Legislator Says to "Leave the Man Alone" RALEIGH -- North Carolina's singing senator has recorded a song critical of the marijuana and alcohol charges filed against members of singer-songwriter Willie Nelson's band in January. "It just looks like a special effort was made to go on that bus and cite them with marijuana," said state Sen. Charlie Albertson, D-Duplin. The song, called "Leave the Man Alone," refers to the Jan. 28 citations issued to six members of Nelson's band on either possession of marijuana or possession of non-tax-paid alcohol. The band's bus was outside the Duplin County Events Center in Kenansville. [continues 549 words]
RALEIGH -- North Carolina's singing senator has recorded a song critical of the marijuana and alcohol citations filed against members of singer-songwriter Willie Nelson's band in January. "It just looks like a special effort was made to go on that bus and cite them with marijuana," said state Sen. Charlie Albertson, D-Duplin. The song, called "Leave the Man Alone," refers to the Jan. 28 citations issued to six members of Nelson's band on either possession of marijuana or possession of non-tax-paid alcohol. The band's bus was outside the Duplin County Events Center in Kenansville. [continues 547 words]
RALEIGH - While drug lords may be causing violence in Mexico, there are those in this country who'd love to bring the drug war to a fever pitch. Lawmakers in at least eight states want to require drug testing at various levels as a condition to receiving public assistance. In at least two states, that public assistance includes receiving unemployment compensation. Delegate Craig Blair, a Republican in West Virginia, is proposing the most comprehensive drug-testing program in the country. In addition to requiring drug testing for a number of welfare programs, he'd also require it for people seeking unemployment benefits. [continues 415 words]
RALEIGH - They say truth is stranger than fiction. At times, it's more absurd than fiction. Some stories, that happened to be true, would never be published or made into a movie because publishers and producers would say the story is so weird no one would believe it, and there no one would want to buy the book or see the movie. Take the case of Eathan Harris as an example. Young Eathan is an 8-year-old student at Harris Park Elementary School in Westminster, Colo. He was suspended from school, originally for three days, for violating the school district's substance abuse policy. [continues 435 words]
RALEIGH - Kurt Gohsman has worked with people who have had an addiction to methamphetamines. "It's a highly addictive drug, like crack, because it's a stimulant," said Gohsman, who is now a drug and alcohol counselor in Alamance County. "They hit harder. The buzz is higher. So it's quick. People become addicted much quicker." And, Gohsman said, his experience has shown him that it's more difficult for people addicted to such stimulants to kick their addiction. Methamphetamines - also called "meth," "crystal meth" or simply "crystal" - have become the target of tougher laws over the last couple of years in the General Assembly. Advocates for stiffer laws argue that the new laws are a result of meth's highly addictive characteristics, the fact that it can be cooked relatively easily in homes or apartments and the danger that such home labs pose to children and neighbors. [continues 786 words]
RALEIGH - A bill giving youthful offenders a chance to get felonies erased from their records gained initial approval from the state House on Wednesday. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Alice Bordsen, D-Alamance, would allow 16- and 17-year-olds who commit "low-level felonies" after they serve their sentence or probation, perform 100 hours of community service and stay out of trouble for an additional two years. It passed by a 61-53 vote. "This is a bill to offer an incentive to those young, non-violent felons to redeem themselves," Bordsen said during floor debate. [continues 601 words]
RALEIGH -- Legislation to give youthful offenders the chance to clear their criminal records has run into a stumbling block. Scott Perry of the Criminal Justice Standards Division, has written a letter to Rep. Alice Bordsen of Mebane, who sponsored the bill. In the letter, Perry expresses the commission's "strong opposition" to the bill. The bill, prompted by the arrest of dozens of students in a February 2004 undercover drug bust in the Alamance-Burlington schools, would allow a person who was younger than 18 at the time of the offense to have his or her record wiped clean, following some provisions. Supporters of the bill say that it's important to provide youthful offenders with an opportunity for redemption, an incentive to turn their lives around. [continues 337 words]
RALEIGH - Teenagers who get in trouble with the law could soon get their non-violent offenses erased from the record if they keep their noses clean for two years. Rep. Alice Bordsen, D-Alamance, the sponsor of the bill, said the impetus for the proposal was the February 2004 undercover drug bust that resulted in the arrest of four-dozen students in the Alamance-Burlington schools. Bordsen said that following the drug sweep, she met with "a small cluster of parents" and discussed similar suggestions. [continues 427 words]
RALEIGH -Should teenagers who run afoul of the law have an opportunity for a new start? Rep. Alice Bordsen, D-Alamance, hopes so. She plans to introduce a bill when the General Assembly returns later this month to allow non-violent youthful offenders either to get their felony convictions reduced to misdemeanors or have them stricken from the record once they've paid their debt to society. "Kids can really just get engaged in stupid things," Ms. Bordsen said. "They need some way to fix their life." [continues 559 words]
Here's an after-primary quiz on a little-known part of Nevada politics. I tried to make it easy because, well, politics makes my head hurt. Try to match up the Political Action Committee with my description: 1) The best acronym for a PAC in Nevada. 2) The only committee to name two residents of Idaho and one from Oregon as its sole contributors. 3) The most accurate name for a PAC. 4) Committee with the least accurate name. 5) A committee of procrastinators, perhaps? [continues 823 words]
Inmate Limit Is Currently 34,314 -- by 2012 It Will Need to Be 42,000 RALEIGH -- When it comes to building enough prison cells to hold the state's inmates, North Carolina is barely treading water. The state just opened one 1,000-cell prison in Scotland County, will soon open another in Anson County and plans to open another in Alexander County next spring. "Even with those three, we're still going to have more folks in our system than we have bed capacity for," said Keith Acree, a spokesman for the N.C. Department of Correction. [continues 595 words]
RALEIGH -- A ruling by the N.C. Court of Appeals in November could have an impact on the state's habitual felon law and consequently on the number of people who serve time because of it. The opinion, written by Judge Ann Marie Calabria, ruled possession of cocaine is a misdemeanor and conviction of that charge cannot be used to trigger the habitual felon law. "Although possession of cocaine may be punished as a felony, the statute plainly defines it as a misdemeanor," Calabria wrote. [continues 236 words]
Raleigh - A ruling by the N.C. Court of Appeals in November could have an impact on the state's habitual felon law and consequently on the number of people who serve time because of it. The opinion, written by Judge Ann Marie Calabria, ruled that possession of cocaine is a misdemeanor and conviction of that charge cannot be used to trigger the habitual felon law. "Although possession of cocaine may be punished as a felony, the statute plainly defines it as a misdemeanor," Calabria wrote. [continues 238 words]
RALEIGH - When it comes to building enough prison cells to hold the state's inmates, North Carolina is barely treading water. The state just opened one 1,000-cell prison in Scotland County, will soon open another in Anson County and plans to open another in Alexander County next spring. The state also has approved a new prison in Greene County. "Even with those ... we're still going to have more folks in our system than we have bed capacity for," said Keith Acree, a spokesman for the N.C. Department of Correction. [continues 603 words]
Any thought I might have had of voting in favor of the Question 9 marijuana initiative went up in smoke this week when a proponent said it could generate millions of dollars in tax revenue. Is nothing sacred? This news came on the same day Gov. Kenny Guinn said he favors raising the taxes on cigarettes, liquor, gambling and retail sales. These are the so-called "sin" taxes. (If you don't think retail sales are a sin, then you haven't been shopping at the mall with my family on the day after Thanksgiving. They should belong to Shoppers Anonymous, but they won't admit they have a problem.) [continues 681 words]
RALEIGH -- A state senator has introduced a bill aimed at making it a crime for an individual or a business to sell urine samples to defraud drug and alcohol tests. "Businesses that engage in the practice of defrauding drug tests put our citizens in harm's way," said Sen. Scott Thomas, a Craven County Democrat. "This bill will subject those business and those who try to defraud a drug test to criminal penalties." Thomas introduced the bill on Tuesday. He said the N.C. Truckers Association, the N.C. Manufacturers Association, and N.C. Citizens for Business and Industry are backing the bill. [continues 220 words]
RALEIGH - Dr. Joseph Talley will not be able to practice medicine in North Carolina for at least 12 months. The N.C. Medical Board on Thursday suspended the Grover family doctor's license following an emotion-packed afternoon of testimony by doctors and some of Talley's patients. "It is the decision of the medical board that Dr. Talley's license be suspended indefinitely for a minimum of 12 months," announced board President Dr. Walter J. Pories. Immediately after the decision was announced, Talley stood and spoke to his lawyer, Robert M. Clay of Raleigh. They then went back to another room. Tom Mansfield, an attorney for the medical board, offered to shake Talley's hand as they passed each other, but Talley did not offer his hand in return. [continues 1146 words]
RALEIGH - Dr. Joseph Talley will not be able to practice medicine in North Carolina for at least 12 months. The N.C. Medical Board on Thursday suspended the Grover family doctor's license following an emotion-packed afternoon of testimony by doctors and some of Talley's patients. The ruling means Talley's license will be suspended for at least 12 months. After that time, he can apply to the Medical Board for reinstatement, said Dale Breaden, a spokesman for the Medical Board. [continues 734 words]
RALEIGH -- Experts on the treatment of pain spent much of Friday telling the N.C. Medical Board how they felt about the type of care that Dr. Joseph Talley provided his patients. Dr. Richard L. Rauck of Winston-Salem, who is the state board's expert witness, told the board that he felt that Talley's care did not met acceptable state standards. Talley's expert witness, Dr. Straton Hill of Houston, disagreed. He said that Talley had adequate information to make judgments on when it came to providing treatment regimens for his patients. [continues 514 words]
RALEIGH - The N.C. Medical Board ruled Saturday that Dr. Joseph Talley deviated from the acceptable standard of care for a number of his patients. Dr. Walter J. Pories, president of the board, announced the board found the Grover doctor routinely failed to perform adequate physical examinations, failed to perform follow-up physical examinations, failed to inquire during each patient's visit whether the patient received medications from other doctors or other sources, and failed to adequately monitor patient compliance with his prescription drug regimen. [continues 528 words]
