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Deliberation Begins for Trial of Couple Tied to Temecula Pot Co-op

A jury will decide the fate of a couple arrested for allegedly growing marijuana in connection with a cooperative in Temecula.

A jury began deliberation today in the trial of a couple connected with a Temecula co-op charged with growing marijuana and child endangerment.

William Bunn, 36, and his wife, Mary, 28, face felony charges of growing marijuana and willfully endangering the health of a child. Additionally, William Bunn is charged with a felony count of possessing a firearm within 10 years of a prior conviction.

The couple could lose custody of their son if found guilty.

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Arrested in 2008, investigators found 79 live marijuana plants growing in a detached garage at their rural Wildomar home, according to prosecutors, who say the building was equipped with paraphernalia indicative of marijuana cultivation. Among the items found were artificial lighting, a climate control system and independent hoses for each plant.

Investigators said they also found 2.05 grams of marijuana stashed in various places within the Bunns' home and a glass smoking pipe that appeared to be recently used.

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Prosecutors also alledge that a .380 semi-automatic handgun was found on a shelf above the refrigerator, with three live rounds sitting next to the weapon and a .12 gauge shotgun was found in a bedroom, with live ammunition nearby.

The Bunns' son was 22 months old at the time of the August 2008 search and was taken from the couple for several months.

“Both defendants in this case are responsible for the care and safety of the child,” said Riverside County District Attorney's Office spokesman John Hall. “The residence where the child lived was found to contain marijuana, weapons and an apparently recently used marijuana smoking pipe.”

The couple could each face more than seven years in prison if convicted, meaning they would lose custody of their child while incarcerated.

Just prior to investigators serving the warrant at the Wildomar home, the Bunns were in the process of joining of the Human Kindness Center, a marijuana cooperative based in Temecula, according to its president, Chris Yap.

Though the Bunns had not completed all the requisite paperwork by the time the investigators searched their home at 25550 Catt Road, Yap testified Thursday that he rented the barn from the couple and maintained the plants were his.

“He was in exclusive control of the grow room located in the Bunns'
residence and was the only one with the key,” said Deputy Public Defender Bob
Semnar, Mary Bunn's attorney. “The District Attorney's position is that they were operating it, but there has been no evidence presented they were actually seen in the grow room at any point.”

Tim Liebaert, William Bunn's attorney, said the set-up was no different than others viewed as legal by the state.

“One of the problems in the law is you can come out and hire a whole warehouse to grow marijuana, but the owners of the warehouse don't have to be in the cooperative, they don't have to have a license,” Liebaert said. “Why are the Bunns any different?''

Yap believes that prosecutors have wasted county money pursuing the case and overcharged the couple on the child endangerment offense. He said his residence was also searched around the same time, but he was not arrested because officers deemed his cultivation center legal.

“It's a waste of taxpayer dollars when we're allowed by law (in the collective) to do what we're doing,” Yap said. “I'd rather see more police out on the street, more firemen, more teachers.”

Speaking on behalf of Deputy District Attorney Greg Garrison, Hall denied the Bunn’s were inappropriately targeted or charged.

The case was initially expected to be tried at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, but was instead sent to Palm Springs.

City News Service contributed to this story

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