Drug dealer requests clemency, but is jailed
Minutes before he was sentenced to 12 months in jail, Michael Bland was holding his five-month-old child in his arms.
Minutes before he was sentenced to 12 months in jail, Michael Bland was holding his five-month-old child in his arms.
The young father had pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking drugs, including cocaine, last February. He was before territorial Judge Peter Chisholm on Monday for sentencing.
Bland asked the judge for house arrest or a suspended sentence so he could help his partner, Lacey Bailey, raise their child.
“I want to be there every step of the way,” he told the judge.
“I’m out of the (drug) scene, I’m not involved, and I don’t want to be involved.”
Bland was self-represented at the sentencing hearing.
His former counsel, David Tarnow, had successfully asked the judge to be removed as the man’s lawyer, explaining Bland had repeatedly failed to return his calls.
“I’d like to apologize; I’ve actually changed, I’m a different person,” Bland told the judge.
He said he had a job offer, conditional to his not receiving a jail sentence.
His partner had been suffering from postpartum depression, he added, filing a doctor’s note before the court.
Bland has another child, a 16-year-old living in Saskatchewan, he told the judge.
The judge read an agreed statement of facts Crown prosecutor Eric Marcoux had filed.
On May 25, 2014, Whitehorse RCMP executed a warrant at Bland’s and his partner’s home.
The police recovered crack cocaine, marijuana, cocaine and methylenedioxyamphetamine, known by its street name, MDMA.
Spoons, scales and scoresheets were also seized.
Both Bland and his partner were charged with trafficking drugs.
Judge Chisholm permitted a pause during Bland’s hearing for a couple minutes.
That enabled Bland to smoke a last cigarette and say his goodbye to his family, allowing the Crown, in the meantime, to formally stay the charges against Bailey.
Chisholm noted that Bland had had periods of employment, and that he’d expressed remorse for his action.
But he isn’t a first-time offender, Chisholm noted.
His criminal history includes one related conviction in 2007 and two assault convictions for which he received jail time and a firearm prohibition.
The Crown had asked the judge for a 12-month jail sentence for each trafficking count, to be served concurrently.
A conditional sentence is not available anymore because of Criminal Code of Canada changes, Chisholm noted.
“Mr. Bland, I’m taking all the circumstances into consideration,” the judge said, looking at Bland.
But the court takes a negative view of these offences because of the disruptions the drugs can cause in communities, especially in the North, he added.
A 12-month sentence globally is on the low-end of available sentence, the judge noted when handing down the sentence.
Bland will also be banned from possessing firearms for life.
He received a $400 fine, which will be served forthwith – meaning he will serve time instead of paying cash. The fine is concurrent to the 12 months to be served, so it won’t result in any additional time.
With the credit he received for his time in custody after the drugs were seized, Bland will only have to serve 11 months.
The Crown stayed seven other charges against Bland. Those included several weapons offences linked to a switchblade knife, a sword, two air revolvers and 12-gauge shotgun ammunition.
Comments (15)
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milton johnson on Aug 16, 2019 at 3:39 pm
I've know Mike since high school an have heard rumors of him passing. If any writing on here knows him or knows if he's ok, lemme know. You can hit up my email midtermilz1@gmail.com or my instagram mstrmlz please and thanks.
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Betterthanu on Nov 4, 2015 at 4:22 pm
A smoker can sell someone a cigarette on the street for 50 cents or more?
If and when pot becomes legal, can a guy sell his buddy a fatty and not get charged? I doubt it! The liberal government is on the verge of becoming the largest drug dealer known to man. A whole country of this size. People who are on trial for their lives, will use any strategy they can to beat the charge. You would too. If the Liberal government legalizes dope it's only to control the sheep who give them power.
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Just Sayin' on Oct 30, 2015 at 9:16 am
@Anonymous,
One does the crime, one must do the time. He was trafficking drugs and I bet you he got paid with stolen goods, cash etc. I bet you he did not pay his taxes or claimed that money he earned. Instead he got to spend his money without being taxed. So, his 'Lacey' had a baby and the good Canadian folks had to foot the bill for the health care because '8-mile' did not contribute to society.
You, Anonymous, need to face the reality called life; accountability. Plus, he obviously is selfish; he did not care about any other family effects his drugs were going to contribute to. I am so sad the judge did not use him to set a standard. Our Justice system needs to be revamped and those who are convicted of trafficking, dealing drugs and such should have to be audited by the CRA!
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Anonymous on Oct 29, 2015 at 9:14 pm
All these negative comments can hit the road. Calling down people you don't even know makes you feel better about yourself and actually think it is going to make a difference to the situation? Fortunately the child is being raised in a complete drug free home and is completely safe. You people know nothing about something that happened last year.
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Colleen T. on Oct 29, 2015 at 7:45 pm
John Colby claims pushers are rare and people like to be intoxicated. News flash. Young people who are the primary drug users are just trying something new, experience something different. They do not deserve to die for it, and they do not deserve to have their entire lives ruined either. If everyone in your world are sharing your view you need some serious help. No pushers in the Yukon? Where are you getting yours?
As for June. I reread her post and it sounds to me like she is more vengeful than out of touch.
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Josey Wales on Oct 29, 2015 at 4:23 pm
Hey Ronnie...nope the Doors did not, Steppenwolf did.
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Joe Dirt on Oct 29, 2015 at 12:23 am
So lemme get this straight - he helps put drugs into the hands of other people's kids but he wants the judge to help his child??? I got news for you, pal - sending you to jail away is the best thing for your child. Shame on you for expecting anything different after all the families you helped ruin.
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social services needs to take that baby on Oct 28, 2015 at 10:17 pm
That beautiful child shouldn't have to grow up with that drug stuff in the house. NOBODY deserves to grow up in a drug dealers house.
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Anonymous on Oct 28, 2015 at 9:46 pm
8 Mile is a pretty steady guy. He tells it as it is.. I feel sorry that Lacey has to deal with the baby alone.. 8 Mile isn't your usual drug dealer he has ties to Whitehorse unlike 90% of the rest of the dealers being shipped up from 604.
8 Mile actually has a good family orientated heart
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Jonathan Colby on Oct 28, 2015 at 8:06 pm
June Jackson, you are out to lunch.
There are, I am willing to bet, no pushers here. Pushers are quite rare. Drugs sell themselves. People like to be intoxicated. Shocker.
Your grandson gets hooked on drugs because he is disconnected; mothers and daughters, too. People don't become addicted to drugs because they get pushed into it, they become addicted because they feel drugs are the best thing they have going for them, and no one diverts this attitude before chemical dependency sinks in.
Seriously, move out of the 80's. The war on drugs is a fool's errand, and the use of drugs has long been a hypocritical exercise in historical acceptance vs. modern perception.
Using drugs, selling drugs... these things are not inherently evil or terrible. If you think they are, June, I'd like to see you set up shop next to the liquor store and tell all those drug sellers how they are ruining people's lives.
Pushers in the Yukon, ha! Get a clue!
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Politico on Oct 28, 2015 at 6:10 pm
It's amazing, Edward Bernier, one of those law abiding gun owners, is convicted of two offenses involving wildlife and the possibility of misusing a firearm. He gets a slap on the wrist as a repeat offender but will be allowed to own a gun again. A drug dealer gets convicted of nothing involving a gun but gets banned for life from owning one. The law seems a bit inconsistent here but, then again, law abiding gun owners have never done anything wrong. The moment they commit a crime they are not law abiding.
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JC on Oct 28, 2015 at 5:41 pm
He says he is a changed man - a different person. Yeah right. And holding his 5 month old child minutes before sentencing - nice touch. That probably got a year off his sentence.
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Ronny on Oct 28, 2015 at 5:15 pm
"God Dam the Pusherman" the Doors.
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Mark on Oct 28, 2015 at 4:30 pm
Judge Chisholm permitted a pause during Bland’s hearing for a couple minutes.
That enabled Bland to smoke a last cigarette and say his goodbye to his family.... what??
Go smoke a cig before you go to jail? Only in the Yukon!!
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June Jackson on Oct 28, 2015 at 3:57 pm
Personally, I have 0 tolerance for dealers and pushers. They don't care who they push to, a pregnant woman or a 4 year old. They have no morals and no integrity and not only here, but all over the world people are dying because they also don't care what they push.
Although this pusher appears to have a nice sense of drama, holding a baby in an effort to sway the court. Bland did not get the sentence I would like to see him get, but that Chisholm actually handed down a sentence in the face of a little cherub in the arms of her daddy... that is remarkable. Good on Chisholm.
I don't think jailing these pushers will stop anything; as long as there is a demand there will be someone out there willing to supply it.. but, I like to think of a pusher, maybe the one that hooked my grandson, or your daughter, or your Mom on crack, sitting in a cozy cell with a meaty, mean tempered bruiser for a cell mate calling him honey.