Medical marijuana activist extradited to Colo.
Published 9:43 am Friday, July 15, 2016
An outspoken medical marijuana advocate arrested last month is back in Colorado.
Sheriff Terese Amazi confirmed Deanna Jean Ryther, 41, of Austin was extradited Tuesday to Colorado, where she faces possible charges of felony first-degree tampering with a witness.
Ryther, 41, of Austin is also charged with felony fifth-degree drug possession in Mower County, but a fugitive from justice from another state charge was dismissed. However, her next scheduled court appearance in Mower County was pushed back to Sept. 15.
Ryther was issued a court order from Boulder, Colorado, on May 20 to turn over evidence after she claimed she had on Facebook pertaining to her father’s 2006 sexual assault conviction.
She was also ordered to cease and desist harassing the victim of that assault. But she did not stop and an arrest warrant was issued.
On June 23, Mower County deputies executed a search warrant and felony arrest warrant from Colorado for Ryther, according to court records.
In addition to evidence pertaining to Ryther’s crimes in Colorado, deputies also found and seized 80 grams of marijuana, an unknown brown substance, marijuana oil/wax, several packages that were mailed from Colorado containing vacuum sealed bags that appeared to have been used to send marijuana and related products to Ryther.
They also found four computers during the search and then amended the warrant to seize the marijuana.
Ryther organized Austin’s first Hemp Fest in 2013 and has advocated for Austin to host a medical marijuana dispensary in the state’s medical marijuana law. She has a medical marijuana license from Colorado, but not from Minnesota.