Drugs & Prohibition

POLICING FOR PROFIT: Feds try to take innocent elderly couple’s Mom-and-Pop motel

"Because their property was worth one million dollars and carried no mortgage, and because a handful of drug crimes had taken place on the property over 20 years (which represent less than .05 percent of the 125,000 rooms the Caswells rented over that period of time), the federal government is trying to take the Caswell's property through civil forfeiture, sell the land and keep the money. Under a process known as 'equitable sharing,' the federal government would keep 20 percent of what they net and the local police department would pocket 80 percent." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPOLICING FOR PROFIT: Feds try to take innocent elderly couple’s Mom-and-Pop motel

Court OKs warrantless use of hidden surveillance cameras

"U.S. District Judge William Griesbach ruled that it was reasonable for Drug Enforcement Administration agents to enter rural property without permission -- and without a warrant -- to install multiple 'covert digital surveillance cameras' in hopes of uncovering evidence that 30 to 40 marijuana plants were being grown. This is the latest case to highlight how advances in technology are causing the legal system to rethink how Americans' privacy rights are protected by law." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCourt OKs warrantless use of hidden surveillance cameras

Former North Chicago police chief accused of stealing seized drug money

"Former Chief Michael Newsome was accused of using the money to buy a new car and do home repairs on his kitchen, among other personal expenditures, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Steve Scheller said. Newsome, who left office in February amid a public uproar over alleged police brutality within the department, was charged with an ongoing theft of more than $140,000 from April of 2011 through March 31 of this year, Scheller said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer North Chicago police chief accused of stealing seized drug money

Police Shoot From Helicopter, Kill Two

"It is astonishing when police officers disregard the most serious rule governing their conduct–the use of deadly force. Even if the police were 100 percent certain the vehicle had a trunk full of marijuana and cocaine and that the vehicle was highly likely to elude capture by the police on the ground, that would not justify the use of deadly force. The story reminds me of one of the early scenes in the movie Black Hawk Down, where Delta snipers disable the engine of a vehicle from an Army helicopter in order to capture one of the occupants. This may be another example of military tactics spilling over to the civilian world of policing." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice Shoot From Helicopter, Kill Two

Georgia Man Holding Pepper Spray Killed in Drug Raid

"Sheriff's spokesman Cpl. Ashley Henson said before the shooting, officers knocked on the door of the residence in Hiram and announced who they were. They then entered the home -- although Henson didn't make clear how they did so -- and encountered Hammett in a darkened hallway. 'It was then that agents opened fire on Mr. Hammett, fatally striking him once,' Henson explained. 'It was later determined that Hammett had raised a canister of pepper spray toward the agents.' Cpl. Henson said evidence related to drug trafficking was later found in the home, but didn't specifiy exactly what had been found." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGeorgia Man Holding Pepper Spray Killed in Drug Raid

FDA probes deaths linked to Monster Energy drinks

"The family of US teen Anais Fournier, who died of an arrhythmia in December 2011, allegedly after drinking two cans of Monster Energy over a 24-hour period, brought suit Friday in California against Monster Beverage. A November 2011 report by the US Department of Health and Human Services found a tenfold spike in emergency room visits for issues linked to energy drinks between 2004 and 2009, totaling more than 16,000 visits in 2008, with sales of the beverages skyrocketing during that same period. Energy drinks contain stimulants like caffeine, guarana and ginseng as well as the relaxant taurine and other vitamins." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFDA probes deaths linked to Monster Energy drinks

NYPD paid marijuana arrestee to ‘bait’ Muslims and spy on mosques

"Shamiur Rahman told The Associated Press that he agreed to take on the role of informant in January because he believed that several misdemeanor arrests for marijuana would result in serious legal consequences. Over the course of the year, Rahman said he spied on mosques, Muslim businesses, and Muslim student groups. He took video and photos of worshippers, recorded license plate numbers and eavesdropped on imams. NYPD Assistant Chief Thomas Galati testified earlier this year that a program to infiltrate and monitor Muslim communities had not generated a single lead or terrorism investigation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNYPD paid marijuana arrestee to ‘bait’ Muslims and spy on mosques

Disabled veteran could change U.S. drug policy on medical marijuana

"Michael Krawitz, one of five plaintiffs involved in a legal case before the court of appeal for the District of Columbia Circuit, told the Guardian that the VA denied him pain treatment after they discovered he had been prescribed medical marijuana while abroad. He told the court in an affidavit that the withdrawal of care by the department, which has rated him 100% permanently disabled and thus eligible for all medical treatment under its auspices, has meant he now has to travel 130 miles from his home to see a doctor for pain relief." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDisabled veteran could change U.S. drug policy on medical marijuana

Texas Woman Jailed for Outing Narc on Facebook

"In a case that would appear to raise First Amendment questions, a Mesquite, Texas, woman has been arrested and charged with a felony after she allegedly posted a photograph of an undercover narcotics officer on Facebook and identified him as a narc. Melissa Walthall, 30, was charged with felony retaliation after Mesquite police deemed her post 'a viable threat to the officer's safety.' The photo was copied from the officer's own Facebook page." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTexas Woman Jailed for Outing Narc on Facebook

A Commissarina Rises: Wendy J. Olson’s Reign of Terror

"After being appointed to her current post by Barack Obama in 2010, Olson wasted no time in building a large network of undercover informants and devising remarkably novel ways to turn innocent people into criminals. While Olson’s efforts have done nothing to enhance the security of persons or property, they have been immensely lucrative for the coercive class. An October 4 press release from the Commissarina’s office boasted that her staff had collected $84 million in fines, assessments, and forfeiture proceeds over the past year – ten times its operating budget." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA Commissarina Rises: Wendy J. Olson’s Reign of Terror