Attorney General John Ashcroft is becoming a prolific writer of memos to the 94 U.S. attorneys. His latest instructs them to pursue the toughest possible charges and seek the severest sentences possible. And he also ordered them to limit the use of plea bargains. The goal, he said, was to bring uniformity and consistency to federal criminal prosecutions. By itself, the order is not unreasonable. It reflects the Bush administration's stand on law enforcement, and it returns to a similar order the department issued in 1989 during the administration of Bush senior. The order was relaxed during the Clinton administration. And Ashcroft's order has reasonable exceptions on plea bargaining, for example, to reward cooperation and clear overcrowded dockets. [continues 289 words]
Law Enforcement Efforts Paying Off Crime rates in America, which for demographic, economic and other reasons were supposed to either level off or bounce back up in 2002, have surprised the sociologists making the predictions. The fact is they are down again, according to an Associated Press account of a Justice Department report. They haven't been this low since the keeping of national records on property and violent crimes began in 1973, and here is the further news that ought to bring cheer: The decline over the past 10 years has been 50 percent. [continues 262 words]
Drug abusers belong in jail. They're the dregs of society and there's no better place for them. That attitude is one I shared for a long time. As I've gotten older and wiser, I've suspected that's not really the case. A workshop I just attended in mid-June in Bal Harbor, Fla., backs up that suspicion with tons of scientific data. Research studies carried on throughout the country at many colleges, universities and medical schools all show that addiction to various drugs is a disease. The "social drinker" is generally not a problem, but the chronic - long-term - drinker is a problem. [continues 972 words]
State Sen. William R. Haine, D-Alton, said Monday that he would propose legislation this week to double prison sentences and fines for methamphetamine manufacturers whose operations endanger children. Flanked by Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Madison County Sheriff Robert Hertz at the Madison County Sheriff's Department, Haine said such meth producers are guilty not only of making drugs but also of ignoring the damage to a child's health caused by the chemicals involved in the process. "It's greed run amok, and greed that preempts any concern for children," said Haine, who served as the county's state's attorney until November. [continues 280 words]
I appreciate letter writer David Wolf's concern for Air Force pilots being given amphetamines to bolster them while on some flights ("Speeding pilots," Monday). Perhaps, though, he needs a history lesson concerning the use of these so-called "pep pills." This type of amphetamine was used as a stimulant, with some 72 million tablets handed out to both Allied and Axis armies by the end of World War II. Pilots and soldiers alike used them to stay awake during days of continuous combat or flying with little or no sleep. I know the practice continued during the Vietnam War, so it doesn't surprise me to hear it is still going on. However, it certainly doesn't mean we have an Army or Air Force of junkies. Howard Phil Howard Jr. Live Oak [end]
Three appeal court judges today upheld the Daily Mirror's challenge to a High Court ruling in favour of supermodel Naomi Campbell's breach of confidentiality claim. The newspaper had contested the AUKP3,500 damages award and the decision that it must pay Miss Campbell's legal costs. The Master of the Rolls, Lord Phillips, giving the judgment at the Court of Appeal, said the February 2001 report about the model's drug addiction was justified in the public interest. The Streatham "born beauty had claimed that she felt "shocked, angry, betrayed and violated" by the article which included a photograph of her leaving a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in the King's Road, Chelsea. [continues 270 words]
Your report (Ecstasy not dangerous, say scientists, September 2) highlights the current quagmire of drugs policy and the urgent need for the government to provide us with some clarity. This is the second high-profile study within a matter of months to suggest that much of the current evidence around ecstasy is unreliable, selective and riddled by bias. The danger of overstating the risks is obvious. As soon as a government message appears to be out of touch with reality, young people will not only disregard the information given on ecstasy but will also ignore our warnings on drugs like heroin and crack cocaine. [continues 153 words]
Roger Howard, director of DrugScope, the UKs leading centre of expertise on drugs, answers your questions What is DrugScope's position on the Government's cannabis policy? Is it really sending "mixed messages", as some people believe? Catherine Wilby, Dorchester DrugScope welcomes the reclassification of cannabis and feels that government, far from giving out mixed messages, is in many ways beginning to give a clearer message than before. That cannabis can be potentially harmful nobody doubts. However, the issue is whether cannabis is really as harmful as other Class B drugs such as amphetamines, or indeed, harmful enough to justify a classification only one grade below the most harmful drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine. [continues 1625 words]
Marijuana: Anti-drug resources needed elsewhere "What smooth pot, James!" "Yes sir. And it's available only in Britain." "Only in Britain? Pity!" Those old enough to remember the old Red Rose Tea commercials (with which we have some fun above), may have the most mixed feelings about Britain's move to essentially decriminalize marijuana possession. It puts a question to more than a few Canadian parents who smoked pot in their day (some of whom even inhaled): Do they want to see marijuana more available to their children? [continues 383 words]
Criminals who ply their trades in the Alton neighborhoods of Hunterstown, Mexico and Middleton got a message Tuesday from authorities: This is not a place where you want to do business. On Tuesday, federal and state prosecutors and local law enforcement officials announced 39 indictments issued last week by a Madison County grand jury, most of them for drug dealing and illegal weapons possession. Last month, a federal grand jury issued two indictments for similar offenses in the same neighborhoods, which were designated a Weed and Seed site last year by the U.S. Justice Department. The federal program encourages residents and officials to work together to revitalize crumbling neighborhoods. [continues 373 words]
Bunker Hill Police Chief Jesse Cunningham nurtured his crop for a month. He watered the tiny plants every 36 hours. He kept the light on in his office day and night. He even set the plants near a window so that curious passers-by could take a look. On Thursday, Cunningham delivered his harvest to the Illinois State Police crime laboratory. He expects the results to confirm what he already suspects: He has been growing marijuana. "The (Macoupin County) state's attorney said to me, 'I've never heard of a police chief growing his own evidence,' " Cunningham said Thursday with a chuckle. [continues 312 words]
Street thefts: Statistics discouraging Hamilton Police Chief Ken Robertson declared his department's war on drugs three years ago, saying in February 1999 that use of crack cocaine was driving a surge in violent muggings in the city. Two months later, police said 22 crack houses had been shut down and almost $30,000 worth of drugs (not all of it crack) seized. A year ago, the chief said there was a new surge of muggings and purse snatchings (numbers of both were up in 2000); said police would again crack down on violent street crimes; and insisted that, despite increased robbery figures, he was not losing the battle against crack cocaine. [continues 420 words]
Shafer Teaches Students Life Skills Jeff Shafer never had to worry about drugs. Luckily, Shafer knew through his upbringing drugs were not something to get involved with. Now that he has two small children, Shafer knows times are changing and it takes a little more than parents to subdue the power of peer pressure. "I'm always afraid of what my kids will and will not do," Shafer said. Shafer took it upon himself to be that extra reinforcement in the lives of children. He went through an 80-hour course to become the Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE) officer in Grain Valley. [continues 822 words]
NEW YORK -- Last Monday, the FBI warned that "a planned attack may occur in the United States or against U.S. interests on or around Feb. 12," thanks to 12 terrorists led by Fawaz Yahya al-Rabeei, a Saudi-born Yemeni. Suspecting this, federal officials should have deployed as many agents as possible to protect high-profile targets such as San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge or the pyramidal Transamerica Tower. Think again. Washington instead chose Feb. 12 to unleash gun-toting Drug Enforcement Agency officers against AIDS and cancer patients. These federal agents raided a suspected cannabis cultivation center in Petaluma, Calif., and medical marijuana dispensaries in San Francisco and Oakland. [continues 443 words]
The Madison County court system will soon have a new way to treat young people with serious drug problems: a juvenile drug court modeled after the county's adult drug-treatment program. Madison County's juvenile drug court will be the first of its kind in the Metro East area. Several other Illinois counties already have such programs, including Peoria and Cook counties. Madison County hopes to start its program by late this month or early next month, said Darrell McGibany, the director of the county's probation department. The program will serve up to 30 youths between the ages of 12 and 17. [continues 210 words]
* Police in Pontoon Beach stopped the man on a traffic violation Jan. 15. He left before police searched his RV and found about 700 pounds of marijuana. A Chicago man who rode off in a taxi before Pontoon Beach police could find nearly 700 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle was arrested Thursday night in Oklahoma City, authorities said Friday. This time, the man had $183,000 on him. John Wyatt, 40, was arrested by Oklahoma City police about 9:30 p.m. Thursday after an officer stopped the vehicle he was in for speeding. Wyatt was being held in Oklahoma City on Friday, pending extradition to Illinois. [continues 163 words]
Ronald Schweppe says in a suit that the Collinsville Police Department took $13,290 from him without cause in a routine traffic stop last month. The department says it has the money, but it won't talk about why Schweppe can't have it back. Madison County Associate Judge Ralph Mendelsohn granted Schweppe, of Collinsville, a temporary restraining order Friday, instructing the department that Schweppe's money cannot be "transferred or encumbered in any way" before a hearing set for Tuesday. [continues 147 words]
Principal Asks For Sting To Gauge Drug Traffic; Gun Discovered In Car MONROE -- A sheriff's deputy posing as a high school student busted five Forest Hills High School students Wednesday on drug charges and charged one with having a gun at school, Union County Sheriff Frank McGuirt said. At the request of Forest Hills Principal Archie Price, a 21-year-old female deputy posed as a student, taking classes, attending school activities and setting up bogus drug deals. Price said he wanted to see if the school had a drug problem -- and stop it if it did. He did the same thing last year as principal at Piedmont High School. [continues 163 words]
We would be hard-pressed to disagree with those who would condemn the idea of establishing supervised safe injection rooms, where drug addicts could shoot up their own cocaine or heroin with sterile needles and clean water. The idea is raised in the current issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, in which an editorial calls for safe injection facilities. That editorial accompanies two research reports and a commentary that illustrate the horrific impact of injection drug use in Vancouver. Those studies show that users still commonly share needles, clog hospitals and suffer an appalling rate of fatal overdoses. Injection facilities would reduce sharing of needles, the authors say, and thereby slow the terrible rates of HIV and Hepatitis C infection. As well, supervised facilities would reduce deaths by overdose. [continues 400 words]
WASHINGTON -- After a two-decade decline in drug abuse, the U.S. military now is confronting a surge in GI use of the club drug Ecstasy, the nation's fastest-growing illegal intoxicant. While only a tiny portion of the 1.4-million-person active-duty force is believed to have used the amphetamine-related substance, a series of recent arrests has focused the Pentagon's attention on the matter. Among the Ecstasy cases surfacing in the armed services in recent months: [continues 371 words]
Re: U.S. versus them, July 29. Serious kudos to Susan Taylor Martin and the Times for finally pointing out what has been known to many for years: the brutal U.S. drug war is a horrible social failure and serves only to alienate us from our allies. Thank you for striking a blow against the culture of incarceration. It is ironic that in America, the land of open debate, there can be no discussion of drug policy change. It's time to stop the rhetoric and give common sense a try. Marijuana possession should be decriminalized. Every sensible nation on earth thinks so. [continues 895 words]
The United States has more prisoners than any other Western nation, about 2 million. Of North American and Eurasian countries, only former Soviet republics have greater prison populations. Are Americans more prone to criminal behavior than, say, Turks, Irish, Italians or Germans? We have twice as many prisoners per capita than all of them combined. Of course not. Crime levels here resemble those in western Europe. The difference is the attitude taken toward crime in this nation. Rhetorically, it sounds good to say we're tough on crime. Unless we personally know someone who is or has been incarcerated, most of us probably don't worry much about prisoners, because they deserve to be punished. The negative effects of our prison systems and crime policies, however, are hurting innocent people and extending beyond rightful punishment. Recent dissatisfaction with flaws in the prison system, however, are likely more about economics than humanitarianism. [continues 608 words]
Chatham County, N.C., sheriff's deputies seized 5,000 pounds of marijuana in an undercover sting last year, stacked it high, called the media and showed it off. But now the marijuana is missing, the alleged dealers have vanished, the FBI is investigating and the department can't explain what happened. The big drug bust has turned into a big embarrassment. "It's the sort of situation where it's hard to know whether to laugh or cry," commissioners' chairman Gary Phillips said. "It's really absurd as far as it goes." [continues 505 words]
Speculation is rife over possible replacements for Vice President Dick Cheney should he be forced to retire because of persistent heart problems. The leading candidate in GOP circles is the man who reportedly was President Bush's first choice for the job - Secretary of State Colin Powell, who bowed to his wife's wishes and demurred. But there's a difference, some note, between campaigning for the job and having it handed to you. Also mentioned is Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, originally passed over because of his position in favor of abortion rights, and former Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash. [continues 959 words]
Critics ask: How low can he go? During his eight years in office, President Clinton pardoned about 400 people, on a par with the number President Reagan pardoned during his two terms, but consider: 140 of those, over a third of the total, were pardoned during Clinton's last night in the White House. He was up all night -- and kept the Justice Department up all night - -- doing so. It is impossible to escape the conclusion that the pardons -- and 36 commutations -- were done as Clinton headed out the White House door to avoid the political consequences. [continues 386 words]
It's an absolutely ridiculous waste of taxpayers' money. And it's unfortunate the police are wasting their time when there are much bigger issues out there. Sean Howard, Squamish Cited: The Vancouver Island Compassion Society http://www.thevics.com/ Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1743/a08.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1801/a11.html [end]
Re: State wants Strawberry in Prison, Nov. 3. Once again, the state wants to incarcerate some pitiful drug addict. What were Darryl Strawberry's property and/or violent crimes that 'make him an unreforrnable criminal and leave the state with prison as the only option? Kudos to the administration official who made the difficult decision to waste my tax dollars, as well as space in prison, on a guy who has a health problem. I have a stunning idea! How about putting more burglars and rapists in jail and sending rich celebrity drug addicts to a facility they can pay for themselves? The Florida state prison system is not in the drug rehab business, so how will prison help any drug addict, much less Darryl Strawberry? Chris Howard, St. Petersburg [end]
U.S. Senate contenders Dianne Feinstein and Tom Campbell clashed sharply Friday on drugs, economics and immigration as raucous Green Party protesters rushed the television station where they debated and demanded their candidate be allowed to participate. There were no injuries. After the hour-long debate, Feinstein left the building through a rear entrance to avoid some 100 protesters who remained jammed in the building's lobby. Supporters of Green Party candidate Medea Benjamin began their protest on the sidewalk in front of KRON-TV, then pushed into the station's lobby. [continues 396 words]
Drug is found everywhere, from cafe‚s to the Internet In a spacious, seaside home on the Sunshine Coast, a group of marijuana growers and smokers have gathered to sample and judge B.C.'s best. It's a biannual ritual hosted by Mr. Pot Millionaire, Marc Emery, who has long been the bane of the law on the west coast for his outspoken promotion of legalization. Mr. Emery, 42, was the former owner of the Cannabis Cafe‚ in Vancouver until it was shut down by the city in 1998. After enduring lengthy legal battles with city officials and police, he sold his business and moved away from the city. [continues 1707 words]
It's curious how, in any discussion about giving police and the courts more powers to combat crime, it's always proposed as a way to protect public safety. That's certainly the case in the current debate over what powers police may need to deal with the threat, real or perceived, from the criminal biker gangs. But it is the constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and association and of protection against arbitrary invasions of privacy or search and seizure that are the most fundamental protections for the citizens who collectively are the public. [continues 433 words]
Old-timers, dopegrowers: Both want island preserved, but in ways that can conflict LASQUETI ISLAND, B.C. - When Pat Forbes first arrived on Lasqueti Island in 1948, she taught in a one-room schoolhouse, hauled water from the creek to her house and shared one phone line with everyone on the island. Lasqueti is the most undeveloped of the inhabited Gulf Islands off the coast of British Columbia, and little has changed in 50 years. Nearly everyone has a phone line now, but there is not a single paved road, no hydroelectricity and little, if any, tourism. [continues 838 words]
Crackdown: Any action must stand up in court There's nothing we'd like more than to see organized crime in this country -- and that includes the weakened remnants of the Mafia, the motorcycle gangs, Asian and Jamaican extortion-and-drug rackets and fraudulent telemarketing scams -- take a financial kick in the teeth. It's difficult to take to heart the adage that crime doesn't pay when bikers drive $80,000 Lincoln Navigators, lowlife hoods sport luxurious jewelry and mansions, and vast amounts of cash flow through the drug trade like a river. [continues 522 words]
I just finished reading Mike Doogan's July 4 opinion column ("Hemp initiative would clear up current muddle on marijuana") and I must say that he has expressed something that I have been saying for a long time. The people who are out to get "pot smokers" need to get off of their high horse and look at the big picture. I would much rather have somebody driving on the same road with me at midnight who had just finished smoking a joint instead of drinking a bottle of tequila, for obvious reasons. I would also much rather have someone at home smoking a joint instead of sitting next to me in a public place blowing cigarette smoke wherever they please so I can breath it into my lungs. [continues 110 words]
WASHINGTON - The White House said Wednesday that its drug office has been ordered to stop secretly collecting information on people who visit its anti-drug Internet sites. "We will take steps necessary to halt these practices now," the White House said in a statement released through the press office. The statement said that contractors working with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy also have been directed to destroy all information collected clandestinely from visitors to the anti-drug sites [continues 258 words]
Whether an adult takes a substance that he thinks might improve his health, or he takes a substance for the purpose of ending his life, or he takes a substance for a religious purpose, or simply to achieve what he considers to be a mind-altering effect, the taking of the substance is an expression of a person's freedom. Free people have a right to control their bodies. People understand that some individuals may actually harm themselves in exercising their freedom. But is society better off to let people worry about what substances they will put in their own bodies =97 with or without the advice of others=97 or is society better off to have spies going about communities to persecute people who are experimenting with drugs? [continues 264 words]
Recently, I wrote a letter to the paper to argue for the proposition that adults should be free to eat, drink and smoke any substance they want, and that the government should not persecute any adult for doing so. Whether an adult takes a substance that he thinks might improve his health, or he takes a substance for the purpose of ending his life, or he takes a substance for a religious purpose, or simply to achieve what he considers to be a mind-altering effect, the taking of the substance is an expression of a person's freedom. [continues 336 words]
Maybe I'm old-fashioned. I have some responses to the several letters I've seen periodically and recently in Mountain Xpress defending and promoting all things cannabis. Am I the only one who thinks that many pro-pot advocates (pot users?) sound like some of the most whining, "poor-me," self-righteous people in America today? Some sound to me like they're struggling through a stint in the old Soviet Gulag, for God's sake. Their seeming sense of the grandiosity of their cause is troubling. All the standard arguments for legalization of marijuana aside (economic, medical, etc.), some of the respondents sound to me like strong evidence that marijuana usage is not good for us. [continues 473 words]
Report On Shooting Was Released Sunday GEORGETOWN | A spokesman for the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office Monday said Sheriff Lane Cribb would no longer comment on the 80-page SLED report released Sunday. The State Law Enforcement Division report dealt with the shooting death of Matthew Martin, the Georgetown man killed April 28 following a chase through a Pawleys Island neighborhood. Cribb's decision is based on advice from Jack Scoville, the county attorney, spokesman Bill Nichols said. Scoville advised Cribb to avoid making comments because of pending litigation. He said Scoville advised Cribb, "Because of pending litigation we heard about, it's off limits." Cribb had refused to make comments on the investigation while it was ongoing, but said he would comment once the report was released. [continues 376 words]
On Saturday the Portuguese prime minister announced to a worldwide gathering of drug addiction professionals that a bill would be introduced shortly in the Portuguese parliament to depenalise the consumption of some illegal drugs and increase resources for health care. He said this was no liberalisation measure but rather an effective means to respond to a growing social problem. The Portuguese government is implementing the findings of a commission they established to look at such matters. Next month in Britain the police foundation's independent inquiry will report. I hope it will pose three challenges to our political leaders: what evidence is there that having an informed debate on drug policy and associated laws sends wrong messages to young people; where is the evidence that the use of cannabis is a causal factor or gateway to "later more dependent drug use"; why do we persist. in responding to dependent drug use primarily as a criminal matter rather than as a major public health concern? This government rightly says it will develop policies based on evidence. It will now have the opportunity to do this in relation to drugs. Roger Howard Chief Executive, Standing Conference on Drug Abuse [end]
A Six-Month Investigation Focused On A Correctional Facility In Chino SACRAMENTO-Gregorio Zermeno,whose tenure as head of the California Youth Authority was clouded by reports of inmate beatings and druggings, resigned under fire after an investigation of improprieties at a CYA institution in Chino, the state's top corrections official said Thursday. "It has become apparent that the problems of the Youth Authority require aggressive action and specialized management skills to turn the department around," said Robert Presley, the secretary of youth and adult corrections and the governor's top prisons adviser. [continues 191 words]
Poppy Dreams Bayer's "new wonder drug . . . proved to be an awe-inspiringly powerful painkiller," reports Martin Booth in Opium: A History (St. Martin's, $14.95). It also turned out to be ferociously addictive, like opium and morphine before it. (The same couldn't be said of Bayer's other famous product, aspirin.) Five to eight times as potent as its parent drug, not to mention cheaper, "heroin was an ideal illegal commodity: as a white powder, it was also easily 'cut' or adulterated [and] easily concealed by traffickers. . . . illicit heroin use grew rapidly and became the primary trade drug of the criminal underworld." In the United States, heroin came along at a time when society was clamping down on drug use, making the big H both harder to get and more tantalizing. [continues 1369 words]
The use of civil law and administrative measures for less harmful drug use is currently being tried in South Australia. In other parts of Europe responses to drug use - including low-level cannabis use - involve civil penalties. An important part of any on-going debate should be to examine the effectiveness of these policies and investigate how successfully they could be applied here. Roger Howard Chief executive, Standing Conference on Drug Abuse [end]
Your correspondent (Letters, August 18) claims that legalising drugs will result in a massive loss of income for drugs dealers and consequently hit the local economy. Surely rather than transfer wealth from dealer to the treasury, it would leave more cash in the pockets of the equally impoverished end-users. This of course assumes that the government allows this natural reallocation of income to happen by preventing the replacement distribution network from profiteering. Ian Shotton London [continues 4 words]
The sentencing of Robert Downey Jr. to three years in the penitentiary is just one more example of our barbarous approach to the drug problem in this country (Aug. 6). Fifty years from now they will look back on these times and shake their heads in disbelief that we put people in prison for addiction problems, instead of offering treatment for what is a health not a criminal problem. The war on drugs is a total, miserable failure, and you need look no further back in our history than the pathetic attempt at prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s to see what a doomed policy it truly is. Prohibition didn't work then, and it's not working now. DON M. HOWARD, Oak Hills [end]
The war on drugs is a total, miserable failure, and you need look no further back in our history than the pathetic attempt at prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s to see what a doomed policy it truly is. Prohibition didn't work then, and it's not working now. DON M. HOWARD, Oak Hills [end]
TAMPA - The good news is that a 6.4 percent drop in the crime rate suggests Florida has become a safer place to live. The crime rate is at its lowest in two decades. A drastic jump in teen arrests for drug use in Florida doesn't surprise Bill Janes. All the indicators that point to an increase are up, said the executive director of a private Tampa agency that provides substance abuse services to children and adults. Juvenile smoking. School absenteeism. Tardiness. [continues 533 words]
Safety: Researchers say that statistical difference is small but disturbing.Activists say the abstention message needs to be renewed. Drunken driving and deaths from drunken driving are down as the result of a concerted two-decade campaign. But a new study suggests that drinking and driving or riding with someone who is drunk might be increasing among high school seniors. Researchers at the University of Michigan say their review of annual surveys of seniors indicates a "recent leveling and, perhaps, an upturn in rates of driving after drinking by students." [continues 521 words]
REDWAY, Calif. (AP) -- The annual harvest-season hunts for marijuana fields by drug agents in low-flying helicopters routinely kill birds, stampede farm animals, violate environmental laws and terrify innocent homeowners, residents of California's rugged north country testified Monday. ``You have to be here to see what it is like -- from the first of August through September, it's like a war zone,'' said Dan Weaver. Weaver and two dozen others testified at a public hearing ordered as part of a settlement in a lawsuit challenging ``Operation Greensweep,'' an August 1990 drug raid. [continues 168 words]
REDWAY, Calif. -- The annual harvest-season hunts for marijuana fields by drug agents in low-flying helicopters routinely kill birds, stampede farm animals, violate environmental laws and terrify innocent homeowners, residents of California's rugged north country testified Monday. "You have to be here to see what it is like -- from the first of August through September, it's like a war zone,'' said Dan Weaver. Weaver and two dozen others testified at a public hearing ordered as part of a settlement in a lawsuit challenging "Operation Greensweep,'' an August 1990 drug raid. 7 "The big problem is these helicopters. This whole thing would be calmed down significantly by getting those guys up higher,'' Weaver said. [continues 147 words]
The rule of law seems to have a weak hold in this county of spectacular forests, canyons, rocky coastal cliffs and some of the finest marijuana in the world. In Mendocino County, pot is the biggest cash crop and the new district attorney is an ex-con. "People tell me one of two things," District Attorney-elect Norman Vroman said. "It's either 'I wish I had the guts to do what you did against the IRS,' or it's 'How in world do you believe you can be the top prosecutor if you've served time in federal prison?' " [continues 642 words]
