Pubdate: Thu, 23 Feb 2012
Source: New Times (San Luis Obispo, CA)
Copyright: 2012 New Times
Contact:  http://www.newtimesslo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1277
Author: Matt Fountain

AND THEN THERE WAS ONE

Prosecutors are now 11-0 in their yearlong effort to convict a dozen 
medical marijuana collective operators, after a San Luis Obispo 
Superior Court judge dismissed two more defendants.

None of the so-called Doobie Dozen has even made it to trial.

On Feb. 15-the date designated as Medical Marijuana Day, after 
Proposition 215, which legalized cannabis for medicinal use in 
California-Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Duffy dismissed charges 
against Shelly and Rianna Allred after prosecutors said they couldn't 
bring the cases before a jury.

The Allreds were arrested with 10 other county residents in the last 
days of 2010, following a two-month investigation into medical 
marijuana providers. The arrests were carried out under "Operation 
Green Sweep" by the now-defunct SLO County Narcotics Task Force.

Prosecutors are now one dismissal away from being swept-at least on 
the local level. The District Attorney's Office has pledged to take 
all 11 dismissals to the state appellate court in an attempt to force 
some clarity on state law. According to Chief Deputy District 
Attorney Jerret Gran, the office has filed required paperwork for its 
intent to appeal.

One lone defendant, Peter Miller of Paso Robles, is still scheduled 
to appear at a pretrial hearing in March.

Despite the dismissals, most former defendants have yet to convince a 
judge to return their property-seized bank accounts, personal 
computers, and cannabis-which could be held during the appeal process.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart