Attorneys in Montana had to work out a plea agreement after potential jurors revolted in a pot case and made it clear that they would not convict someone for possessing a tiny amount of marijuana, The Missoulian newspaper reports.

As the jury pool was being polled in Missoula last week, most of the 27 potential panelists, one after the other, said they would not convict for possession of a 16th of an ounce of pot.

One juror even wondered why the county was wasting time and money prosecuting the case at all, the newspaper reports, quoting Deputy Missoula County Attorney Andrew Paul.

"I thought, 'Geez, I don't know if we can seat a jury,'" District Judge Dusty Deschamps, who called a recess, said after polling the potential jurors.

Deputy Missoula County Attorney Andrew Paul called the jury's action "a mutiny" and the defense attorney described it as "bizarre," The Missoulian reports.

The revolt erupted even though the defendant, Touray Cornell, also faced a felony charge of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs.

"Public opinion, as revealed by the reaction of a substantial portion of the members of the jury called to try the charges on Dec. 16, 2010, is not supportive of the state's marijuana law and appeared to prevent any conviction from being obtained simply because an unbiased jury did not appear available under any circumstances," according to the plea memorandum filed by his attorney.

In the end, the defendant entered an "Alford plea," in which he did not admit guilt, but was sentenced to 20 years in prison with 19 suspended, the paper reports.

(Posted by Doug Stanglin)