Pubdate: Sat, 16 Mar 2002
Source: Centre Daily Times (PA)
Copyright: 2002 Nittany Printing and Publishing Co., Inc.
Contact:  http://www.centredaily.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/74
Author: Philip M. Masorti
Note: Philip Masorti is a State College lawyer and Pennsylvania Furnace 
resident.

MARIJUANA BUST ALSO SERVES AS A CAMPAIGN AD

Attorney General Mike Fisher was in Lock Haven on March 12 to announce the 
breakup of a $3 million marijuana ring. Sharing the dais with our attorney 
general were two very stern-looking state troopers and two unknown "suits." 
I felt safe and comfortable knowing these professional men were guarding 
intently what appeared to be 20 pounds of pot.

I was uncomfortable, however, with the photograph of one of the accused 
which appeared on a prefabricated courtroom-quality exhibit, a significant 
portion of which was included in the CDT photo. That exhibit, entitled 
"Marijuana Ring," shows a picture of one of the accused -- Mary Guthrie -- 
with a connecting broken line to a codefendant. Perhaps Guthrie believes 
that federal and state constitutions guarantee her a fair trial. It must be 
quite disconcerting for her to know that the chief law enforcement official 
in the state has placed her likeness on an exhibit for a press conference 
for political gain prior to her trial.

You, Ms. Guthrie, are being tried blatantly in the court of public opinion 
by a licensed, practicing lawyer-politician. Unfortunately, you get no 
opening statement, no cross-examination, no rebuttal and no closing 
statement until some distant time. Your picture is your thousand words.

Indeed, Fisher's photo on Page A1 of the CDT is about the same size as the 
Moyer Jeweler's ad on Page A3. I am guessing the invoices for these two ads 
are not the same. The net effect of Fisher's ad may be that Guthrie does 
not receive a fail trial because of this pre-trial publicity stunt and the 
concomitant pollution of her jury pool.

Equally important, inquiring minds may want to know why your alleged 
organization got so big, and why did the investigation need to last three 
years only to break -- fortuitously for our governor candidate -- in an 
election year? Inquiring minds may also ask why the three- year Ecstasy 
investigation that was so highly publicized in State College approximately 
six weeks ago similarly, and again -- fortuitously for our candidate -- 
broke this election year?

I was born and raised in Clinton County, and I now work and live in Centre 
County. I have roots in Lock Haven. I am, therefore, deeply offended by our 
attorney general's conduct relating to these investigations and his abuse 
of his office in orchestrating this latest press conference.

Furthermore, I am deeply offended that Fisher would make claims to "taking 
down a major marijuana trafficking organization right here in the heartland 
of Pennsylvania."

Perhaps Fisher was never in Lock Haven prior to his press conference. 
Anatomically, there is a clear distinction between "heartland" and 
"armpit." Understandably, one's vision is blurred during an election year.

Lock Haven has been in steady decline since the departure of Piper 
Aircraft. I understand the mill is closing and the chemical plant where my 
immigrant Italian grandfather worked is long gone. If there is a heartbeat 
in the heartland, I sure do not hear it.

Williamsport is similarly struggling with its unique circumstance of urban 
decay. Arteries to the heartland are Renovo, Jersey Shore, Mill Hall, 
Loganton, Avis and Beech Creek. Not exactly a portrait of good health. Of 
course, Penn State saves State College from being another timber 
mill-turned-rust town.

The "heartland" of Pennsylvania needs investment, education, health care, 
jobs, and state and federal funding to revitalize the economy. Our young 
people need opportunity and hope. We do not need some mischievous 
gubernatorial candidate and his sideshow circus disguised as the attorney 
general's office staging tawdry pep talks about drug enforcement. Hey, 
Mike, it's marijuana!

The last scene of this strange, eventful history will most likely be 
lengthy jail sentences for the criminally accused. So we will need more 
jails and more taxes and more jails and more taxes. It only makes sense if 
you're high.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Alex