Feds will retry pot activist (our tax dollars on drugs)

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 4/13/2007 | Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

[socrates_shoe]

The government will retry a prominent marijuana advocate on cultivation charges even though he faces no punishment if convicted, beyond the one day in jail he's already served, a federal prosecutor said today.

Prosecutors decided on a second trial for Ed Rosenthal after a "thorough and careful review,'' Assistant U.S. Attorney George Bevan told U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer...

Defense lawyer Shari Greenberger said she would ask Breyer to order the government to reimburse Rosenthal for the time his lawyers spent getting the new charges dismissed.

[socrates_shoe]

Nothing like a few hundred thousand dollars thrown down a rat hole for no purpose except to highlight that, whatever the effects of drugs, the "war on drugs" has rotted public officials' common sense.

[seacapn]

Crazy things happen when the government has a personal vendetta against you.

[an amused spectator]

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

[SteveMcKing]

He broke the law.

Change the law if you can, but he should be pursued so long as he has broken it.

[goldstategop]

Yep. It just shows federal prosecutors are as brain dead as Mike Nifong.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[flashbunny]

“he faces no punishment if convicted, beyond the one day in jail he’s already served, a federal prosecutor said today.”

Yeah, the feds need to go after him and stop worrying about those insignificant 20 million illegal aliens in the country.

[microgood]

The abuses of the Justice Department and DEA related to the Drug War are a disgrace. Karen Tandy from the DEA is a real piece of work as is John Walters. Bush sure appointed a lot of people to Justice who will break any law and violate anyone's rights to attain their ends.

I will be relieved when Bush's Justice Department is history. Maybe then doctors will actually be able to prescribe pain medication again.

[socrates_shoe]

Understand this: even IF the feds win (which is a hotly contested topic and I like my money too much to bet on their side) they get **nothing**.

He’s already served all the time in jail he will ever serve on these charges.

They’re doubling down with a duece and a three and the dealer showing an ace here.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

(our tax dollars on drugs)

OR:

Their drugs on our tax dollars

It's a stumper ...

/h

[Star Traveler]

You said — “He broke the law. Change the law if you can, but he should be pursued so long as he has broken it.”

So, why aren’t they pursuing all those millions of illegal aliens then? I mean, since even the government doesn’t have enough resources (coming from our money) to pursue *everything* — why don’t they pick on one of the biggest illegal operations going on in this country — the illegals coming across the border. That requires *much more* attention than this does.

Mind you, I’m not speaking as one who does that stuff, either — but rather, looking at it from the standpoint of which is the greater *present danger* to our society, as we speak. It’s the illegal aliens.

Regards,
Star Traveler

[Wormwood]

I can’t *wait* until this batch of federal prosecutors are fired.

[capt. norm]

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Or it could be seen as Obsessive Oppressive-Compulsive Disorder.

[SmithL]

Breyer, Charles R.

Born 1941 in San Francisco, CA

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U. S. District Court, Northern District of California
Nominated by William J. Clinton on July 24, 1997, to a seat vacated by D. Lowell Jensen; Confirmed by the Senate on November 8, 1997, and received commission on November 12, 1997.

Education:
Harvard College, A.B., 1963

University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, J.D., 1966

Professional Career:
Law clerk, Hon. Oliver Carter, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 1966-1967
Counsel, Legal Aid Society of San Francisco, California, 1967
Assistant district attorney, District Attorney's Office, City & County of San Francisco, California, 1967-1973
Assistant special prosecutor, Watergate Special Prosecution Force, 1973-1974
Private practice, San Francisco, California, 1974-1979
Chief assistant district attorney, District Attorney's Office, City and County of San Francisco, California, 1979
Private practice, San Francisco, California, 1980-1997

Race or Ethnicity: White

Gender: Male

[robertpaulsen]

Good. Get a felony conviction on record for this jagoff.

[socrates_shoe]

Rosenthal told reporters afterward that he was glad the government had opted for a new trial rather than dropping the case.

“When I win this case, it’s saying to the government, ‘You have to stop harassing the medical (marijuana) dispensaries...”, said Rosenthal.
ibid

Betting it all on a losing hand is something that drunks and people with serious gambling problems do... it shouldn’t be considered proper behavior for the US Department of Justice.

[microgood]

Good. Get a felony conviction on record for this jagoff.

From the article:

Breyer ruled last month that prosecutors had added the new charges vindictively in retaliation for Rosenthal's successful appeal and his public statements disputing the fairness of his trial.

The tax and money-laundering charges that Breyer dismissed were punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Actually these prosecutors are worse than this guy could even dream of being. Falsely and vindictively charging someone for a crime like this should get these prosecutors life in prison. But we know these criminals will get off scott free.

[Labyrinthos]

I bet the libs wished that Gonzolas had fired this particular U.S. Attorney.

[robertpaulsen]

Maybe Rosenthal will learn to keep his yap shut. Maybe not.

[microgood]

Maybe Rosenthal will learn to keep his yap shut. Maybe not.

In any case, these prosecutors are about as competent as this guy:

Straight shooting DEA Agent

[mysterio]

Waste of money. Just like the entire failed war on some drugs. We should put the entire drug war to a nationwide ballot vote. Those who vote “yes” to keep it have to put down their name and address. Then they get monthly bills to pay for it. Because I don’t want my money anywhere near that freedom sucking, authoritarian statist failed drug war.