FAIRFIELD - A former worker at Alza pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Vacaville accused of trying to steal some of the world's most potent pain medication had a felony drug charge against him thrown out Monday. Judge William C. Harrison dropped the drug possession charge, claiming there was no evidence Jimmy M. Kokkeby, 29, a contract employee at the plant knew the powdered chemical fentanyl was a controlled substance. Kokkeby, of Suisun City, still faces vandalism and attempted theft charges for what he allegedly did at the plant on an afternoon in October 2004. [continues 121 words]
FAIRFIELD - The City Council doesn't foresee any overly contentious issues in the next few months and decided it will be OK to leave one council seat empty until voters pick a replacement for John English in the election this November. In a separate action, the city's highest governing body decided to prolong its moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries for another 10 months. Both items came up at Wednesday's City Council meeting. It was the first meeting after English resigned from the council due to a drug conviction. His term would have expired at the end of the year. [continues 545 words]
FAIRFIELD - It's a confusing time for California's medical marijuana users. A 1996 law passed by voters makes it legal for medical patients with a doctor's prescription to use marijuana in private and to grow it for personal use with a license. The federal government insists that U.S. laws trump the state law - which would mean marijuana use of any kind is still illegal - and recent Supreme Court decisions left experts on both sides wondering what's next. [continues 675 words]
FAIRFIELD - Plenty of issues face the City Council this week, but it's likely Councilman John English will steal the show at a meeting Tuesday. English, who has said he'll resign after the meeting, has been at the center of attention following his felony drug conviction earlier this month. He plans to give his exit speech during the councilmembers' comment period at the beginning of the meeting. English didn't step down immediately after his conviction because he wanted to make a last stand at a public meeting. Earlier this week he said he doesn't know exactly what he'll say. [continues 399 words]
Randy Carlson's June 4 column was right on target. Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only increase the profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs like heroin, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime. With alcohol prohibition repealed, liquor bootleggers no longer gun each other down in drive-by shootings, nor do consumers go blind drinking unregulated bathtub gin. [continues 110 words]
Given the general perception that a tsunami of violent crime is sweeping Solano County, the Fairfield City Council did the right thing by voting to hire 10 additional police officers, six of whom would be part of crime suppression unit, with others directed toward domestic violence. Putting badges on the street will not solve our crime problem, but it made me feel better about walking the dog at night. That changed a few days later few days later when I opened my morning newspapers. [continues 577 words]
Lagoon Valley Operation Nets Four 'Dealers' VACAVILLE - In a sting operation Saturday, officers arrested four suspected marijuana cultivators and rescued a hostage who was used as a human shield. Just before noon, two teams raided the island in Lagoon Valley Lake, where a crop of marijuana plants were hidden. But as they approached the boat dock, a chilling transmission from the island crackled over the radio. "We have visual contact, we have visual contact." Under attack Undaunted, officers swept down to the lake side, captured the dock lookout, commandeered a boat used to ferry marijuana and cultivators and hustled onto the island, shocked to hear screams for help. [continues 362 words]
FAIRFIELD -- A felon on probation can use medical marijuana, the state Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday. Last year Judge Luis Villarreal refused to let Jeffrey T. Gorden of Vacaville smoke marijuana to treat his pain from fibromyalgia. Gorden claimed the condition, which has an uncertain cause, gave him severe pain and nausea and the alternative of prescription pain killers "made it next to impossible for him to function." Gorden, 28, had been in front of Villarreal for sentencing on a felony marijuana possession charge resulting from his arrest after Vacaville police found seven marijuana plants growing at Gorden's Lakehurst Drive home when they went there with a search warrant in January 2002. [continues 353 words]
VACAVILLE -- Some Vacaville residents worry that a program designed to work with neighborhoods to get crime and drugs off their streets isn't doing the job. The Vacaville division of Safe Streets Now!, a nonprofit developed to outline steps for residents to take action and sue an owner of a property that is identified as a drug or gang house under the California Civil Code, is under scrutiny by some residents who feel the police department isn't keeping up its end of the deal. [continues 455 words]
FAIRFIELD -- Sheriff Bat Masterson was more a gambler than a lawman but he took custody of Doc Holliday for murder after the shoot-out at the OK Corral. Sheriff Buford Pusser busted up the stills of Tennessee moonshiners and watched his wife die before his eyes after bullets aimed at him slammed into her head. Sheriff Andy Taylor had batty Deputy Barney Fife as his faithful backup, all the while keeping the peace in quiet Mayberry. Being sheriff has a long and colorful history in this country, traveling through the Old West of our past to the sleepy towns of fiction. Now, modern sheriffs face challenges such as drug labs in barns, jail overcrowding and budget problems. [continues 561 words]
