New Federal Legislation that Would Rein in Rogue Anti-Drug Task Forces to be Introduced

http://www.drugpolicy.org ^ | 5 25 05 | drug policy alliance

[freepatriot32]

At a press conference and Congressional briefing on Wednesday, May 25th, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) will introduce federal legislation that could cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in federal law enforcement grants to local anti-drug task forces. The legislation, which is being co-sponsored by Representatives John Conyers (D-MI), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Donald Payne (D-NJ), and Ed Towns (D-NY), would prohibit states from spending federal Byrne grants on regional narcotics task forces unless they adopt laws preventing people from being convicted of drug offenses when the only evidence against them is the uncorroborated testimony of a law enforcement officer or informant. States could still use the money for other activities, such as drug treatment and domestic violence prevention. Named after a small Texas town rocked by scandal, the “No More Tulia’s: Drug Law Enforcement Evidentiary Standards Improvement Act of 2005,” is the latest in a series of bi-partisan attacks on a federal grant program, known as the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program, that critics say is wasting taxpayer money and perpetuating police corruption and civil rights abuses.

“Congress needs to pass Representative Jackson Lee’s bill in order to prevent more innocent people from going to jail,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “Liberals and conservatives agree, the federal Byrne grant program is doing more harm than good.”

After dozens of people were falsely imprisoned for several years in Texas because of false allegations by one Byrne-funded undercover police officer, a coalition of Christian conservative state legislators including Rep. Rick Greens (R-Dripping Springs) and Rep. John Shields (R-San Antonio), and civil rights groups including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and ACLU of Texas, launched a campaign to change Texas law to prevent more innocent people from going to prison. In 2001, the Texas legislature outlawed drug convictions based solely on the testimony of an informant. The campaign to protect innocent people is now coming to Washington, with Rep. Jackson Lee’s legislation.

Numerous criminal justice reform and civil rights groups have signed a statement urging the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), to hold prompt hearings on the bill, including the ACLU, Drug Policy Alliance, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, NAACP, National Black Police Association, National Council of La Raza, and Open Society Policy Center. (Rep. Sensenbrenner pledged two years ago to hold hearings on the causes of the abuses in Tulia, but has yet to do so.) Five leading conservative groups have issued a sign-on letter urging Congress to support President Bush’s proposal to completely eliminate the Byrne grant program, because the program “has proved to be an ineffective and inefficient use of resources,” (the groups are American Conservative Union, Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, Citizens against Government Waste, and National Taxpayers Union).

WHAT: Press Conference on the introduction of the “No More Tulias: Drug Law

Enforcement Evidentiary Standards Improvement Act of 2005” by (followed by two short movies on corrupt anti-drug task forces)

[freepatriot32]

sane legislation from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee if i know my biblical history i believe that is either the 3rd or 4th sign of the apocalypse

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[proxy_user]

This is silly. They should create a new set of task forces, and have them run around the country arresting the first set of task forces and sending them to jail.

Maybe we could even have gunfights and car crashes.....

[motzman]

It really bothers me that I agree with her and the rest of the knuckleheads on this...

"I sense a disturbance in The Force"

[patton]

Now THAT would be a good use of taxpayer money. LOL.

[sgtbono2002]

As I look at the group sponsoring this bill I seem to see a lot of folks from States and Districts that have a BIIIIIG Drug problem. The ACLU, NAACP, Black Police Association , La Raza. The same folks who's constituents have a large p[opulation of folks in jail for drug dealing. It looks kind of like a bill to keep drug dealers out of jail. Now I am not in favor of innocent people being railroaded into jail by false testimony but I also feel maybe they are throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

[Cindy]

ON THE NET...

http://www.dea.gov
http://www.dea.gov/ongoing/narco-terrorism.html

[isthisnickcool]

I wonder who paid SJL for this? Because there are not a lot of votes to be had from "wrongly convicted: drug dealers.

Don't let the SJL you see on TV fool you. Like most people in Congress SJL is basically on ebay when it comes to what she does in Washington. When it comes to $$$ she's neither liberal or conservative. She's just available to the highest bidder.

[freepatriot32]

Maybe we could even have gunfights and car crashes.....

Yeah and they could broadcast it on fox and all the money made from the commercials can go to funding the task forces so they wouldnt need asset and taxpayer dollars to fund it that might work :-)

[freepatriot32]

asset forfeiture or taxpayers dollars to make it work

[freepatriot32]

would you care to explain why a thread about pending federal legislation that will effect pretty much every american was moved to the smoky backroom and all the topics erased?

[freepatriot32]

ping if you know anyonethat would be interested in this ping them to it they wont find out about it any other way the ad mod buried the thread

[sharktrager]

I agreed until I got to the part about basically saying if the only evidence is testimony of a law enforcement officer, there should be no case. That bothers me. If law enforcement officers are committing perjury, prosecute them. But to say we won't consider testimony of an honorable officer to be compelling evidence bothers me.

Besides, if the problem is crooked cops, what makes anyone think they won't plant evidence and/or have multiple crooked cops substantiate false accusations?

[sharktrager]

I didn't see them, but I would wager someone got offensive in the keywords, and the discussion of race baiting groups, as well as the vitriolic drug war debate, kind of destined it for eventual relocation anyway. Unfortunately, certain topics bring out some pretty hard core rhetoric and arguing.

[Wolfie]

Smokey Back Room ping.

[headsonpikes]

To paraphrase Mao, 'Communism with Republican Characteristics' ping.

[vikzilla]

But to say we won't consider testimony of an honorable officer to be compelling evidence bothers me.

I would tend to agree with you except for far to long the honorable officers have kept their mouths shut about the dishonorable officers.

You see it was more important for them to stand by their buddy and protect their career, than to stand by the constitution and rules against unreasonable search and seizure

Seems to be to be more of a case of the chickens coming home to roost.

[Know your rights]

Smokey Back Room

What's up with that? Is the WODerator on duty?

[sharktrager]

But, her argument reminds me of people who insist all murder cases should have eye witnesses and/or DNA. Problem is, that just isn't realistic.

[Know your rights]

It really bothers me that I agree with her and the rest of the knuckleheads on this...

You're not alone: "Five leading conservative groups have issued a sign-on letter urging Congress to support President Bush’s proposal to completely eliminate the Byrne grant program".