Stuart woman arrested on marijuana possession charge at St. Lucie County courthouse

Tyler Treadway

TC Palm

September 22, 2009 at 5:32 p.m.

Chantel Johnson

FORT PIERCE — A word to the wise: If you’re planning to bring marijuana into the St. Lucie County Courthouse, don’t put it in the same satchel as a pocket knife, a razor, a pair of scissors and a padlock.

According to a St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office report, Chantel Marissa Johnson, 21, of the 800 block of southeast 16th Street in Stuart, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday when a small bag containing the drug was found in her purse at the entrance of the courthouse.

W.R. “Randy” Stringham, one of a team of private security officers who check people entering the courthouse, said he saw the razor, knife, scissors and padlock as Johnson’s purse went through a scanning device, so he decided to check the rest of its contents.

“I dumped out the purse, and it fell out,” Stringham said, referring to a small plastic bag with what he called in his report “green leafy material.”

Stringham said he knew it was marijuana because of his experience as a former Florida Highway Patrol trooper and New York correctional officer; a field test later confirmed he was correct, according to the Sheriff’s Office report.

Johnson remained “cool and calm” when he found the marijuana, Stringham said, telling a woman with her, “I forgot that was there.”

Two sheriff’s deputies in the courthouse arrested Johnson, who was released from the St. Lucie County Jail after posting $500 bond.