A judge for the popular NBC TV series “The Voice” and singer in his own right, Ceelo Green, will appear in court on November 20th to answer a charge of supplying a controlled substance to a woman last year. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge, but could face four years in prison if he is convicted at next month’s trial. He is presently out on bail, set at $30,000.
Mr. Green has had a second charge of rape dropped after the prosecution decided that there was insufficient evidence to obtain a conviction.
Green was charged with the offenses after a meeting he had with an unidentified woman last year in a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles. The woman later accused him of supplying her with Ecstasy or MDMA, as well as sexually assaulting her. She claimed that she woke up naked next to Green in her Luxe Hotel bed without any idea how she got there.
Green has been very cooperative with the prosecution, so far, according to his defense attorney. He has encouraged a full investigation of the allegations and has been quietly confident that the Los Angeles County Attorney’s Office would reject the charges once the full facts were known. He was reported to be glad that the rape charges were dropped by the prosecution and said he was unafraid of appearing on the drug charge, despite the potentially serious consequences.
Both of the charges that Ceelo Green has faced are very damaging, even if he is cleared completely. He has a high profile job on the TV show and has an established and successful singing career. Accusations like those that have been leveled at him, whether they are true or not, are very hard to either prove or disprove. This is especially so if they have been made some time after the event was supposed to have happened. In many such cases, the prosecution only has the hearsay of an individual witness to go on.
Both of these charges, if they led to convictions, are considered felony charges in California where the trial is taking place, as well as here in Florida.
Ecstasy or MDMA, which are the initials for the chemical name for ecstasy, is classified as a class 1 drug on the controlled substances schedule. It is not considered a drug which has any medical benefit, so it is in the same category as heroin, LSD and cannabis. In Florida, the penalties for the use and distribution of ecstasy depend partly on the amount which is involved. Even small amounts of ecstasy can lead to a three to seven year jail sentence, as well as a fine of $50,000 and loss of your driver license.
A charge of rape, which has now been dropped in the case of Ceelo Green, is even more serious in the circumstances that were alleged by the woman involved. It would have been considered a felony in the first degree if Green was convicted of rape when the victim was unable to resist because of being supplied by a drug. The conviction could have led to a prison sentence of up to 30 years and possibly a fine as well.
Fortunately for anyone who is accused of these sorts of offenses, there are many opportunities for an experienced defense attorney to throw doubt on the charges involved. The prosecution must be able to supply evidence which is sufficient to prove beyond reasonable doubt that either of these offenses actually took place.
If you have been accused of a drug or sexual assault offense, you will need a determined and aggressive defense attorney to help defend you against a charge that can alter your life as you know it forever.
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