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Are Pot Users Criminals? The Tragic Case of Rachel Hoffman
ABC News ^ | July 24, 2008 | BRIAN ROSS and VIC WALTER

Posted on 07/25/2008 8:49:03 PM PDT by bamahead

After being caught twice with a "baggie" of marijuana, 23-year old Rachel Hoffman was reportedly told by police in Tallahassee, Florida that she would go to prison for four years unless she became an undercover informant.

The young woman, a recent graduate of Florida State University, was murdered during a botched sting operation two months ago.

"The idea of waging a war on drugs is to protect people and here it seems like we're putting people in harm's way," said Lance Block, a lawyer hired by Rachel's parents.

The Florida Attorney General's office says it is reviewing the procedures and protocol of the Tallahassee police.

"I'm calling her a criminal," Tallahassee police chief Dennis Jones told 20/20, who maintains that both drug dealers and drug users are considered criminals to his department.

Under Florida law, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana is a felony.

The Tallahassee police chief says Rachel was suspected of selling drugs and she was rightly treated as a criminal.

"That's my job as a police chief to find these criminals in our community and take them off the street, to make the proper arrests," Jones told 20/20.

Rachel's case also is raising questions about how police recruit and use informants in undercover operations.

"There need to be some safeguards here," said Block, the Hoffman family lawyer.

The young woman received no training before being sent to an undercover meeting to buy a large amount of drugs and a handgun from two suspects.

Police says Rachel was killed by the very handgun she was supposed to buy.

"I don't think she understood the risk or danger that she was in," said Block.

Rachel was in a drug court diversion program when she became an informant.

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: baronmunchiehausen; criminals; donutwatch; jbts; lawsuit; libertarians; munchies; pot; potheadalert; potheads; themunchies; wod; wosd
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To: BreezyDog

US, but have spent time in many places.

As for “university” I prefer it to “college”. Any schmoe can get into a community college, not so with universities.

Just my arrogance.


121 posted on 07/25/2008 10:32:23 PM PDT by Redcoat1982
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To: Redcoat1982

You don’t need to process it at all, you can make tea straight from the poppies, just soak them in water.

Don’t know much about this stuff do you? People have been screwing with pot making it stronger and stuff as well, so the entire ‘natural’ argument is bunk and you know it. It also is dried and prepared typically.

Opium poppies are probably EASIER to use and are far more natural at this stage than pot is.


122 posted on 07/25/2008 10:32:37 PM PDT by MartinStyles
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To: Redcoat1982

“Pot is a plant, put here by God, it doesn’t kill or harm.”

Poppy is a plant created by Go as is Cocca.


123 posted on 07/25/2008 10:33:24 PM PDT by truemiester ((If the U.S. should fail, a veil of darkness will come over the Earth for a thousand years))
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To: herewego

Just to point out...use or purchase was not prohibited under the Volstead act or the 18th.


124 posted on 07/25/2008 10:33:25 PM PDT by happinesswithoutpeace (You are receiving this broadcast as a dream)
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To: dalereed
One, hell over the years I probablu canned 50 usless bastards for using pot.

Potheads have an incredible sense of entitlement. The world owes them a living.

125 posted on 07/25/2008 10:33:38 PM PDT by Mojave
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To: MartinStyles

Yeah, but you can get your butt kicked by the cops for chewing gum in Singapore. Its a police state where individual rights are scarce. Be careful what you wish.


126 posted on 07/25/2008 10:33:53 PM PDT by Redcoat1982
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To: Mojave

A sense of superiority too, and the defense of their drug comes FIRST over every other topic. They take ANY attack on their drug and use of it as the most heinous of hate speech against them.

The addiction level and denial is astonishing.


127 posted on 07/25/2008 10:35:52 PM PDT by MartinStyles
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To: truemiester

So are peanuts, and they kill more people every year than pot.


128 posted on 07/25/2008 10:37:17 PM PDT by Redcoat1982
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To: Redcoat1982

Were you in the U of GA Redcoat Marching Band?


129 posted on 07/25/2008 10:38:53 PM PDT by BreezyDog
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To: dalereed
Let me get this straight, so in your business, over a period of time, you walked up and found over 50 people smoking pot?

Is that right?

Yes

So as you make your rounds, you catch them smoking pot while framing houses, grading, installing AC, roofing, and installing electrical wiring etc?

How exactly do you catch them? You just surprise them?

130 posted on 07/25/2008 10:39:40 PM PDT by dragnet2
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To: dragnet2

If he’s in construction, I’d imagine it was people who are used to smoking openly in their native country...

50 is probably low in that line of work.


131 posted on 07/25/2008 10:40:28 PM PDT by MartinStyles
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To: MartinStyles

OK, you make opium tea, you lean over and fall asleep. You have to process poppies to make heroin. Is pot stronger now? Sure, because its illegal. Stronger pot means less volume to ship.

Who is harmed, other than you?

I don’t care if you are addicted, not my problem.


132 posted on 07/25/2008 10:41:09 PM PDT by Redcoat1982
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To: BreezyDog

No, the only instrument I can play is my Ipod.


133 posted on 07/25/2008 10:42:13 PM PDT by Redcoat1982
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To: MartinStyles

Oh, so you’re saying all his employees are illegal aliens?


134 posted on 07/25/2008 10:42:45 PM PDT by dragnet2
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To: dragnet2

I have no idea, but he said construction to figure it out yourself.


135 posted on 07/25/2008 10:44:26 PM PDT by MartinStyles
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To: MartinStyles

Seems you have it figured out already.


136 posted on 07/25/2008 10:45:18 PM PDT by dragnet2
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To: I see my hands

“Would you abuse opiates just because they were available legally for recreational use? I’m guessing not. Why do you think others would?”

Because that’s what people do. Same reason tobacco and alcohol have to be regulated by age.


137 posted on 07/25/2008 10:45:25 PM PDT by waiyu (Living is the only thing worth dying for.)
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To: Redcoat1982

So are you for legalized opium growing and selling then?


138 posted on 07/25/2008 10:45:34 PM PDT by MartinStyles
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To: Peacekeeper357
" She was in Court Ordered Drug Diversion Program at the time she was arrested AGAIN for pot."

Being stupid is hardly reason for being put in mortal danger. They should have tried her and she shoud have faced the outcome.

139 posted on 07/25/2008 10:47:50 PM PDT by blackbart.223 (I live in Northern Nevada. Reid doesn't represent me.)
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To: blackbart.223

Sounds like she made a CHOICE to do this... She did the crime, didn’t want to do the crime, but karma got her in another way..


140 posted on 07/25/2008 10:48:38 PM PDT by MartinStyles
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