Pubdate: 09 October 1998
Source: Mendocino County Observer (CA)
Contact: FAX: (707) 984-8118
Author: Jim Shields

THE JUDGE AND SANCTIMONIOUS PIPSQUEAKS

Last week I told you that it's now for certain that the War on Pot is
absolutely insane.

Once we start locking up senior citizens for allegedly growing the stuff,
we've gone off the deep end. Equally nuts -- not to mention hypocritical --
is the reaction of the county's tongue-cluckers who are expressing ethical
outrage over Judge Orr's attemt to have Mrs. Ochoa released from jail with
no bail. Granted, Orr bent a rule, but judges all across this great nation
of ours -- including our neck of the woods -- routinely do favors for the
rich and powerful and seldom, if ever, suffer any consequences. I happen to
hold public officials to a higher standard than the toiling masses, but
common sense is common sense.

Orr tried to help out an old lady who has lots of problems relating to her
health, the death of her husband, and other sorts of things which are
personally nobody's business.

The one problem she has never had is funning afoul of the law, until now.
Sanctimonious pipsqueaks are now howling for Orr's head because he attempted
to get a down-and-out old lady out of jail on no bail pending her
arraignment. Orr should be commended for demonstrating that a judge can
exercise common sense as well as common law.

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Checked-by: Rolf Ernst