Feds arrest medical marijauna patients the moment State dismissed charges.

marijuana.com ^ | 1 -14 -03 | William Dolphin

[freepatriot32]

Feds Grab Medical Marijuana Patients from California State Courtroom

Couple Arrested As Attorneys and Judge Meet in Chambers; State Charges Dismissed

Press Conference, Emergency Action at Sacramento Federal Building at Noon Friday

Sacramento (Wednesday, January 14, 2004) – In a stunning display of duplicitous double dealing, federal agents yesterday seized two medical marijuana patients from a California state courtroom after the local prosecutor lured the couple’s defense counsel into the judge’s chambers to dismiss the state charges filed against them.

David Davidson and Cynthia Blake were in state court on a motion seeking to have charges of marijuana cultivation and distribution dismissed, based on the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 which made medical use of marijuana legal in California. Both Ms. Blake and Mr. Davidson have doctors’ authorizations to use marijuana for medical conditions. Fewer than 30 plants, little more than a pound of dried marijuana and some cuttings were seized by the Tehama Sheriff’s Department during the July 29th raid on the Red Bluff home of Ms. Blake that resulted in her and Mr. Davidson’s arrest.

As Davidson and Blake’s attorneys, Omar Figueroa and Shari Greenberger, met in the judge’s chambers with prosecutor Lynn Strom to discuss the details of dismissing the charges, prosecutor Strom informed them that she was dropping the charges only because federal officers were at that moment arresting Davidson and Blake in the courtroom.

“These federal arrests are utterly outrageous,” said Steph Sherer, Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access, a national medical marijuana coalition. “The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has already said they are violating the Constitution when they arrest patients. And now they are tricking defense attorneys to separate them from their clients. How many rights have to be trampled before we fix this?”

Americans for Safe Access has called for emergency actions on Friday at noon at federal buildings across the country. Demonstrations are currently planned in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Cincinnatti, and Spokane, with more in the works.

A press conference with Ms Blake, Mr. Davidson, attorney Tony Serra, and Steph Sherer will also take place in front of the Sacramento federal building at 5th and I. David Davidson and Cynthia Blake were released yesterday on $50,000 bond each, and will be arraigned Friday at 2 pm in Sacramento. The government alleges that they were conspiring to cultivate and distribute 1000+ plants (a 10 year mandatory minimum if convicted); and that they were in actual possession of 100+ plants.( a 5 year mandatory minimum if convicted)

Their lawyers are confident they will be exonerated. You may recall that Bryan Epis was convicted in this same court of conspiracy (based on some misrepresented computer files).

Please organize something locally for tomorrow if you can - sample press release, flyers, and Citation orders can be downloaded from: ASA

WHAT: Press Conference and protest of the federal arrest of David Davidson and Cynthia Blake.

WHO: David Davidson and Cynthia Blake. Attorney Tony Serra. Steph Sherer, Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access.

WHEN: Friday, January 16, 2004 at Noon

WHERE: Federal building in Sacramento (5th and I). Federal buildings across the country.

A grassroots coalition of 5,500 patients, doctors and advocates, Americans for Safe Access is the leading national organization working on medical marijuana. For more information, contact William Dolphin (510) 919-1498.

# # #

Hilary McQuie Campaign Director Americans for Safe Access 1678 Shattuck Ave. #317 Berkeley, CA 94709 510-486-8083 www.safeaccessnow.org

[freepatriot32]

is it just me or is everyone having a hard time telling the difference from george bushs federal agents and bill clintons? Any day now i expect to turn on the news and see a religious compound burning down with women and children in it but the firestarters would have a (R) next to thier name so it would be peachy keen right ?

[Modernman]

The Federal government is fighting a rearguard action on this issue. I predict that, within a decade, marijuana will be legal for personal use in this country.

[EggsAckley]

They pulled this same thing in Santa Cruz County about a year ago. The whole thing is like the Twilight Zone.

[freepatriot32]

ping

[headsonpikes]

Why was this thread SBRed?

Is the site linked obnoxious?

The story itself certainly seems appropriate to this forum.

[bert]

is it just me .......

Probably.

The issue here is the federal law and a general California reluctance to eliminate pot.

The federal law is being enforced in California. The folks in California are not being allowed to cherry pick which laws they will obey and which laws they will not obey.

If you can't differentiate Ashcroft from the the Clinton Alcoholic Lesbo Reno, there is a significant problem.

[headsonpikes]

Oh , short-bussed, not SBRed.

Same question.

[headsonpikes]

Oops! NOW it's SBRed!

Pardon my French, but WTF?

[Wolfie]

Because the owners don't want you to know that busting patients is high on the Bush prirority list.

[philman_36]

Think they'll try this tactic with the Denver case?

[Wolfie]

They'll keep it up until local voters hold local elected officials responsible. The Feds busting patients who aren't violating State law is one thing, State law enforcment being complicit in the arrests is another.

[freepatriot32]

thats a good question it cant be because of a flame war since there isnt one on this thread and this is definitly news that should be on free republic unless support of the tenth amendment has all of the sudden becomea liberal issue best left to the democrat underground forums ?

[Oztrich Boy]

If you can't differentiate Ashcroft from the the Clinton Alcoholic Lesbo Reno, there is a significant problem.

I think that was what freepatriot32 was saying.

[Wolfie]

Found this little tidbit in another article.

When they did, Tehama County Sheriff's deputies -- acting on federal authority under a local-federal drug task force's auspices -- arrested the pair on the federal charges, issued last week by a grand jury in Sacramento.

So not only are the State's attorneys playing for the Feds, so are the local troops. National Police Force, anyone?

[William Terrell]

The issue here is the federal law and a general California reluctance to eliminate pot.

Query: Exactly how would you go about eliminating pot?

[William Terrell]

I'm in agreement with these other folks. Why in the world did you move this article to the Smokey Back Room and out of the line of sight?

This is a rather egregious development in the tactics of the feds, don't you think? Is it your purpose to screen this kind of federal brutality, playing fast and loose with our justice system, from the rest of the forum?

Why would you want to hide it?

Do you condone this duplicitous, vile alliance on the part of our federal and state justice system? What if it occured in an area of regulation like firearms, which it could easily do, having established preecedent and become custom?

Let everybody in the forum see it. Let them consider its implications. I would have expected this sort of thing from DU.

[bert]

There is apparently no effective way to eliminate pot.

There are laws and they should be obeyed.

Otherwise it'll be open season on lawyers.

[vin-one]

good question, why move to the SBR, when this is very interesting case
arrest someone on fed charges as case is being dismissed on local level.
I guess they were guilty of violating the interstate laws.

[tacticalogic]

Any bets as to wheather the word "interstate" appears anywhere on the warrant?

[vin-one]

depends on the odds your offering, but they would have to be pretty darn good.