PITMAN -- A group of 20 high school students opposing a proposal that would require random drug testing for student athletes addressed its concerns to the Pitman Board of Education Tuesday night. "With this policy, you are guilty until proven innocent," said Mark Arnone, 17, who does not compete in any varsity sports. "They are holding athletes to a higher standard and saying that they are automatically guilty until they pass a drug test proving their innocence." Wayne Murschell, athletic director at the high school, presented the 31-page proposal to the board. It was formulated by a 17-member committee made up of administrators, teachers, students and parents. Murschell said the committee voted unanimously to recommend implementation of the program. [continues 616 words]
In what may be a first, the Kern County Sheriff's Department on Tuesday returned marijuana it seized in a raid. But many hours later, sheriff's officials took back the weed. Deputies came to Victor Allen Love's home a little after 10 p.m. Tuesday night, he said, and confiscated six large bags of pot, which he had picked up that morning from the department's property room. "Well, pop my bubble," he said in disappointment. Love, who was acquitted by a jury of marijuana charges in February, has a doctor's recommendation for the drug, which he says he uses as medicine. [continues 744 words]
Hardin Defendant Taped Encounter, Her Lawyer Says ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. - A Hardin County prosecutor was suspended yesterday and is under investigation by the state attorney general's office over allegations that he had sex with a defendant who had agreed to testify in a drug case. Erica L. French's lawyer, Kenneth Daniels, said they had a camera installed in her bedroom closet last week and taped her having sex with Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Robert W. Stevens. Daniels said they decided to record her encounter because French, 29, had complained that Stevens had made inappropriate advances toward her during talks involving her cooperation with the prosecution of other defendants. According to Daniels, French said that Stevens told her that if she would have sex with him he would use his influence to withdraw her guilty plea and drop charges prior to her sentencing. [continues 992 words]
Montpelier -- Rep. Sylvia Kennedy, R-Chelsea, tried to stop him. The White House tried to stop him. But Gov. James Douglas turned down both and let the highly controversial medical marijuana bill become law this week. Was it a tough decision? "Very difficult," said press secretary Jason Gibbs. He paused. "Very difficult," he said again. Rep. Kennedy notwithstanding, the toughest opposition Douglas faced was from President George W. Bush's administration, which is of more than passing interest because Douglas is Bush's reelection campaign manager in Vermont. John Walters, the so-called "drug czar" whose office of National Drug Control Policy is in the White House itself, tried twice to talk Douglas out of his decision. [continues 1317 words]
WHEN we criticised Lusaka magistrate Victoria Mushibwe's K5.1 million fine on self-confessed cannabis grower and trafficker Sidney Chileshe, we were accused of trying to undermine the judiciary. But jailing Chileshe for 10 years with hard labour, Lusaka High Court judge Charles Kajimanga yesterday described magistrate Mushibwe's K5.1 million fine as "shocking". In his judgment, Kajimanga stated that Section 6 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act Cap 96 states that: "Any person who traffics in narcotic drug or psychotropic substance shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable upon conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twenty five years." [continues 1069 words]
