Fraud trial begins for Nebraska medical marijuana petitions

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The trial for two medical marijuana petitions started on Tuesday.

Witnesses testified for hours in front of a judge in Lincoln.

The petitions are under fire from the Nebraska attorney general and the secretary of state.

If passed, the ballot measures would legalize and regulate medical marijuana.

SEE ALSO: Thousands more signatures on Nebraska medical marijuana petitions under scrutiny

But an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office allegedly found that notaries and circulators committed fraud when collecting signatures.

They argue that all the pages of signatures connected to those circulators and notaries should be thrown out.

That would amount to about 49,000 signatures on each petition.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana has accused the attorney general and secretary of state of trying to disenfranchise Nebraskans.

SEE ALSO: Nebraska notary public charged in fraudulent petition signature probe

One of the key witnesses on Tuesday was an investigator with the Attorney General’s Office.

John Brennan said he found “instances of notary fraud” while reviewing the validity of signatures.

In one line of questioning, a lawyer asked Brennan about two petition pages.

“The circulator’s signature on these two pages, although dated the same, appears significantly different,” Brennan said.

SEE ALSO: Nebraska judge dismisses 2 challenges to medical marijuana petitions, lets 2 others stand

He then said it “suggests that these two documents were signed by two different individuals.”

Brennan said he submitted that, along with multiple other similar discrepancies, to a handwriting expert.

He was the final witness of the day before the court went into recess.

SEE ALSO: Nebraska secretary of state certifies medical marijuana ballot initiatives

The trial will resume Wednesday morning and will continue Thursday and Friday if needed.

The two petitions will remain on the ballot no matter what.

But even if they pass, they may not become law, depending on the outcome of the trial.

SEE ALSO: Nebraska AG: Investigators find fraudulent signatures on medical marijuana petitions