Synergy Radio News Director Faces Four Years for Drug Possession

[XLFD]

From the Mason County Press: 

Local broadcaster arrested for drug possession

PERE MARQUETTE TWP. – Local news broadcaster Steve Ruba was arraigned today on a charge of delivery of marijuana. The 49-year-old Ludington resident was arrested Sunday at 8:02 p.m. by Mason County Sheriff’s Office deputies at the corner of Lakeshore Drive and Iris Road.

He was arrested with about 20 grams of marijuana in his possession.

Ruba is being held on a $3,500, 10 percent bond. A preliminary hearing is set for July 9 at 11:15 a.m. The offense is a four-year felony.

Ruba is the news director for Synergy Broadcasting which owns seven radio stations including WLDN, WKLA and WKZC, among others.

ANALYSIS:  I know Steve Ruba from when he went to school in Scottville, we took the elective newspaper and journalism class together.  He's a basically good guy that has made a good career out of radio journalism; if you tune into the variety of radio stations he does the news for, you'll find him doing a very competent and creative job. 

 

This Saturday, less than a day before he got stopped and caught with twenty grams (about 0.7 ounces) of marijuana I chatted with him at the Relay for Life, and I warned him after talking with me that Sheriff Kim Cole (who walked a lap or two) will start wondering about him, just because he stayed in my vicinity taking to me for a few minutes taking about local news and behind the scenes facts.  He shrugged it off with some bravado; I hope he can do the same with the charge, since I have never known Steve to have to resort to such devices.  Even though his brother, Dan Ruba, let it be known during the recent prelim for the Sean Philips (Baby Kate) murder trial that he (Dan) did marijuana. 

 

But barring any ill intent of the possession on Steve's part, he will just more than likely be one of the casualties of war in the often-ruthless, often-senseless battle against drugs that would rather see basically good and productive people like Steve Ruba sit in prison for four years, when the punishment almost assuredly does not fit the crime.

 

Each of the four judicial candidates for the 51st Circuit Court were asked by the MCP the queston as to whether there was a victimless crime.  They all could not think of any.  Maybe they, and us, should look harder.   

[Jane]

I hope they don't pressure him to become a snitch, well they WILL do that! If he is in any way smart he will hire an OUT OF TOWN ATTORNEY. He did the crime so do the time. Aside from cooper being on the war path he should only sit 30-60 days a year over his head. Who knows maybe he has a caregivers card!

[XLFD]

Hiring an out of town attorney in these parts is always a good idea.  The local attorneys are all cowed into being submissive to the local system, bar none (unintended legal pun by using the term 'bar').

If Spaniola (or the junior Cooper) gets knocked out of the judge race in August, Judge Cooper may tone it down a little bit, and if he comes before him after that point, he may get some mercy.  It's kind of funny, but we were talking politics about the judge race on Saturday.  Overall, he's a fan of Judge Cooper.

[AQUAMAN]

Methinks he, Ruba, needs to think about fanning Cooper, and his sonny boy, out of the equation!  Forever MORE! And look towards less politics, and more realistical proverbs. 

[wildfire]

i used to be a fan of cooper myself but when hes got Spaniola up his but, hes not really doing his job as well as he used to , in my appinion Spaniola tells cooper what they are going to do n cooper goes for it or agrees with it n  doesn't think for himself or think it over first or go into his chambers like before to think it over n do like he used to do, hes back sliding.

[Jane]

I wonder if he is a newbie to weed and not smart enought to says "it's mine. ITS MINE! " and get only a possession charge. Instead a inexperienced person may say " it's not for me it's for a friend" and bingo you just got a intent to deliver/manufacture which is a four year felony. Of course no one has sat that in small scale deliver/manufacture charges in... Well ever in mason co!

[XLFD]

Now that wouldn't surprise me if he did.  

[Jane]

Looks like according to a newspaper that he had multiple baggies already pre packaged. I guess that makes it hard to say "its my personal for my own use". Only way he might have a fighting chance if that is accurate is if he is a certified caregiver.

[Jane]

Another Thing I wonder is just how accurate the reporting and info given to the reporters really was as well. Considering what has been going on in this county lately it is hard to believe anything the judges, prosecutor, defense atty and anyone else involved have to say!

[XLFD]

Not a bad theory.  Steve Ruba is one of the few newscasters in the area that will, at least off the record, admit there is a problem in certain nooks and crannies of this county.  Perhaps he needed to be taken down a notch by those crooks and nannies that live in the nooks and crannies. 

[Wonder Woman]

While he may be a good guy and admit "off the record" that this county has problems, I haven't seen him attempt to use his power as a journalist to expose any of the corruption or problems going on.  He's just as bad as the rest of the local media.....afraid to dig dip into a story, afraid to upset the local news makers, etc.  He just reads the news that is given to him by the news makers instead of actually being a journalist. 

[XLFD]

You have a good line of thought going, Wonder Woman.  Sometimes it takes a bit of adversity with the system in order to change a person's level of commitment into trying to change the light bulb.  It is unclear at this point whether Steve Ruba has, or will be, as unfairly treated by the local system as others have who have been chronicled here at the Ludington Torch. 

Maybe this could be his personal turning point to vociferously join the peaceful resistance to tyranny and injustice, both of which are omnipresent throughout our area.

[AQUAMAN]

Thanks WW, good comment. It's clearly obvious that the local reporters here don't have much experience and enthusiasm for their jobs. Just the status-quo of doing as they are told, and resisting any investigatory work. GOSH, did I say WORK? Maybe that's the core of the problem, show up, pretend to be reporting, follow the status-quo of looking the other way, collect the weekly paycheck, then go to print. This way the apple cart never gets upset nor spilled, while the shenanigans of this community go unchecked and unreported, so everyone involved gets the go-ahead for even more unethical and illegal acts. Nice work if you can get it, and you can get all you want, if you apply at the LDN/MCP.