Giving cigarette is costly
The simple act of giving a friend a cigarette will cost a local man a good deal of cash and some community service time.
The friend in this case was a jail inmate who was in court last month. The man who passed the cigarette, Randy Kester, was a member of the audience and may have had no idea his gesture was against the law.
The incident occurred when the court bailiff saw Kester give a single cigarette to an inmate in the audience. The cigarette was immediately seized for evidence and Kester was cited into court.
State law prohibits giving any contraband to an inmate, whether at the jail or outside the jail, while the person is in the county’s custody. Tobacco is not permitted at Warren County Jail thereby making it contraband.
Local jail policy prevents passing or giving anything to an inmate without first getting approval of guards or law enforcement officials. Generally, items are only allowed to be given to inmates during monitored visits to the jail at regular visitation times.
The cigarette passing will cost Kester a $50 fine plus court costs and 16 hours of public service work. He was given a 10-day jail sentence, but the sentence will be suspended as long as he pays the fines.