State Supreme Court justices admonished a Clay County judge for not remaining impartial and neutral in a methamphetamine case, granting defendant Gerald Mark Thompson Jr. a new trial in an opinion last week. The court found that Circuit Judge Richard A. Facemire "abandoned his role of impartiality and neutrality and that his role in both questioning witnesses and making comments to aid the prosecuting attorney in the presentation of the state's case seriously affected the fairness, integrity, and public reputation of the judicial proceedings," Justice Larry Starcher wrote for a unanimous court. [continues 661 words]
Drug use by school athletes and other students involved in middle and senior high school activities -- and potential random testing of those students -- could be the focus of a legislative study later this year. Members of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission have agreed to participate in such a study. They did so after state Sen. Clark Barnes, R-Randolph, introduced legislation to randomly test high school athletes in state championship rounds for performance-enhancing drugs. "The more of us that work together on this, the better solution we're going to come up with," said Mike Hayden, executive director of the SSAC. [continues 450 words]
A Beckley police detective was gunned down in the middle of a downtown street early Tuesday when an undercover drug buy "went sour," a State Police captain said. Two men were arrested several hours later and charged with the murder of Detective Charles "Chuckie" Smith, 29, who died at Raleigh General Hospital a short time after being shot. The incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. on South Fayette Street outside Club Attraction, where Smith had arranged to purchase crack cocaine from the two suspects, according to a criminal complaint filed by State Police Trooper R.A. Daniel. [continues 425 words]
FORT GAY -- Just weeks ago, Joetta Hatfield was slicing bologna for a customer in the 60-year-old, family-owned general store when the lady asked if it was true that millions of dollars were stashed in mattresses sold at the business. "I said, 'Do you think I'd be standing here slicing bologna if I had millions in mattressesUKP'" she said. It's been almost three years -- June 2003 -- since police swooped in on the Hatfield family business, arresting her husband, Shannon, and son, Landon, and charging them with selling cocaine. A few months later, they returned and arrested Shannon again. - advertisement [continues 1798 words]
Proposal Limits Purchases Of Items Containing Meth Ingredient Legislation aimed at slowing down the production of methamphetamine by limiting the sale of products with meth's active ingredient unanimously passed the state Senate Tuesday and was sent to the House of Delegates. "I think we have carefully constituted a piece of legislation that is going to deal with this situation," said Senate Health and Human Resources Chairman Roman Prezioso, D-Marion. Senate Minority Leader Vic Sprouse, R-Kanawha, failed in three attempts to amend the legislation (SB147). He said each of his amendments would strengthen the bill, but his colleagues disagreed. [continues 647 words]
More than 100 clandestine methamphetamine labs have been dismantled in West Virginia this year, with Wood County leading the way. State Police said they have discovered more of the "crank" laboratories in the western section of the state. They first started finding them in heavy numbers in Wood County three years ago. "It's a trend that goes from the West Coast to the East Coast and a lot of it has happened in western West Virginia," said Trooper Jay Powers, State Police spokesman. Police believe the trend is moving across the state quickly. [continues 120 words]
Turf Fight In Area Drug War Sparks Police Chiefs' Gripe To U.S. Attorney A law enforcement turf fight is being taken personally by Kanawha County Sheriff Dave Tucker, who said he is "outraged" at what he considers a personal attack from the U.S. attorney. The controversy apparently arose in recent months when local police chiefs participating in the Metro Drug Unit complained to U.S. Attorney Kasey Warner that the sheriff's department was not alerting them when conducting drug investigations in their areas. And, although the department has signed an agreement with the unit, it has not appointed a deputy to it, as it has in the past. [continues 972 words]
Fatal Overdoses UP More Than 300% In W.VA. - In 3 Years UNINTENTIONAL drug overdose deaths in West Virginia have risen by more than 300 percent in a three-year period, alarming addiction specialists and state health officials. That figure is probably even higher because in the case of a large number of the overdose deaths, officials could not determine if they were accidental or suicide. Addiction professionals believe most of those cases are actually accidental overdoses. "They're just trying to get high, and they overdose," said Dr. Rolly Sullivan, professor of behavior medicine and psychiatry at West Virginia University and director of the university's Addiction Services. [continues 1134 words]
'Suspicious Vial' Was a Toiletry Item Three black West Virginia State College students believe Charleston police used racial profiling and an out-of-state license tag as reasons to pull them over and harass them Tuesday night. Police, however, said they do not permit racial profiling and the officers were just doing their jobs because the men had raised their suspicions. No citations were issued to the driver, Courtney Shannon, 22, of Chicago. Police said he committed traffic violations, which led to the initial pullover on Washington Street near Interstate 64, just past the Greyhound bus station. [continues 611 words]
More than 100 children, some as young as 12, were allowed to pay a few extra dollars to smoke pot in the "VIP lounge" of a Charleston bar while drinking at a private birthday party. Inspectors with the state Alcohol Beverage Control Administration met bar owner James Poindexter when he opened the Indigo Lounge for business about 11 p.m. Monday and yanked his license. ABCA alleges the bar allowed attendees of the Sept. 22 party - all middle and high school students - to drink alcoholic beverages and smoke marijuana during the event. [continues 447 words]
