This week, the primary court in Taroudant handed down its first ruling involving alternative penalties in a misdemeanor case, replacing a four-month prison sentence with therapeutic and supervisory measures, according to media reports. The initial sentence included four months of imprisonment and a fine of 1,000 dirhams, in addition to 1,800 dirhams in other fines: 200 dirhams for failure to provide proof of insurance, 300 dirhams for failure to present ownership documents, 300 dirhams for not wearing a helmet, and 1,000 dirhams for operating a vehicle without registration plates. Under the court's ruling, the defendant must undergo four months of addiction treatment at a specialized center in Agadir and remain at his residence between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. during that period. He is also required to check in twice a week, every Monday and Friday at 3 p.m., at the Royal Gendarmerie office in his area of residence. The court specified that failure to comply with these obligations would result in enforcement of the original prison sentence. It also ordered the defendant to pay court costs at the minimum rate, mandated the destruction of the seized drugs, and ordered the return of the confiscated motorcycle to its owner.
