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The Canadian drug charges and trial of Jimi Hendrix are the events surrounding the 1969 arrest, trial, and acquittal of American rock musician Jimi Hendrix, who was then at the height of his career. On May 3, 1969, customs agents at Toronto International Airport detained Hendrix after finding a small amount of what they suspected to be heroin and hashish in his luggage. Four hours later, after a mobile lab confirmed what had been found, he was formally charged with drug possession. Released on $10,000 bail, Hendrix was required to return on May 5 for an arraignment hearing. During a performance at Maple Leaf Gardens later that night, he displayed a jovial attitude, joking with the audience and singing a few lines of mock opera for comedic effect. At a preliminary hearing on June 19, Judge Robert Taylor set a date for December 8, at which Hendrix would stand trial for two counts of illegal possession of narcotics, for which he faced as many as 20 years in prison. While there was no question as to whether the drugs were in Hendrix's luggage, in order for the Crown to prove possession they had to show that he knew they were there. In his cross-examination of Canadian customs officials, defense attorney John O'Driscoll raised doubts about whether the narcotics belonged to Hendrix, who had no drug paraphernalia in his luggage or needle tracks on his arms. After a trial that lasted for three days, the jury deliberated for 8 hours before returning a not guilty verdict, acquitting Hendrix of both charges. The incident proved stressful for Hendrix, and it weighed heavily on his mind during the seven months that he awaited trial. Two weeks after the arrest, he told his friend, journalist Sharon Lawrence, that his fear of needles discouraged him from using heroin and that associating with junkies had convinced him it was not a drug he wanted to use. Both of Hendrix's Experience bandmates, Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding, later stated that they had been warned about a planned drug bust the day before flying to Toronto and they believed that drugs had been planted in Hendrix's bag. Although Hendrix was one of the biggest stars in North America at the time, and the world's highest-paid performer, only a couple of Toronto newspapers carried the story. His public relations manager, Michael Goldstein, later revealed that he bribed a member of the Associated Press with a case of liquor in an effort to prevent the story from going out on the news wire. ==Background== In late 1968, the members of the Jimi Hendrix Experience were living in a rented house in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles. One night bassist Noel Redding was warned about a pending visit from law enforcement, so he immediately phoned drummer Mitch Mitchell, who was at the nightclub Whisky a Go Go, and asked him to come over to the house so that they could search for and remove any illegal drugs. They found a large assortment of substances in Hendrix's room that had apparently been given to him by fans. Soon afterwards, they were paid a visit by three detectives who told them that they were under police surveillance by officers living in a nearby house. On May 2, 1969, the Experience performed at Cobo Hall in Detroit. According to Mitchell, while they were getting ready for the show the band and their entourage were informed about a possible drug bust planned for the following day. The group's road crew warned everyone to take precautions against any potential for drugs to be planted on them. Mitchell responded by wearing a suit without pockets and not wearing any underwear. Tour managers Gerry Stickells and Tony Ruffino expressed their concern to Hendrix and asked him if he had any drugs on him to which he replied: "No." After arriving in Toronto, he was awoken by concert promoter Ron Terry who told him: "Whatever you got in that bag, get rid of it." Terry then took him into the plane's bathroom and dumped anything that might be mistaken for illegal drugs into the toilet. Terry commented: "I thought he was clean." 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Canadian drug charges and trial of Jimi Hendrix」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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