Drug WarRant

“bullet” Last One Speaks has:

• The story of a victory in the fight against the Rockefeller Drug Laws. Reformer David Soares won the primary for Albany’s district attorney overwhelmingly in a race that appeared to be in large part a referendum on the Rockefeller laws.
• More good medical news as some additional cancer fighting properties of THC are discovered.

“bullet” Baylen’s got a bunch of stuff over at D’Alliance, including:

• Einstein’s Relativity Theory Applied to Drug Profits is an odd piece dealing with the strange behavior of the Colombian peso.
• Feds Seek to Seize Home, Land of Med-Pot Grower
  

  Not satisfied with his 500 marijuana plants and $105,000 in cash, the federal government is looking to seize the home of a California medical marijuana grower and the building in which he does business. Richard Marino doesn’t actually own the building, and he has yet to be charged with any crime.

  His dispensary, Capitol Compassionate Care, served about 1,000 patients near Sacramento before the raid. He points out that he was operating with a license from the city of Roseville and in compliance with California state law.

• Link (pdf) to the Drug Czar’s largely incoherent reply in the new edition of National Review and Ethan Nadelmann’s reply. I hope to comment more on this soon. Jacob Sullom already has at Hit and Run.

George Soros has lodged a formal complaint against Speaker Dennis Hastert before the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. (This is for Hastert’s ridiculous innuendo on national television that Soros received funding from drug cartels.)
Josh Marshall has the full text of the letter. Here’s an excerpt:

Such conduct brings discredit on the House. It is inconsistent with basic notions of fair play and open debate that are the basis of our Constitutional system, and it is all too reminiscent of the McCarthyite tactics that were used to such scurrilous effect to stifle dissent during one of the darkest periods of recent United States history.

Members of both political parties have recently decried “the politics of personal destruction.” It is time for the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to formally declare that smear tactics and innuendo are discrediting our political process and the House of Representatives as an institution by taking appropriate action to investigate and censure Representative Hastert for these outrageous remarks.

I’m glad to see this happening, although of course I don’t hold much hope for anything coming of it, since the ethics committee appears right now to be corrupt.

This one was a bit depressing. The Senate race is easy: Sowell is the clear choice over Shelby. I’ve mentioned this race before.
The House races were tougher. Every single House incumbent from Alabama, regardless of party, voted against the Hinchey amendment in both of the last two years, meaning that they voted in favor of continuing the practice of the federal government harrassing sick people for following state law in states where medical marijuana is legal. Not only is this intolerant, but it goes against states rights.
Some of the low points include:

• Gerry Wallace, running in the 5th, who says “The ‘War on Drugs’ should be intensified and Treated as a war to be won!”
• Judy Belk in the 1st who says that she will “declare a war on drugs and believesæthat all means should be used to fight this war head-on” [Ah, the problem is we just haven’t “declared” it yet]
• Steve Cameron in the 7th — a real nut case who also believes in declaring war on liquor and tobacco and making them illegal

Good luck to those of you in Alabama. I’ve tried to give a couple of suggestions.
Update: If you’re upset about the situation in Alabama, give Loretta and the folks at Alabama Marijuana Party a hand.
More voting guides to come. (So far, Alabama, California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Montana, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington are available.)

I have often railed against the notion of drug task forces on this blog. These entities (often combining local, state and federal officers) are dangerous to peaceful American citizens and have structures that often lead to corruption and lack of local oversight. They use military tactics domestically, causing more damage (and sometimes loss of life) than the drugs they are pursuing.
Now it appears that some in Texas are getting the message

Could the era of Texas’ notorious regional narcotics task forces be ending? Possibly.æ A number of city officials across the state have reflected on the expensive lesson learned by the City of Amarillo-which earlier this year paid a $5 million settlement to victims of the much-discredited Tulia drug sting-and have pulled out of their local task forces in order to avoid the negative publicity, scandalous headlines, and hefty civil suits that seem to plague these law enforcement entities.

On August 31, the North Central Texas Narcotics Task Force, which covered Denton and Grayson Counties, ceased operations thanks to a July decision by Denton County Sheriff Weldon Lucas to disband the 15-year-old agency.æ As part of the move, the task force is returning what remains of its $418,738 Byrne grant to Gov.æ Rick Perry’s office, which administers Byrne funds.æ August 31 also marked the end of the South Plains Regional Narcotics Task Force, which has conducted narcotics investigations and stings in Lubbock and 17 outlying counties for more than 15 years.æ In mid-August, the Lubbock Police Department pulled out of South Plains and forfeited its role as administrator of the task force’s $655,650 Byrne grant.

In explaining their decision to withdraw, Lubbock police department officials cited rising insurance premiums and fees, the need for officers to focus on city drug cases, and an excessive expenditure of officers’ time and travel to cover such a vast area.æ However, increased liability risks were also a major factor.æ Lubbock lies just south of the area once served by the Panhandle Regional Narcotics Trafficking Task Force, which employed Tom Coleman-the officer primarily responsible for the botched up Tulia sting.æ As the Panhandle task force’s grant administrator, Amarillo became financially liable for Coleman’s actions, even though the sheriff’s department of neighboring Swisher County hired him.æ The Panhandle task force disbanded this spring.

Moving southward, the City of Laredo has pulled out of the Laredo Multi-Agency Narcotics Task Force, also forfeiting its role as grant administrator and reducing the task force by half.æ

Congratulations are due to the ACLU of Texas, who prepared the 2002 report Too Far Off Task, which helped bring to light many of the corrupt tactics of Texas’ Regional Narcotics Task Forces.

The report cites 24 recent major Texas narcotics scandals since 1998, 15 of them at RNTFs and two more at the state oversight office, where undercover drug officers were found to have engaged in activities ranging from stealing, dealing or transporting drugs, lying under oath, falsifying government documents or even setting up innocent people.

By abolishing the RNTFs, Texas could save $199 million in state and local funds in the next two-year budget cycle, the report estimates. Next biennium savings would surge to $372 million — more than $15 million per month.

If your area has a drug task force, or is considering starting one, let me know, and I’ll help you gather material to demonstrate to your community the dangers of these groups.

Just a reminder that there is a Guest Rants section in this blog.
“bullet” The newest addition is The American Inquisition by Ian MacLeod. Ian has been a chronic pain patient as well as having medical training and background, so he really understands what he’s talking about when he discusses the inquisition against pain patients in this country. Definitely worth reading.
“bullet” And if you missed it earlier, check out Serial CatOwner’s rant on the importance of the 2004 election.

In tomorrow’s New York Times: Long Term in Drug Case Fuels Debate on Sentencing

Weldon H. Angelos, a 25-year-old producer of rap records, will be sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Salt Lake City for selling several hundred dollars in marijuana on each of three occasions, his first offenses. He faces 63 years in prison.

Laws that set mandatory minimum sentences require 55 of the 63 years because Mr. Angelos carried a gun while he sold the drugs [although he did not show or use it].

“It would appear effectively to be a life sentence,” the judge, Paul G. Cassell of Federal District Court there, wrote in a request to the prosecution and the defense for advice about whether he has any choice but to send the man to prison forever.

Judge Cassell noted what the maximum sentences were for other federal crimes:

• Hijacking an airplane: 25 years.
• Terrorist bombing intending to kill a bystander: 20 years.
• Second-degree murder: 14 years.
• Kidnapping: 13 years.
• Rape of a 10-year-old: 11 years.

…

The Justice Department supports mandatory minimums, said Monica Goodling, a spokeswoman.

“Tough but fair mandatory minimum sentences take habitual lawbreakers off the streets, lock up the most dangerous criminals and help ensure the safety of law-abiding Americans,” Ms. Goodling said.

Right.
The Justice Department needs to look up the word “justice,” or perhaps read some Shakespeare.

The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath; it is twice bless’d;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown …
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest god’s
When mercy seasons justice…
consider this,
That in the course of justice none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy,
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy.

– Shakespeare

Mandatory minimums for drug crimes are not equitable, not merciful, not compassionate, not fair, not just, and not smart.

This was a sick, disgusting, and offensive exhibit when the DEA opened it last September in Dallas.

“We worked closely with the New York Police Department and the Port Authority to go to Ground Zero and the Fresh Kills landfill for artifacts,” Mr. Fearns said. “That’s where the exhibit starts, with this reconstruction of elements from New York and the Pentagon and photos from Pennsylvania.”

That’s right. Children’s toys and twisted I-beams. Death and destruction to glorify the DEA.

Read the rest of my original post from last year.
Now, the exhibit opened today at 1 Times Square in New York City. Today. Sick.
A reminder:

While Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida minions were diligently preparing for their murderous mission, the FBI was looking the other way with equal determination. More than twice as many FBI agents were assigned to fighting drugs (2,500) than fighting terrorism (1,151). And a far greater amount of the FBI’s financial resources was dedicated to the war on drugs….

In Phoenix, where the now infamous Ken Williams memo originated, counterterrorism agents complained bitterly about their efforts being given “the lowest investigative priority” by a supervisor who preferred glamorous drug-fighting investigations.

And yes, the DEA was part of the problem. A federal police force aimed at its own citizens instead of focusing resources at protecting the nation.
For them to open Target America: Drug Traffickers, Terrorists and You in Times Square on September 10th is reprehensible.

“bullet” Nikkie at ViceSquad has a couple of posts to check out: Substitution Effect about the latest statistical nonsense from the Department of Health and Human Services, and Let’s Ban Driver’s Licenses about new “study” that shows that driver’s licenses lead to drugs.
“bullet” TalkLeft mentions a study that shows marijuana may be helpful for MS sufferers:

“In the short term-study there was some evidence of cannabinoids alleviating symptoms of multiple sclerosis; in the longer term there is a suggestion of a more useful beneficial effect, which was not clear at the initial stage,” he said.

Jerralyn also has the story of an Oklahoma drug addict who has been charged with first degree murder for giving birth to a stillborn infant. Doctors told police the baby had enough methamphetamine in his system to kill two adults, which begs the question… How much does it take to kill two adults and why didn’t it kill the mother?
“bullet” Baylen at D’Alliance shows that neither the Democratic or Republican platforms show even the glimmer of a clue regarding the drug war. He also give us a preview teaser of the Drug Czar’s appearance in National Review.

I enjoyed speaking at the festival today. Great day for it, and it was nice to see/hear some other speakers talking about civil liberties and drug war-related areas.
If you’re a new visitor, please take a moment to say Hi in the comments section (if they’re working, which is about 75% of the time).

“bullet” You may remember back in July that the Justice Department was trying to get libraries to destroy a series of documents related to asset forfeiture. Seems the Justice Department didn’t want people to know their legal rights. Well, that move backfired and the order has been rescinded.
Now FEAR (Forfeiture Endangers American Rights is working on putting those documents online! This could be very useful for those targeted by forfeiture proceedings and their attorneys.
“bullet” I can’t wait. The National Review is giving Drug Lord Czar John Walters the opportunity to respond to last month’s article by Ethan Nadelmann (full footnoted pdf version) and he accepted. And the National Review is giving Nadelmann rebuttal time as well. All will be posted here at Drug Policy Alliance. Closest thing we’ve had to Walters in a debate. This should be good. Or ugly. Or something.