Yearly Archives: 2013

Irish county officials vote to allow some citizens to drink and drive

"County officials in southwest Ireland have voted to loosen drunk driving restrictions for certain older, rural constituents. The BBC reported that county councilors in Kerry County, Ireland have backed legislation that would allow police to issue citations exempting certain drivers from normal restrictions on driving under the influence. Councillor Danny Healy-Rae, the motion’s sponsor, said the law is intended to apply to 'older people' who 'are being isolated now at home, and a lot of them falling into depression.'" Continue reading →

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UN human rights chief slams failure to shut Guantanamo

"Washington is breaking international law by holding detainees indefinitely at Guantanamo and must honour a pledge to shut the controversial jail, the UN’s human rights chief said. 'The continuing indefinite incarceration of many of the detainees amounts to arbitrary detention and is in clear breach of international law. It severely undermines the United States’ stance that it is an upholder of human rights… When other countries breach these standards, the US — quite rightly — strongly criticises them for it.' The jail, in a US Navy base in Cuba, was opened in 2002 to hold prisoners taken in the 'War on Terror' waged by George W. Bush after the 9/11 attacks." Continue reading →

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Why Is the U.S. Funding International Drug Rehabs Known for Torture and Abuse?

"Children are not exempt from indefinite detainment in these camps. UNICEF-sponsored investigations in Laos found 150 detainees under 18 in 2003, and more than 600 children in 2006. Despite calls from human rights organizations, the United States has continued to pump money into the Somsanga Rehabilitation Center. In March of last year, 12 United Nations agencies, including the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Health Organization, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and UNAIDS, issued a joint statement calling for the closure of drug-user detention centers where they identified grave human rights violations." Continue reading →

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The Crime of “Vice Enforcement”

"On March 22, Officer Ronald DePellegrin of Homestead, Pennsylvania allowed a prostitute to undress him and begin to perform a sexual act before he informed her that he was an undercover vice officer. DePellegrin had contacted the prostitute through an online advertisement. The two agreed to meet at a house to conduct the transaction. Before they began, DePellegrin assured her that he was not a cop. All of these details were included in DePellegrin’s official report. The woman’s attorney points out that 'the police in this particular instance are engaging in the exact type of criminal activity that they’re saying that they’re trying to protect the community from.'" Continue reading →

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American drivers still talk, text as much as ever despite laws against it

"Americans are using cellphones and other gadgets behind the wheel as much as ever, despite widespread awareness of the risks involved, a federal government agency said Friday. Citing a 2011 survey, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said 660,000 Americans are talking or texting while driving at any given moment, a number unchanged from the previous year. Thirty-nine of the 50 states now ban text messaging behind the wheel, and 10 states forbid heldheld cellphone use — although observers say those bans are frequently ignored." Continue reading →

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San Diego mayor OK with a certain company’s marijuana vending machines

"The San Diego mayor’s office accepts the use of some marijuana vending machines, according to a major manufacturer of the drug-dispensing devices. Though the company’s automated dispensing machine resembles typical vending machines, it differs in key ways. The touch-screen Canna MedBox can only be accessed via a special pre-paid card and fingerprint scan. The machine is also armored to prevent thefts and keeps a record of every transaction." Continue reading →

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Massachusetts Attorney General: Pot shops allowed statewide

"Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley ruled Wednesday that medical marijuana dispensaries must be allowed statewide and individual municipalities cannot legally block them. The ruling (PDF) was issued by Coakley’s Municipal Law Unit in response to a 2012 bylaw passed by officials in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Two other nearby towns also passed a similar ordinance. It says that the legalization of medical marijuana, enshrined in state law, 'cannot be served if a municipality were to prohibit treatment centers within its borders, for if one municipality were allowed to do so, all could do so, making reasonable access impossible.'" Continue reading →

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Fifteen Benefits of the War on Drugs

"With American drug use levels essentially the same as — and levels of drug-related violence either the same as or lower than — those in countries like the Netherlands with liberal drug laws, public support for the War on Drugs appears to be faltering. This was most recently evidenced in the victory of major drug decriminalization initiatives in Colorado and Washington. Some misguided commentators go so far as to say the Drug War is 'a failure.' Here, to set the record straight, are fifteen ways in which it is a resounding success." Continue reading →

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US Supreme Court Expands Use of Drug Dogs During Traffic Stops

"America's highest court on Tuesday made it easier for police to use drug dogs to perform warrantless searches during traffic stops. Harris was not actually carrying any drugs that Aldo was trained to detect. Instead, he had several ingredients for methamphetamine: pseudoephedrine pills, matches, hydrochloric acid, antifreeze and iodine crystals. At trial, Harris argued the sniffs were bogus because the dog twice alerted on a truck containing no drugs. He pointed out Aldo was certified as a trained drug dog, but the certification had expired. Prosecutors countered it was 'residual odor' that triggered the alert." Continue reading →

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Massachusetts inspector general finds sloppy drug handling throughout closed state lab

"State investigators have found at least a half-dozen drug samples scattered about the state lab in Jamaica Plain, documents show, raising questions about the integrity of all testing where indicted state chemist Annie Dookhan worked. Investigators found a plastic bag containing 'a white rock substance' and test tubes 'containing unknown substances' in one supervisor’s ­office. They found pills taped to a lab bench cabinet and old samples, including marijuana submitted in 1996. The findings, in a confidential report by the attorney ­general, add fuel to defense lawyers’ arguments that virtually all drug tests done there since 2003 are suspect." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMassachusetts inspector general finds sloppy drug handling throughout closed state lab