the meeting: No formal board action was taken to influence prosecution or to request charges be dropped. Several supervisors asked staff and county officials to pass along concerns and to encourage communication between law‑enforcement or prosecutorial offices and Morales, but the official legal process remains underway.
Ending: Morales said she intends to continue her defense and may pursue relief through the state courts if necessary; board members called for fairness and encouraged Morales to seek legal representation and follow the court process.
