------------------------------------------------------------------- Trap and trace device at American Agriculture (An investigative list subscriber reports the Marijuana Task Force in Portland has been using its illegal "trap and trace" device at the American Agriculture hydroponics store to bust cannabis cultivators all over Oregon. A busted grower in Bend allegedly has a tape recording of MTF Officer Nathan Shropshire spilling the beans.) Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 23:06:55 -0600 From: Arthur Sobey (asobey@ncfcomm.com) To: dpfor@drugsense.org Subject: DPFOR: trap and trace device at American Agriculture Sender: owner-dpfor@drugsense.org Reply-To: dpfor@drugsense.org Organization: DrugSense http://www.drugsense.org/ I don't know how many of you have heard, but the Portland MTF has been running an illegal wiretap on American Agriculture in Portland for the last three years. The tap is actually a trap and trace device and a pen register. These record the numbers of all outgoing and incoming phone calls. The MTF has shared this information with cops all over Oregon. If a phone number is recorded more than a couple of times a week, the number and corresponding address is being provided to local cops where the phone is located. The device may still be in operation. The MTF hasn't been ordered to shut it down yet. The device was discovered by Mr. Neil Hauser of Bend. Mr. Hauser's home was raided and marijuana found growing. During the court process, Mr. Hauser noticed some "funny" wording in the search warrant. Playing a hunch, Hauser called the MTF in Portland, posing as a Bend police officer. He spoke with a cop named Nathan Shropshire. Shropshire was completely taken in by Hauser, and spilled his guts about the tap and how the info was used. Hauser tape recorded the phone conversation with Shropshire. I hope to have a copy of that tape soon. I will post more tomorrow about what is going on now. If you know anyone doing business with American Agriculture, they need to know about this. To quote Officer Shropshire loosely, "just about every marijuana case in Oregon for the past three years has been made from this trap and trace." What this means is that most of them will probably be overturned. I am not sure how best to present what info I have, But I figure you folks need it all asap. Those walk and talk raids were something other than blind chance. Can I post attachments to the list, or must I copy and paste? Art Sobey *** Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 22:56:11 -0800 (PST) From: Terry Miller (pdxnorml@pdxnorml.org) To: dpfor@drugsense.org Subject: Re: DPFOR: trap and trace device at American Agriculture Sender: owner-dpfor@drugsense.org Reply-To: dpfor@drugsense.org Organization: DrugSense http://www.drugsense.org/ [ed. note - Terry Miller is the director of Portland NORML.] PDX NORML has been warning of the MTF sitting in the parking lot and taking down license tags for three years now. That method was publicized in "The Columbian," the Vancouver, Washington paper (certainly not the Oregonian) about that same time. In the 155 or so busts that PDX NORML has information about, over 90% of those cases had a contact with American Agriculture. Today on KBOO, I talked about the current taps and advised the public to act accordingly. I'd be tickled to death if all those cases could be overturned. Incidentally (other MTF facts), of those 155 busts, only two would be considered commercial grows. The MTF is busting mom and pop, with one light and a load of clones. 80+% are employed, 80+% have no previous record. For those that have assets, seizure or fines (the payment of money so the MTF won't seize your property) are de rigeur. For the bulk of the rest, work release is given so they can collect a sizeable percentage of the money you make while you are involved in that program. Mike Schrunk said yesterday that they convict about 900 felony charges on marijuana last year (are we seeing the math totals here?). In 1996, there were only 10,000 or so TOTAL FELONY ARRESTS (up from 1986's 3400 or so-283% increase). The 1996 MTF budget was around $300,000 plus a $29,000 Federal Grant. Seizures were $2.3 million (add money from work release here). About 25% of those busted allege some kind of medical use. Schrunk says they have dismissed the bulk of the med pot patients. Bald faced lie. They continued to bust and convict med pot patients. In addition, Ass't DA Tom Smith-Cupani began a one man tirade against medical marijuana and took time off from court to attend the bust of the AHC. Also, most of those busted for grows (95+%) are white. Most of those busted for possession, distribution are Black/Hispanic (don't have percentages). Thought you might like to know... TD *** Return-Path: (asobey@ncfcomm.com) Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1998 07:30:07 -0600 From: Arthur Sobey (asobey@ncfcomm.com) Reply-To: asobey@ncfcomm.com To: dpfor@drugsense.org Subject: some law Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="mol-t&t.wpd" Attachment Converted: C:\INTERNET\mol-t&t.wpd [For a court document about the "trap and trace" device at American Agriculture in Portland, and the attempt by police to keep their illegal wiretap secret by prosecuting the whistleblower, download the 14-page Adobe Acrobat .pdf file below. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free at the link above. - ed.] http://www.pdxnorml.org/981211_trap.pdf (33,247 bytes) *** Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 12:50:20 -0600 From: Arthur Sobey (asobey@ncfcomm.com) To: Phil Smith (pdxnorml@pdxnorml.org) Subject: Re: some law Here's the second part of the motion to suppress. Art *** http://www.pdxnorml.org/981211_motion.pdf (9,700 bytes, 5 pages)
------------------------------------------------------------------- Hemp jewelry kit for kids at Sears (Paul Stanford, a chief petitioner for the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act, a proposed initiative that would legalize industrial hemp, notes at least one Portland franchise of the nationwide retailer is offering kids something new for Christmas this year.) Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 15:57:55 -0800 To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org) From: "D. Paul Stanford" (stanford@crrh.org) Subject: Hemp jewelry kit for kids at Sears Cc: drctalk@drcnet.org Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org Today I was perusing through a little children's toy section at a Portland, Oregon area Sears store in a major mall. Right in a section with several craft kits there was a box marked "HEMP Jewelry Kit." The word "hemp" was in a very big font. Hemp craft kits in Sears? This is another little brick in the wall falling. Yours truly, D. Paul Stanford *** We are working to regulate and tax adult marijuana sales, allow doctors to prescribe cannabis and allow the unregulated production of industrial hemp! *** Campaign for the Restoration and Regulation of Hemp CRRH P.O. Box 86741 Portland, OR 97286 Phone:(503) 235-4606 Fax: (503) 235-0120 Web: http://www.crrh.org/
------------------------------------------------------------------- Veteran acquitted on marijuana charge (An Associated Press article in The Contra Costa Times says a jury on Thursday acquitted Charles Lepp in connection with his cultivation of 131 marijuana plants. Lepp's was the first medical marijuana case taken to trial in either Lake or Mendocino counties since voters approved Proposition 215 in 1996.) Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1998 00:18:55 -0600 From: "Frank S. World" (compassion23@geocities.com) Organization: Rx Cannabis Now! http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/7417/ To: Med Mj (medmj@drcnet.org), editor (editor@mapinc.org), DPFCA (dpfca@drugsense.org) Subject: DPFCA: US CA: Veteran acquitted on marijuana charge Sender: owner-dpfca@drugsense.org Reply-To: dpfca@drugsense.org Organization: DrugSense http://www.drugsense.org/dpfca/ Source: The Contra Costa Times Contact: cctletrs@netcom.com Website: http://www.hotcoco.com/index.htm Pubdate: Posted at 6:45 PM, Dec. 11, 1998 VETERAN ACQUITTED ON MARIJUANA CHARGE ASSOCIATED PRESS LAKEPORT ---- A Vietnam War veteran who said he suffered from a host of medical problems has been found innocent of growing marijuana for sale. A jury on Thursday acquitted Charles Lepp, 46, who was accused of growing 131 marijuana plants in his yard. Lepp testified that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic back pain, skin cancer, degenerative arthritis and manic depression. He said a doctor had authorized him to use marijuana to ease his pain. Prosecutors contended the marijuana that could be harvested from the 3-foot to 4-foot high plants far outstripped his needs. Lepp told investigators that he planned to give anything he didn't need to a friend. Deputy District Attorney Fred Raper also argued that Lepp did not have a doctor's authorization. Lepp's was the first medical marijuana case taken to trial in either Lake or Mendocino County since the 1996 approval of Proposition 215, which sought to legalize cultivation and use of marijuana to treat medical ailments.
------------------------------------------------------------------- Media Culpa - Cracking the CIA (Seattle Weekly columnist Mark Worth says the Central Intelligence Agency is finally admitting what the San Jose Mercury News and many independent political journals have been saying for more than two years - that the CIA, at the very minimum, turned a blind eye to the Nicaraguan Contras' cocaine-for-weapons operation.) Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 17:30:55 -0800 (PST) From: bc616@scn.org (Darral Good) To: hemp-talk@hemp.net Subject: HT: Seattle Weekly Cracking the CIA Cc: edit@mapinc.org Reply-To: bc616@scn.org Sender: owner-hemp-talk@hemp.net www.seattleweekly.com (please post your thoughts and links on their "forum page") "MEDIA CULPA" column by MARK WORTH Dec 11th 1998 letters@seattleweekly.com The Central Intelligence Agency is finally admitting what the San Jose Mercury News and many independent political journals have been saying for more than two years: that the CIA, at the very minimum, turned a blind eye to the Nicaraguan Contras' cocaine-for-weapons operation. CIA inspector general Fred Hitz reported last month that the agency, as early as 1981, knew the Contras "had decided to engage in drug trafficking to the United States to raise funds for its activities." The CIA knew, for instance, that the infamous Ilopango Air Force Base in El Salvador was a drugs-for-guns transhipment point. And the agency kept working with at least 14 pilots and three companies widely suspected of drug dealing. Hitz's report goes a long way toward vindicating former Mercury News reporter Gary Webb, whose "Dark Alliance" series blew the scandal wide open in 1996. (For background on other CIA atrocities, see "The Cocaine Importation Agency," SW, 11/19. Also, check out Crack the CIA, Tuesdays at 11am on cable Channel 29.)
------------------------------------------------------------------- Committee Debates Sentences For Small-Time Drug Dealers (According to an Associated Press article in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the soon-to-retire Wisconsin Department of Corrections secretary, Michael Sullivan, told the 18-member Criminal Penalties Study Committee that it should consider sending small-time drug dealers to rehabilitation and training programs instead of prison. However, the committee is examining ways to make the state's sentencing guidelines tougher under "truth-in-sentencing" legislation signed by Governor Tommy Thompson in June.) Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1998 09:30:20 -0800 From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews) To: mapnews@mapinc.org Subject: MN: US WI: Committee Debates Sentences For Small-Time Drug Dealers Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/ Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World) Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) Contact: jsedit@onwis.com Website: http://www.jsonline.com/ Copyright: 1998, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Author: Associated Press Pubdate: Thur, 11 Dec 1998 COMMITTEE DEBATES SENTENCES FOR SMALL-TIME DRUG DEALERS MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The state's corrections chief said Friday a committee should consider sending small-time drug dealers to rehabilitation and training programs instead of prison. "If you're going to spend $20,000 a year to give someone a brief time out, might not it be worthwhile to look at an expenditure of $20,000" for programs that give them education and vocational training, said Department of Corrections secretary Michael Sullivan, who is leaving the post in January. Many people convicted of selling small amounts of drugs are sentenced to two to four years in prison, but that time could be better spent giving such convicts a chance to get an education and learn job skills, Sullivan told the 18-member Criminal Penalties Study Committee. The committee is examining ways to make the state's sentencing guidelines tougher under legislation Gov. Tommy Thompson signed in June. The law, which goes into effect Dec. 31, 1999, eliminates parole and lengthens prison terms for some felonies. It also requires that convicts serve out their full prison terms. The committee has until April 1999 to recommend changes to the state Legislature. State prison officials are dealing with overcrowded prisons, and the state has contracted with public and private out-of-state facilities to house some Wisconsin inmates. Asked if sending drug traffickers to rehabilitation instead of jail was a way to reduce over crowding, Sullivan said only that the committee should study alternatives to incarcerating such convicts. He said, however, that "sending people to prison doesn't necessarily eliminate the drugs." Milwaukee county aggressively prosecutes drug dealers, yet it still has a drug problem, he said. Milwaukee County accounts for half of all drug traffickers, according to a corrections department study comparing dealers statewide who were sentenced for the first time. Milwaukee County prosecutor Pat Kenney defended keeping dealers in prison. "It's been argued that incarceration of small-time dealers is too expensive," Kenney said. "Our office rejects that approach." In one neighborhood where homes are riddled with bullet holes from drug-related gun fights, Kenney knows of an elderly Milwaukee woman who sleeps in her living room because her bedroom is next to an alley where drug transactions take place. The district attorney's office prosecutes many dealers who usually carry minimal amounts of drugs, such as $25 worth of heroin, he said. Just because drug sellers have small amounts of drugs on them does not mean they are small-time dealers, Kenney said. They carry small amounts of drugs and money in case they are robbed, he said. From November 1996 to October 1998, a total of 449 drug traffickers statewide sentenced for the first time received terms of three years or less in prison. The majority, or 332, were from Milwaukee, department statistics showed. But incarcerating such dealers for short prison terms is not effective, Madison defense attorney Steve Hurley said. "What we've done is replaced the faces, replaced the street corner," he said. "We haven't solved the problem." About 75 percent of drug dealers are designated as needing drug or alcohol treatment, he said. About 60 percent receive such services in prison. The prison system cannot accommodate the number of convicts who need such treatments, Sullivan said. Communities should offer programs that would provide dealers educational, and vocational training and jobs so "they are not returning to that lifestyle" of drug trafficking, Sullivan said. Communities could form advisory boards that would monitor released drug dealers and make sure they are going to work, he said. "It's a community problem, not a Department of Corrections problem," he said.
------------------------------------------------------------------- Elderly Brothers Face Drug Charges (The Washington Post says police arrested Russell Bailey, 79, and his brother, Oliver Bailey, 83, after a Talbot County narcotics task force raided their house in Trappe, Maryland. Police say the two found an enterprising way to stretch those Social Security checks - by selling crack cocaine and marijuana out of their rural home.) To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org) Subject: Wash. Post story: Seniors busted for dealing Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 10:10:45 -0500 From: "Wade L. Scholine" (wscholine@mail.cybg.com) Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org Elderly Brothers Face Drug Charges By Amy Argetsinger Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, December 11, 1998; Page G2 It's not easy making ends meet on a fixed income. But two elderly Eastern Shore brothers apparently found an enterprising way to stretch those Social Security checks - by selling crack cocaine and marijuana out of their rural home, according to police. Russell Bailey, 79, and his brother, Oliver Bailey, 83, were arrested after a Talbot County narcotics task force raided their house in Trappe, Md., a tiny waterfront community about an hour southeast of Annapolis. Also arrested was another housemate: Russell Bailey's 33-year-old girlfriend, Dahlicia Leabough. "Normally, we see the young kids out on the street corner, or some middle-aged people selling from their houses, but not elderly people," said an officer with the task force, who asked not to be identified. "It's kind of odd." Though Oliver Bailey has been arrested several times on cocaine possession charges, Russell Bailey was allegedly the brains behind the operation, which police said had been catering to a drug clientele of local teenagers and adults since August. "We consider him a mid-level drug dealer for the area," the officer said yesterday. Authorities targeted the Baileys after receiving several complaints about drug activity at the house, police said, and an undercover officer purchased drugs from the younger brother. A search of the house late last week turned up crack, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and more than $1,500, police said. Russell Bailey was charged with drug distribution and conspiracy - either of which could bring a sentence of 20 years in prison if he is found guilty - as well as drug possession and maintaining a common nuisance. He remained in the county detention center on $25,000 bond. His older brother was charged with drug and drug paraphernalia possession and released after posting $1,000 bond. Leabough, who is being held without bond, was charged with several counts of possession and distribution. (c) Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company
------------------------------------------------------------------- Crack Mom Seeks Release From Prison (The Rock Hill Herald, in South Carolina, says the case of Cornelia Whitner, a South Carolina woman convicted of child neglect because she used crack cocaine while pregnant, has become a rallying point for women's groups and doctors who say jailing pregnant women with substance abuse problems discourages them from seeking proper prenatal care.) Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 18:49:54 -0800 From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews) To: mapnews@mapinc.org Subject: MN: US SC: Crack Mom Seeks Release From Prison Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/ Newshawk: General Pulaski Pubdate: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 Source: Rock Hill Herald, The (SC) Contact: jwerrell@heraldonline.com Website: http://www.heraldonline.com/ Forum: http://www.webforums.com/forums/trace/host/msa94.html Copyright: 1998 The Herald, Rock Hill, S.C. Author: Associated Press CRACK MOM SEEKS RELEASE FROM PRISON COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A South Carolina woman convicted of child neglect because she used crack cocaine while pregnant wants a federal judge to set her free from state prison so she can be with her three children. Cornelia Whitner's case has become a rallying point for women's groups and doctors who say jailing pregnant women with substance abuse problems discourages them from seeking proper prenatal care. The policy is based on a landmark 1996 state court ruling that a viable fetus can be considered a child. South Carolina is the only state with a court-sanctioned policy of charging new mothers whose babies have been exposed to illegal drugs. The Women's Law Project in Philadelphia said similar laws have been rejected by two dozen other courts. Whitner's case has already been turned down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Now she wants a federal district judge to take the unusual step of granting habeas corpus, a request to get out of prison because one's constitutional rights were violated. ''Ms. Whitner is in jail in violation of the U.S. Constitution,'' said Sue Frietsche, a staff attorney for the Women's Law Project representing Whitner. The Pickens County woman was punished for something she did years before the state court made its ruling, she said. ''No one could possibly have known that the South Carolina Supreme Court was going to change the meaning and expand the scope of the South Carolina child-endangerment law in the very dramatic way that it did,'' Frietsche said. ''You can't put somebody in prison for something that nobody could have known was a crime.'' Whitner, 34, was charged in 1992 with child neglect for using cocaine while pregnant even though the baby was born healthy. She is serving an eight-year sentence at Leath Correctional Institution in Greenwood. Whitner's latest petition also argues that her constitutional guarantees of due process and privacy were violated and that she received ineffective legal counsel that prompted her to plead guilty. Frietsche said she did not know when the federal court might hear the petition. Attorney General Charlie Condon supported the state Supreme Court's July 1996 ruling. He did not respond when his office was contacted Thursday. ''There's no comment at this point because we haven't gotten the paperwork yet,'' spokesman Tom Landess said. Lawyers say the Whitner ruling is discouraging some women from seeking proper prenatal care. ''Pregnant women are thinking twice about getting medical care because the doctor's office and treatment center might be just one step away from the state prison,'' said Rauch Wise of the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Frietsche said one Columbia substance-abuse treatment center has reported an 80 percent drop in women seeking admission. ''Our concern is that this is a public health catastrophe,'' she said.
------------------------------------------------------------------- Court Official's Arrest (UPI says Bennie Hugh Frazier, the chief of U.S. District Court pretrial services in Miami, Florida, where he manages a staff of about 50 officers and is responsible for recommending bail amounts for those charged with federal crimes, was busted in Liberty City trying to buy $50 worth of crack cocaine.) Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 18:18:58 -0800 From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews) To: mapnews@mapinc.org Subject: MN: US NY: WIRE: Court Official's Arrest Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/ Newshawk: General Pulaski Pubdate: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 Source: United Press International Copyright: 1998 United Press International COURT OFFICIAL'S ARREST MIAMI, Fla., Dec. 11 (UPI) - It turns out a widespread dragnet for drug traffickers netted a bigger fish than expected in Miami's Liberty City this week. Arrested and charged with trying to buy $50 worth of cocaine was Bennie Hugh Frazier, the chief of U.S. District Court pretrial services. Frazier is responsible for recommending bail amounts for those charged with federal crimes and in charge of a staff of about 50 officers. He was freed on $5,000 bond.
------------------------------------------------------------------- Hidden Danger in Your Milk? Reporters File Suit To Thwart Fox-TV Coverup (A list subscriber forwards the URL for a web site where two veteran investigative reporters have posted documentation about their lawsuit alleging they were fired by FOX-owned WTVT Channel 13 in Tampa, Florida, for refusing orders to broadcast false and slanted stories about BGH, the dairy hormone banned in Europe and elsewhere because of human health concerns.) Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 16:04:15 EST Errors-To: jnr@insightweb.com Reply-To: friends@freecannabis.org Originator: friends@freecannabis.org Sender: friends@freecannabis.org From: Remembers@webtv.net (Genie Brittingham) To: Multiple recipients of list (friends@freecannabis.org) Subject: Fox BGH suit From: mrchan@geo.com (Mr.Chan) Date: Fri, Dec 11, 1998 Subject: Fox BGH suit *** http://www.foxBGHsuit.com/home.htm Hidden Danger in Your Milk? REPORTERS FILE SUIT TO THWART FOX-TV COVERUP You have arrived at the online news source for anyone who drinks milk or consumes other dairy products...and depends on the news media to report suspected health concerns accurately and honestly. Here you will find behind-the-scene details of what two veteran investigative reporters charge is an effort to coverup the truth about an artificial hormone they discovered is being widely used on much of America's dairy herd. In a lawsuit, the journalists say they were ultimately fired at FOX-owned WTVT Channel 13 in Tampa for refusing orders to broadcast false and slanted stories about BGH (or rBST). The dairy hormone is banned in all of Europe and other countries because of human health concerns. Included here, most of it from the actual court filings, is a story Fox withheld from its viewers for more than a year before firing the reporters and bringing in a less-experienced journalist who reported many of the same alleged inaccuracies and distortions Akre and Wilson refused to broadcast. This web site is created and maintained by the reporters who believe the story is just too important to keep covered up. Copyright (c)1998 Target Television Enterprises, Inc.
------------------------------------------------------------------- Cold kills more than 700 Americans a year (A list subscriber forwards an Associated Press item noting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that about 700 more Americans die every year from cold weather than from marijuana. No word when the government plans to launch a war on hypothermia.) From: "Bob Owen@W.H.E.N." (when@olywa.net) To: "_Drug Policy --" (when@hemp.net) Subject: Cold weather more dangerous than marijuana Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 19:30:52 -0800 Sender: owner-when@hemp.net Sorry for the morbid observation, but I imagine most everyone know that cannabis is medically non-toxic and has not ever killed humans. Bob_O *** Cold kills more than 700 Americans a year Associated Press, 12/11/98 01:17 ATLANTA (AP) - Cold weather kills more than 700 Americans a year, government researchers reported this week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that 12,368 Americans died of hypothermia between 1979 and 1995 - about three deaths per million people. Insulated, layered clothing, including hats, helps prevent hypothermia, as does abstaining from alcohol. Drinking causes heat loss by increasing blood flow to the surface of the skin.
------------------------------------------------------------------- Alcohol-Linked Traffic Deaths Still In Decline (The Orange County Register says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta attributed 16,189 traffic deaths in the United States in 1997 to alcohol, a 6 percent decline from 1996. Alcohol was a factor in 39 percent of traffic deaths.) Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 20:42:44 -0800 From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews) To: mapnews@mapinc.org Subject: MN: US: Alcohol-Linked Traffic Deaths Still In Decline Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/ Newshawk: John Black Pubdate: 11 Dec 1998 Source: Orange County Register (CA) Contact: letters@link.freedom.com Website: http://www.ocregister.com/ Copyright: 1998 The Orange County Register ALCOHOL-LINKED TRAFFIC DEATHS STILL IN DECLINE The number of people killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents continued a decade-long decline in the United States in 1997, but alcohol was still a factor in 39 percent of traffic deaths, officials said Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said 16,189 people were killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents in the United States in 1997, a 6 percent decline from 1996. Alcohol-related traffic fatalities have declined 32 percent since 1987, when 23,641 people were killed, the CDC said.
------------------------------------------------------------------- FBI housecleaning: 19 fired last year for misconduct (An Associated Press article in The Miami Herald says the Federal Bureau of Investigation fired 19 employees for misconduct last year, including an unspecified number of agents charged with drunken driving and "drug" use.) From: "Bob Owen@W.H.E.N." (when@olywa.net) To: "_Drug Policy --" (when@hemp.net) Subject: FBI housecleaning: 19 fired last year for misconduct Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 18:49:54 -0800 Sender: owner-when@hemp.net Published Friday, December 11, 1998, in the Miami Herald FBI housecleaning: 19 fired last year for misconduct By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON -- The FBI fired 19 employees for misconduct last year, including one special agent who spied for Russia and another who embezzled undercover funds. Others were dismissed for unprofessional conduct, unauthorized disclosures and arrests for charges that included drunk driving, misuse of government property, theft of government property, drug use, failure to cooperate with internal investigations and other crimes. In the first report on FBI Director Louis Freeh's program to reduce misconduct, the bureau's Office of Professional Responsibility said Wednesday that a total of 212 employees, including 99 agents and 113 support workers, were disciplined in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 1997, for offenses classified as serious misconduct. That total represents 0.8 percent of the FBI's workforce. Those 212 workers comprised nearly half of the 444 employees that the office finished investigating during the year. An additional 38 employees were either fired during their probationary period or resigned or retired while they were under investigation, the report said. The remainder were cleared. Dozens were punished In addition to those fired, two were demoted, 34 were suspended without pay for 15 or more days, 48 were suspended without pay for 14 or fewer days, 20 were put on probation, 49 were censured and 40 received oral reprimands. Among the lesser penalties, one employee was suspended for 21 days for sexual harassment; another was suspended for 30 days for alcohol-related misconduct, a third was demoted for misusing a government position. Those fired included agent Earl Pitts, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison after pleading guilty in Virginia to espionage charges, and supervisory agent Jerome Sullivan of Miami, who pleaded guilty to theft of government property after being charged with embezzling more than $400,000 in seized and undercover funds. A third agent was fired for falsifying information about his own background. His name was not released. The other 16 fired were support workers. The report summarized all but a handful of cases in general terms without names or job titles. The report did note that two FBI Laboratory employees received letters of censure based on a lengthy investigation by the Justice Department inspector general, who found the lab employees provided sloppy science and biased court testimony. Freeh outlines policy Freeh has issued what he calls ``Bright Line'' memos, which outline bureau policies on misconduct, and he doubled the size of the OPR to 23 agents and 38 support workers. At the same time, he gave FBI workers the right to hire lawyers when they are under internal investigation and expanded other rights of employees under scrutiny. ``My goal is for the American public, as well as all employees, to have total confidence that the disciplinary system is fair and promptly identifies and punishes misconduct without fear or favor,'' Freeh said. He sent copies of the 23-page OPR report to all 28,000 FBI employees. *** When away, you can STOP and RESTART W.H.E.N.'s news clippings by sending an e-mail to majordomo@hemp.net. Ignore the Subject: line. In the body put "unsubscribe when" to STOP. To RESTART, put "subscribe when" in the e-mail instead (No quotation marks.)
------------------------------------------------------------------- Strip searchers transferred (A Canadian Press article in The Toronto Sun says trustees for the Greater Essex County District School Board have decided that a vice-principal and a gym teacher who strip searched 19 students in Grade 9 at Kingsville District Secondary School will be suspended without pay for 10 days and transferred to different schools.)From: creator@islandnet.com (Matt Elrod) To: mattalk@listserv.islandnet.com Subject: Strip searchers transferred Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 09:26:19 -0800 Lines: 30 Newshawk: creator@mapinc.org Source: Toronto Sun (Canada) Contact: editor@sunpub.com Pubdate: Friday, December 11, 1998 Strip searchers transferred By CP WINDSOR, Ont. -- A vice-principal and a gym teacher who strip searched 19 Grade 9 students will be suspended without pay for 10 days and transferred to different schools. The vice-principal will also be demoted and the school's principal, Jerry Schen, will be given a letter of reprimand for failing "to take appropriate charge of the situation once he became aware there was a serious problem." That punishment was meted out yesterday by trustees with the Greater Essex County District School Board at a special meeting to deal with the Dec. 4 strip search at Kingsville District Secondary School, about 40 kms southeast of Windsor. The suspensions of vice-principal John MacDonald and phys-ed department head Dan Bondy will begin immediately, said director of education Val Pistor. The vice-principal earns about $75,000 a year while the gym teacher earns about $65,000. The loss of pay would mean about $3,750 for the vice-principal and about $3,250 for the teacher.
------------------------------------------------------------------- Give Authority Figures An Inch - They'll Take A Mile (Calgary Herald columnist Debra Harper comments on the strip-search of 20 boys in Grade 9 near Windsor, Ontario. How ironic, as the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the United Nations human rights declaration, to be reminded how easily, swiftly and righteously those rights can be swept away. This is what authoritarianism looks like. This is how it treats our children. This is what they have come to expect. If you are disgusted by this kind of abuse, where were you when half your neighbours were baying for harsher punishment when teenagers break the law? If we want kids to learn values and responsibilities, civility and civilization, they have to see it first.) Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 15:24:20 -0800 From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews) To: mapnews@mapinc.org Subject: MN: Canada: OPED: Give Authority Figures An Inch - They'll Take A Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/ Newshawk: Debra Harper Pubdate: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 Source: Calgary Herald (Canada) Contact: letters@theherald.southam.ca Website: http://www.calgaryherald.com/ Author: Catherine Ford, Calgary Herald GIVE AUTHORITY FIGURES AN INCH . . . THEY'LL TAKE A MILE Take a good look. This is what authoritarianism looks like. This is how it treats our children. It took a high school in a rural Ontario town to remind us the abuse of power isn't limited to big cities and bloated governments. All that's necessary is an authority figure, a victim and an excuse. They found one at Kingsville District High School, near Windsor, when $90 was reported stolen: 20 Grade 9 boys were strip-searched. It's not that we don't know how over-zealous functionaries can interpret their powers -- it's that we have apparently willingly forgotten. How ironic as world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the United Nations human rights declaration, to be reminded how easily, swiftly and righteously those rights can be swept away. The Supreme Court of Canada only two weeks ago ruled that schools and teachers could search students. The court thus deemed it appropriate that inside the country's educational system, protection against search and seizure does not apply. The arguments -- and appropriate ones they are -- revolve around fears of weapons and violence in schools. The court ruling gave teachers the right to search students if school authorities believe rules are being broken. The Supreme Court set guidelines when searches are reasonable and how they should be conducted. An education lawyer is quoted as remarking: "The Supreme Court decision is not saying you can undertake a dragnet or sweep search of students in an arbitrary fashion. You have to have reasonable grounds to believe that either a school rule has been broken or that a criminal offence is being committed." There was broad agreement from the public for the ruling. It was seen as an affirmation of the need for law and order in schools. It was soundly and roundly supported. Then Kingswell High School strip-searched a group of Grade 9 boys for some missing money. On the surface, both teachers and school could argue they acted within the law. But was it right for them to do so? It is difficult to contemplate a more mortifying act for young teenagers, at an age when humiliation is always one rejection or bully's taunt away. Only rape, perhaps, could be as clear a personal violation as having to strip in front of a teacher, bend over and, in the parlance of the cop shows, "spread 'em." This is the reality of strip searches: half-naked, vulnerable and having your anus "investigated" for contraband. The students were subjected only to a "visual" search, but the rubber-glove examination is a feature of prison life, sanctioned by the very real fact of drug smuggling. It also serves a secondary purpose -- the subjugation and degradation of prisoners to keep them aware of who's in control. It is a powerful tool. A malicious and predatory authority can make hard time an exquisitely painful emotional, mental and physical experience. And in much the same way, an authoritarian school figure -- little better than the jailhouse bully -- can make students' lives miserable. But here's the difference -- students have parents and other adults who sometimes see them as real people with rights. The vice-principal who authorized the search is reportedly "devastated" by the reaction and admits he made a mistake. The gym teacher who participated is looking for a lawyer. The principal is trying to blame the media. Parents are outraged and a town of 6,000 just wants all the fuss to go away. But before we do go away, take a good look. This is what authoritarianism looks like. This is how it treats our children. This is what they have come to expect. If you are disgusted by this kind of abuse, where were you when half your neighbours were baying for harsher punishment when teenagers break the law? Where were you when "family values" were interpreted to mean the ownership of children and the right of corporal punishment? Where are you when the smug and comfortable talk about poverty and hungry children as if they don't exist, as if they are a political stunt or are not their fault or ours? Where are you when store owners put up signs banning teenagers or fast-food restaurants boot them out because they aren't spending enough money? Where are you in all the other cases where children are taught that power, authority, age and money are all that's essential in life? If we want them to learn values and responsibilities; civility and civilization, they have to see it first. And yes, it is our fault.
------------------------------------------------------------------- Medium 'Uses Cannabis To Talk To The Dead' (The Eastern Daily Press, in Britain, says it took just a few minutes for a jury in Norwich Crown Court to convict a spiritual medium of possessing cannabis, despite her claim that she uses it to "get to the other side.") Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 18:03:07 -0800 From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews) To: mapnews@mapinc.org Subject: MN: UK: Medium 'Uses Cannabis To Talk To The Dead' Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/ Newshawk: webbooks@paston.co.uk (CLCIA) Pubdate: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 Source: Eastern Daily Press (UK) Contact: EDPLetters@ecn.co.uk MEDIUM 'USES CANNABIS TO TALK TO THE DEAD' A SPIRITUAL medium who smokes 45 UK pounds worth of cannabis a week, uses it to "get to the other side," Norwich Crown Court heard. Lorraine Simmons, 50, of Magdalen Strett, Norwich, was arrested for unlawful possession of the drug during a demonstration inside Norwich Cathedral in June. The jury heard undercover policewoman Tracey Riddell joined the demonstration within the cloisters and "netted" Simmons and co-defendent Jeffrey Girling. Both claimed they smoked the drug for religious reasons. During yesterday's hearing, Girling, who defended himself, told the jury he did not cosider cannabis a drug. He said it came from a God given plant and referred the jury to verses in the Book of Genesis in The Bible. The 54-year-old, also of Magdalen Street, handed out literature to the jury from the Universal Church of the Holy and Sacred Church and said it was the anniversary of the Human Rights, although he did not know who he could thank for that today. Simmons and Girling denied possessing cannabis and cannabis resin. Judge Peter Langan told the jury Girling was arguing his position was legitimate, firstly on the religious basis, something made lawful from the Book of Genesis, and, secondly, on the basis of Human Rights. The jury took just a few minutes to find both guilty. Simmons was fined £250 UK pounds, but Judge Langan adjourned sentence on Girling, who gave no details of income, to await a pre-sentencing report. He was bailed until January 8 and told the sentence was likley to be community service.
------------------------------------------------------------------- The Week Online with DRCNet, Issue No. 70 (The Drug Reform Coordination Network's original summary of drug policy news and calls to action, including - Exemplary citizen to be extradited on 25-year-old $10 marijuana conviction; Supreme Court strikes down car search law; Congressional report - Citibank facilitated Salinas money laundering; Exciting resources available online; Job opportunity; Fellowships and academic opportunities; Giving the gift of hope; and an editorial by Adam J. Smith, Human rights declared but not observed.) Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 02:47:40 -0500 To: drc-natl@drcnet.org From: DRCNet (drcnet@drcnet.org) Subject: The Week Online with DRCNet, Issue No. 70 Sender: owner-drc-natl@drcnet.org The Week Online with DRCNet, Issue No. 70 -- December 11, 1998 A Publication of the Drug Reform Coordination Network -------- PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE -------- (To sign off this list, mailto:listproc@drcnet.org with the line "signoff drc-natl" in the body of the message, or mailto:lists@drcnet.org for assistance. To subscribe to this list, visit http://www.drcnet.org/signup.html.) (This issue can be also be read on our web site at http://www.drcnet.org/wol/070.html. Check out the DRCNN weekly radio segment at http://www.drcnet.org/drcnn/.) PERMISSION to reprint or redistribute any or all of the contents of The Week Online is hereby granted. We ask that any use of these materials include proper credit and, where appropriate, a link to one or more of our web sites. If your publication customarily pays for publication, DRCNet requests checks payable to the organization. If your publication does not pay for materials, you are free to use the materials gratis. In all cases, we request notification for our records, including physical copies where material has appeared in print. Contact: Drug Reform Coordination Network, 2000 P St., NW, Suite 615, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 293-8340 (voice), (202) 293-8344 (fax), e-mail drcnet@drcnet.org. Thank you. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Exemplary Citizen to be Extradited on 25 Year-Old $10 Marijuana Conviction http://www.drcnet.org/wol/070.html#25years 2. Supreme Court Strikes Down Car Search Law http://www.drcnet.org/wol/070.html#nosearch 3. CONGRESSIONAL REPORT: Citibank Facilitated Salinas Money Laundering http://www.drcnet.org/wol/070.html#citibank 4. Exciting Resources Available Online http://www.drcnet.org/wol/070.html#resources 5. Job Opportunity http://www.drcnet.org/wol/070.html#opportunity 6. Fellowships and Academic Opportunities http://www.drcnet.org/wol/070.html#grants 7. Giving the Gift of Hope http://www.drcnet.org/wol/070.html#givinghope 8. EDITORIAL: Human Rights Declared but Not Observed http://www.drcnet.org/wol/070.html#editorial *** 1. Exemplary Citizen to be Extradited on 25 Year-Old $10 Marijuana Conviction [NOTE TO OUR READERS: We present this story as it poses an interesting ethical question. Is escape an ethical response to a conviction under a bad policy? Even if the convicted would have served only three months time? And should twenty-five years of exemplary life cause a prosecutor to choose not to seek the return of such an escapee? It is, in the end, the odd outcome of a flawed system, and we offer here the perspectives of the attorneys on either side.] Alfred Martin will be heading back to Virginia after a Michigan court ordered him extradited on charges that he walked away from a one year prison sentence in 1974. (Martin was sentenced to ten years, but all but one year of the sentence was suspended.) Martin had been sentenced for selling $10 worth of marijuana to a co-worker, and now faces charges of escape, as well as theft by conversion for failing to complete payments on a stereo and a television that he had bought on installment shortly before his original arrest and conviction. Martin, a broker for the Mortgage Company of Michigan, had led "an exemplary life since his conviction," according to Judge William Callahan, who nevertheless ruled in favor of the state of Virginia. Callahan also said that Martin and his family had been "a credit to the state" during their twenty-five years in Michigan. Virginia had tried once before to have Martin extradited, in 1976. At that time, then-Governor William Milikan granted him legal asylum in Michigan. Since that time, however, several Supreme Court rulings have supported the rights of states to retrieve persons from other states regardless of the circumstances. Gregory R. Neidle, Martin's attorney, told The Week Online, "the prosecutor (Joan Ziglar of Martinsville, VA) materially misrepresented Mr. Martin's situation both to the Governor of Virginia and to the Michigan court. There was no indication in any of her papers that my client had previously fought this for three years resulting in the granting of asylum. Legally, therefore, we believe that Mr. Martin has been wrongly extradited. From the standpoint of justice, he is a man who had no record prior to his arrest twenty-five years ago, and he's had no record since he's arrived in Michigan. He's a mortgage broker, a successful man, with a wife of twenty-six years and three children. There is absolutely no reasonable justification for sending Alfred Martin back to prison." Joan Ziglar has been the prosecutor in the town of Martinsville, population 16,000, for just under a year. Martinsville, she says, has a serious drug problem, in part due to its midpoint status between New York and Florida. According to Ziglar, approximately 70% of her cases are either directly or indirectly drug-related. She spoke with The Week Online: WOL: Mr. Martin walked away from his sentence almost twenty- five years ago. Why, after all this time, did you decide to pursue this case? Ziglar: When I was first elected, I sat down with my staff to discuss our priorities. One of those priorities was to pursue extradition of felons who had fled the jurisdiction. Mr. Martin fits that description and when the state of Michigan notified us that they had stopped him, I reopened his file just like I would for any other fugitive. I would also mention that unlike other extradition cases, where someone has fled before trial, Mr. Martin had been convicted here. He had escaped from detention. WOL: But even the judge in Michigan commented that he had led an exemplary life there. What do you hope to accomplish by putting him back in jail? Ziglar: Well, there are others here who are awaiting trial, and I want them all to know that if you run, no matter how far or long, we will come after you. So you might as well stay and take your medicine now. I also believe that we have to send a message that we will fight drugs, even marijuana. America is fed up with drugs, and I believe that it is my job to fight for a safer America. WOL: So now he will face his original sentence plus two others, right? Ziglar: Mr. Martin faces a maximum of five years for his escape, and a maximum of twenty years for the felony theft- by conversion charge. I would add that while he had originally been sentenced to two five year terms, all but six months of each of those had been suspended. And, going by the parole rules in 1974, he would have only served a total of three months of that year. Today, under truth in sentencing, he would have had to serve 85% of that year. WOL: And will you seek the maximum? Ziglar: Other than cases such as murder, I never ask for a specific sentence. I will argue to the jury that Mr. Martin is guilty of the charges, and that he should be punished appropriately. I will leave it to the jury to make the determination on what that may be. ACTION ITEM: If you have an opinion on this case, take a moment to send a letter to one of the Virginia newspapers listed below. You might want to mention that incarcerating Mr. Martin, who clearly poses no danger to anyone, will cost the taxpayers of Virginia upwards of $30,000 per year. Letters to the Editor Editorial Pages Box 85333 Richmond,VA 23293 fax: (804) 775-8090 Letters to the Editor Virginia Pilot P.O. Box 449 Norfolk, VA 23501-0449 fax: (757) 446-2051 letters@pilotonline.com Progress Index 15 Franklin Petersburg, VA 23803 Please send us copies of your letters, to: DRCNet, 2000 P St., NW, Suite 615, Washington, DC 20036, fax to (202) 293- 8344, or e-mail to alert-feedback@drcnet.org. *** 2. Supreme Court Strikes Down Car Search Law - Hanna Liebman The Supreme Court this week unanimously declared a whole category of police searching unconstitutional, a rare outcome for a court that has been seen as an automatic rubberstamp for police conduct, especially as that conduct relates to drug law enforcement. This week's decision reversed the Iowa Supreme Court and threw out a marijuana conviction when it held that a car may not be searched merely based upon the issuance of a speeding ticket or other traffic citation. Patrick Knowles was stopped for going 43 in a 25-mile-an- hour zone, and the officer issued a citation in lieu of arrest (which is permitted in Iowa for minor offenses). The officer then searched Mr. Knowles's passenger compartment, and found marijuana and a pipe. The Supreme Court earlier had approved a practice known as "search incident to arrest," whereby officers may search a car fully if an arrest is made. In Knowles, the Court said unequivocally that the search incident to arrest doctrine does not extend to situations when an arrest is not actually made. The Court's opinion centered on the fact that there are two justifications for the search incident doctrine -- danger to the police, and preservation of evidence -- neither of which is present during a traffic stop to the extent that they outweigh the 4th Amendment concern. In an earlier case, Whren v. United States, the Court had held that officers' decisions to stop cars for traffic violations were not subject to scrutiny as to the actual motivations as long as there was probable cause as to traffic violations. Thus, the Court here was not concerned with whether there was a pretext in the Knowles stop of looking for drugs. Though the issue was not raised here, it is important to note that many rights violations do occur in the service of drug enforcement. A good number of the landmark 4th Amendment cases have included drug searches and seizures. "Police are always looking for drugs, that's primarily the area where they make warrantless searches," says Paul Rosenberg of Des Moines, the attorney for Knowles. Adds Brooklyn Law School professor Susan N. Herman, who filed an amicus curiae brief in the case on behalf of the ACLU, often police who stop vehicles are "not highly concerned with the traffic. In Whren, they weren't even empowered to enforce traffic laws, they were vice squad!" While a line of previous decisions have broadened the powers of officers in connection with car stops, the Knowles case can be hailed as something of a victory for 4th Amendment protections. Given that on the order of "50 million people a year are cited for traffic violations, there's a huge potential for abuse. I think everybody can be very happy this opinion came down," notes Rosenberg. This case does put a stop to a practice that some, such as Rosenberg, argue was becoming more prevalent. "This was just a new monster that was lurking," he says. "The Supreme Court basically slammed the door." But while Knowles is a clear indication that the Court will not abide conduct that goes too far over the line, the opinion does not represent a marked shift in 4th Amendment jurisprudence, or in police behavior, warns professor Herman. For one thing, police can circumvent the prohibition by deciding to arrest the suspect, and then declining to follow through with the arrest if no contraband is discovered during the ensuing search. Herman calls that tactic "arrest incident to search." Despite her contention that the Knowles opinion is not a robust pronouncement of 4th Amendment values, Herman credits the opinion for what it does do, which is prevent the police from having "incredibly broad discretion to search any car" -- discretion, she says, that "we do see...is exercised in an arbitrary... manner." The Iowa Attorney General's office calls the practice of search incident to citation "rarely used" and acknowledges the Supreme Court's exhortation to police to use "other procedures [that are] available if they are concerned for their safety," such as ordering the occupants of a car to disembark. Meanwhile, attorney Rosenberg suggests that the real area in which police need to look for other procedures is in enforcing drug laws. "Officers have plenty of tools to deal with drug laws without resorting to this," he points out. *** 3. CONGRESSIONAL REPORT: Citibank Facilitated Salinas Money Laundering A Congressional report, released last week (12/5) says that executives of Citibank took in more than $100 million from Raul Salinas, brother of ex-Mexican President Carlos Salinas, and helped him to set up a complex web of offshore shell corporations, without attempting to verify the source of the money. Much of Salinas' fortune has since been seized by the Swiss government on suspicion that it represents protection money paid by drug traffickers. The New York Times reports that Salinas' personal Citibank banker advised him to move the money offshore in the wake of his 1995 arrest for murder. According to the report, Citibank officials did finally warn the U.S. government about Salinas' suspicious transactions, but even then did not tell the government about the network of accounts and corporations that the bank had set up for him to shield the money. Federal officials say that they have yet to determine whether or not Citibank broke any laws. According to the Times, both the Justice Department and the Federal Reserve Bank refused to cooperate with congressional investigators compiling the report. Money laundering, and efforts by the federal government to attack the drug trade through the monitoring of financial transactions, has become a contentious issue in recent years. Frustrated in their attempts to make headway in the drug war, federal agencies have sought greater and greater powers both against financial institutions and individuals. Currently, the federal government requires institutions to report any transaction larger than $10,000. In addition, federal regulators are hoping to see the 106th Congress pass the controversial "Know Your Customer" legislation, which will make financial institutions responsible for investigating the source of nearly all of their clients funds, as well as for monitoring all transactions to determine if any "unusual" activity is instigated by a client, regardless of the size of those transactions. Earlier this year, "Operation Casablanca," an 18-month investigation into drug-money laundering on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border, was hailed as a success by the justice department. That operation netted $135 million, according to government estimates, and several dozen arrests, although none of those arrested were considered high-level players. Critics questioned the impact of even this "largest-ever" bust, when it has been estimated that proceeds of the drug trade laundered back into the legitimate economy total hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Many economists believe that the idea of money laundering is itself problematic. Richard Rahn, former Chief Economist of the United States Chamber of Commerce and author of the book, "The End Of Money: The Struggle For Financial Privacy" told The Week Online, "In the first place, money laundering is very poorly defined. So much so, in fact, that the government can pick almost any financial institution, go through their records, and make a case. Further, to make private industry responsible for policing private citizens is an improper abdication of the job of the enforcement agencies. There are very many legitimate reasons why a person would want to keep the details of financial transactions secret, and so the requirements, which are in effect due to the government's inability to enforce other laws, is invasive. The record-keeping required of these institutions is also quite costly and makes those businesses far less efficient. "For my book, I did an analysis which found that the average cost to taxpayers per conviction for money laundering is over $100 million. And the truth is that in the digital age, where money can be moved so quickly and easily around the globe, only those who blunder will ever be caught. Clearly the bulk of the problem of illicit money stems from the unenforceable drug war. It is highly unlikely that we will ever put so much as a dent in the trade. It is exactly like Prohibition in the 1920's." Read about the proposed "Know Your Customer" rules in Wired Online's "Banking With Big Brother" article, online at http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/16749.html.) Also worth checking out is the Dec. 10 issue of the Wall Street Journal, available online for a fee, at http://www.wsj.com. Richard Rahn is was interviewed for this week's DRCNN radio show, previewable online at http://www.drcnet.org/drcnn/. *** 4. Exciting Resources Available Online "Drug War Facts," an extensive compilation of facts, stats and general background on a wide range of drug policy issues, is published online by Common Sense for Drug Policy and updated monthly. Check out Drug War Facts at http://www.csdp.org and visit it regularly to brush up on your numbers, prep for your next debate, or enhance your next letter to the editor. "Win At All Costs," a landmark ten-part series that is the fruit of a ten-year investigation into federal prosecutorial misconduct, has been published by the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette. The series, which will undoubtedly be considered for a Pulitzer Prize, details a culture of lawlessness among federal agents and prosecutors whose pursuit of convictions has come to overshadow their ostensible role as seekers of justice. You can find the series online at http://www.post-gazette.com/win/. Last week, famed Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz granted an interview to DRCNet, in relation to his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee regarding perjury. Dershowitz touched on drug policy issues, and the corrosive effect of drug enforcement on police scruples (see http://www.drcnet.org/wol/069.html#perjury). We forgot to mention that the testimony itself is available online, at http://www.c-span.org/guide/executive/investigation/ -- follow the link to December 1. The Lindesmith Center has a variety of new documents in its online library, including a "focal point" compilation of the research on safe injecting rooms, the National Research Council's 1982 report, "An Analysis of Marijuana Policy," articles on methadone maintenance, use of herbicides in drug crop eradication, Latin America drug policy, including discussions of militarization and the certification process, and more. Check out TLC's Recent Additions web page at http://www.lindesmith.org/library/new.html. *** 5. Job Opportunity The Lindesmith Center, a division of the Open Society Institute, is seeking an experienced webmaster. Job responsibilities will include creating new content for the web site and online library; supervising part-time web assistants; monitoring new additions to the hard copy library; promoting the website by updating search engines; acting as a liaison with public; planning design changes and adding new technology; and troubleshooting. Job requirements: BA, prior web site design/maintenance experience essential; knowledge of web programming tools, i.e. HTML, JavaScript, Real Media, PhotoShop, etc.; excellent organizational skills; attentive to detail; interest in/knowledge of drug policy issues preferred; creative self-starter, able to work in fast-paced professional environment; available immediately. Send letter, resume, salary requirements, three references to: Open Society Institute, Human Resources, Code WEB/TLC, 400 W. 59th Street, New York, New York 10019, or fax (212) 548-4663. The Open Society Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer. *** 6. Fellowships and Academic Opportunities The Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia will award nearly one half million dollars to outstanding graduate and undergraduate students - - fellowships range up to $12,000, and the deadline is December 31. Humane Studies Fellowships are awarded by the Institute for Humane Studies to support the work of outstanding students interested in the "classical liberal" tradition. Applications will be considered from those who (1) will be a full-time graduate student or undergraduate student with junior or senior standing in the 1999/00 academic year; (2) have a clearly demonstrated interest in the classical liberal/libertarian tradition, and 3) are interested in applying the principles of this tradition to their work. For more info, visit http://www.TheIHS.org. Substance Abuse Policy Research Program 1998, Round IV: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is requesting proposals for research projects that will produce policy-relevant information about ways to reduce the harm caused by the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs, or any combination thereof in the United States. This call for proposals is intended to encourage experts in public health, law, political science, medicine, sociology, criminal justice, economics, and other behavioral and policy sciences to address issues related to substance abuse, the nation's number one health problem. Projects supported are expected to increase understanding of public and private policy interventions to reduce the harm caused by the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs; including the advantages, disadvantages, and potential impact of these policies. This program is intended to identify and assess policies that can reduce the harm caused by substance abuse; to analyze their feasibility, effectiveness, and likely consequences; and to help ensure that the understanding gained through these analyses will be used by decision makers in the public and private sectors. Letters of intent are due by December 16. For further information, visit http://www.phs.wfubmc.edu/sshp/rwj/rwj.htm, or contact Andrea Ebbers, Substance Abuse Policy Research Program, Department of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1063, (336) 716-9714. *** 7. Giving the Gift of Hope Running out of time and still don't know what to give your loved ones, friends or colleagues this holiday season? Consider giving them a copy of Shattered Lives: Portraits from America's Drug War -- it will be a powerful way of letting them know that you care about them, this country, and the injustice that is being perpetrated on a growing segment of the population. DRCNet has teamed up with Human Rights '95 (www.hr95.org) for a special holiday offer: For just $25 complete, we will send a copy of Shattered Lives to your gift recipient, along with a card saying that this is a holiday gift from you, with best wishes for a peaceful, just, and free 1999! It will be sent by priority mail from the HR '95 office in El Cerrito, California, to make sure they get it in plenty of time for Christmas or Chanukah. To order, send a check or money order for $25 (discounts available on quantities of three or more), to: DRCNet, 2000 P St., NW, Suite 615, Washington, DC 20036, or call us at (202) 293-8340 or fax to (202) 293-8344 to pay by credit card, or use our secured online credit card form at https://www.drcnet.org/cgi-shl/drcreg.cgi -- indicate in the comments box that you are purchasing a gift, and include the name and address of the person to whom you wish it to be sent, and how you would like the card addressed. Giving the gift of knowledge is invaluable. People truly need to know what is going on in the name of the Drug War, and because this book tells personal stories from the front lines, everyone will find people in it with whom they can relate or sympathize. Give Shattered Lives to someone who has no idea just how out of control this Drug War is, or who as the "lock 'em up and throw away the key" mentality, or who just doesn't understand why you feel so passionately about this subject. Give it to someone who's taking risks without understanding the consequences, or to kids who need a warning before they start to experiment with drugs. Give it to a politician who doesn't understand how much harm they are doing, or to a minister who can use material for a sermon, or to a teacher who can use it as class material. Many nonviolent prisoners of the Drug War will be spending yet another holiday with prison guards rather than their loved ones. By helping their faces and stories to be known, you will be giving them a gift of hope this holiday season, and a chance for justice to prevail. *** 8. EDITORIAL: Human Rights Declared but Not Observed by Adam J. Smith, DRCNet Associate Director This past week marked the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the United Nations' Declaration on Human Rights. It is a remarkable document, written in the aftermath of the Holocaust, which acknowledges a commitment by the nations of the world to due process, equality, and personal freedom. Even today, while millions of people still live under conditions violative of both the letter and the spirit of the Declaration, it is held out as the marker of advanced society. It is shocking then, that fifty years after the world came together in agreement on standards for the treatment of the individual, the United States, its constitution the envy of billions of the world's citizens, pursues a policy which contradicts and offends those principles. The drug war, and the ever-escalating effort to enforce its unenforceable prohibitions, has led America down a path that few could have imagined fifty years ago, until now we have come to a time in our history when the unthinkable is routine, and the unquestionable has been questioned and even discarded. Whether out of frustration, ignorance or political ambition, a generation of leaders have sacrificed the moral high ground in favor of a moralistic oppression so foreign to the ideals of human rights as to shock the conscience. A brief look at but a few of the articles of the Declaration of Human Rights points to a system out of control, and a nation in a race toward the bottom in its treatment of its citizens. Article 10 of the United Nations Declaration states that "Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him." Yet every day in America, citizens are convicted and sentenced to long prison terms on the word of informants who are being paid, often in the currency of their own freedom, for their testimony. And while it would be illegal for an accused to offer anything of value in return for testimony on his or her behalf, they are routinely sent away, their lives destroyed, by people whose futures depend upon telling the court exactly what the state wants to hear. Article 12 states, "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks." Yet every day in America, the doors of citizens are kicked in on the word of confidential informants, police tap phones, sift through garbage, scan houses with infra-red sensors, stop and search travelers who fit vague "profiles", force people to urinate on demand for chemical tests and watch unsuspecting citizens with surveillance cameras. Privacy and the integrity of one's home and person have become a casualty of the unrelenting search for contraband, which can be anywhere and everywhere. Article 16.3 states, "The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state." Yet every day in America parents are taken from their children for terms of years or decades for non-violent offenses in which no one, save arguably the parents themselves have been harmed. Children are also taken from parents and incarcerated, for non-violent offenses, often to be housed with adult prisoners. Article 17.2 states, "No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property." Yet every day in America, government agents seize the property of individuals on the merest suspicion. That property is then presumed to belong to the state, whether or not criminal charges are filed. Proof is then required not of the government, but of the rightful owner, whether or not that individual can afford representation. Article 18 states, "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion: This right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance." Yet across America, practitioners of Rastafari, Coptic Christians, Sufi Moslems and others have been denied the right to their traditional sacraments. They have been told that their religion, and its commandments, do not meet the criteria of the state and are therefore illegitimate. Members of these groups are harassed, surveilled and jailed. When they are released, the terms of their parole or probation often forbid them to worship in their chosen manner and even to associate with others of their faith. Last week marked fifty years since the world came together in the aftermath of one of the greatest atrocities in the history of humankind. Humbled by the sheer powerlessness of the individual in the face of a state out of control, these representatives of the peoples of the globe set out the basic, minimal standards of freedom, equality, and the dignity of man. Fifty years ago the United States stood as the paragon of the virtues that they enumerated. Today, in the name of a war perpetrated upon her own citizens, that same United States makes a mockery of those ideals. It is stunning, really, that we have fallen so far, so fast. We as a nation are not, by virtue of our place in history, immune from tyranny. Nor, apparently, are we cognizant of its warning signs. *** DRCNet needs your support! Donations can be sent to 2000 P St., NW, Suite 615, Washington, DC 20036, or made by credit card at http://www.drcnet.org/drcreg.html. Donations to the Drug Reform Coordination Network are not tax-deductible. Deductible contributions supporting our educational work can be made by check to the DRCNet Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax- exempt organization, same address. *** DRCNet *** GATEWAY TO REFORM PAGE http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/ DRCNet HOME PAGE http://www.drcnet.org/ DRUG POLICY LIBRARY http://www.druglibrary.org/ JOIN/MAKE A DONATION http://www.drcnet.org/drcreg.html REFORMER'S CALENDAR http://www.drcnet.org/calendar.html SUBSCRIBE TO THIS LIST http://www.drcnet.org/signup.html -------------------------------------------------------------------
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