Posted on 08/21/2005 10:03:51 AM PDT by freepatriot32
SANTA CRUZ A well-known local medical marijuana advocate is considering a lawsuit after getting caught with the drug at a Southern California airport in late July.
Valerie Corral said she was at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank when security officials found about "5 or so grams" of pot in her bag. She had a Santa Cruz County medical identification card and a doctors recommendation, she said.
That didnt keep her from being detained for about 45 minutes, having her pot taken and getting a citation.
Corral, co-founder of Santa Cruzs Wo/Mens Alliance for Medical Marijuana, said she is fighting the charge, and may sue to ensure state medical marijuana laws are followed in the city. She is getting help from the Drug Law Reform Project of the American Civil Liberties Union based in Santa Cruz.
"We intend to plead not guilty," said ACLU staff attorney Christina Alvarez of Santa Cruz.
A court hearing on the misdemeanor charge is set for Aug. 29. Alvarez said a decision on a civil suit would be made after that.
"Our primary concern is the police appeared to be under the impression the Compassionate Use Act was no longer in effect in California," Alvarez said.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that the federal government can charge people for marijuana possession even if they have a doctors recommendation and live in a state that has approved medical marijuana.
After the ruling, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer issued a statement saying the ruling had no impact on the validity of the California law.
Calls to the Burbank Police Department were referred to Bob Hope Airport, which has a separate police force. An airport spokesman declined comment, except to say citations issued by airport police are forwarded to city police.
Corral said she typically takes marijuana with her when traveling in California, but not to other states.
After a bust of WAMMs Davenport garden in September 2002, the group sued the U.S. Attorney Generals office in U.S. District Court in San Jose, eventually winning an injunction barring raids on its Davenport garden by federal agents.
ping
Gee whiz! Keep us posted on these interesting developments.
More liberal "we are above the law and we define the law by law suit".
I have a bust of Julius Caesar in my office.
No you have that exactly backwords.The police where acting above the law in this case.They illegally took her medical marijuana at gunpoint and issued her a citation even though the state attorney general said that the medical marijuan law was still valid as long as you are not holding federal case amounts of marijuna. 5 grams is not at the federal levels so she was under the state law that the cops ignored because they didnt like it. they decided to define the law by the barrel of a gun
Your a**hole government at work keeping you safe and the Drug War Warriors employed!
So you of course blame the police or whomever you can to shirk responsibility for your own actions.
The states are perfectly within their rights to refuse to enforce unconstitutional federal laws, according to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798. It is a necessary - nay, critical - part of states' rights and the sovereignty of the individual states defending against an encroaching federal government.
"Yes you liberals like to believe that you are allowed to break the law at will, but others cannot."
YOU are the liberal here.
After all, you approve of the Federal Government regulating things which are delegated to the States.
The State law says her actions were legal. State LEO's had no right to arrest her. You're being purposely ignorant, though I may be giving you too much credit.
More drug war lunacy here:
Tic Tac Search Of Student Leads to Suit
The parents of a Taylor Middle School student who was pulled off a school bus and searched after sharing orange Tic Tacs with his friends have filed a civil rights lawsuit claiming unreasonable search and seizure and excessive force.
Arlette and Dennis Mills, parents of 13-year-old Scott Mills, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque last month against the city, police officer Rudy Llamas, Durham D&M LLC bus company and a bus driver identified only as "Darlene Doe."
According to the lawsuit, Scott Mills, then a seventh-grader, was riding bus No. 225 on May 5 when he offered other bus riders some of his breath mints.
When the bus arrived at the first stop, the driver ordered Scott's seatmate off the bus to be searched for drugs.
Scott was then ordered off the bus and was searched by a man the complaint says turned out to be Llamas, an off-duty police officer.
"Cindy Sheehan contingent wants to have their dope and be above the law."
Wannabe conservatives are dopes who support autocratic federal power over federalism and separation of powers between states and the fed gov.
"Yes you liberals like to believe that you are allowed to break the law at will, but others cannot."
What law was being broken in this article?
Figures.
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