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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: Mojave
Were you her dealer?

Let me guess...the midwife who delivered you was nicknamed "Butterfingers"...? Too bad it was head-down.

I'm asking you for the evidence to back up your claims. Please provide it.

461 posted on 07/26/2008 4:37:32 PM PDT by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: TKDietz

Thankfully, the only place in America where prostitution and wife-beating is tolerated is the Jerry Springer Show.

BTW... That youth minister was a former drug addict himself. He was speaking from experience.


462 posted on 07/26/2008 4:37:39 PM PDT by waiyu (Living is the only thing worth dying for.)
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To: SUSSA
So we need a war on moonshine?

Law enforcement is sufficient.

463 posted on 07/26/2008 5:00:00 PM PDT by Mojave
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To: Gondring
the midwife who delivered you was nicknamed "Butterfingers"...?

That must be pot humor.

464 posted on 07/26/2008 5:01:00 PM PDT by Mojave
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To: Mojave
Law enforced by force of arms ended slavery in America, not libertarian BS.

Well I can certainly see that you are a "Force of Arms" type guy.....but you err. This is what finally freed the slaves: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

It took a couple of generations....and almost did not even get started until some concessions were made with "slave" states. But, free men cannot tolerate violations of liberty in their midst. Slavery....as a concept, was doomed from the start once we told King George to take a hike! Slavery thrived under Stat-ism.....and a force of arms. Still does!

A free market would regulate and control the usage of dangerous drugs much better than any "gun toting bureaucrat"......or a whole army of them.

465 posted on 07/26/2008 5:05:05 PM PDT by Diego1618
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To: Diego1618
This is what finally freed the slaves:


466 posted on 07/26/2008 5:07:03 PM PDT by Mojave
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To: Mojave

Where are the moonshine wars?


467 posted on 07/26/2008 5:09:37 PM PDT by SUSSA
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To: SUSSA
Where are the moonshine wars?

The moonshiners lost long ago. Law enforcement is sufficient to keep the peace.

468 posted on 07/26/2008 5:11:05 PM PDT by Mojave
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To: Mojave

LOL

Repeal of alcohol prohibition took the big money out of moonshine. Now it only pays in a few places that still think alcohol prohibition works. There are no moonshine wars like there are drug wars because repeal took the profit incentive out of the trade.

Failure to learn from history causes societies to repeat the same mistakes again and again frequently with ever worse results as in the case of prohibition.


469 posted on 07/26/2008 5:28:32 PM PDT by SUSSA
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To: SUSSA
Repeal of alcohol prohibition took the big money out of moonshine.

Put a still in your front yard if you think moonshine is legal.

470 posted on 07/26/2008 5:30:45 PM PDT by Mojave
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To: SUSSA
Failure to learn from history causes societies to repeat the same mistakes again and again frequently with ever worse results as in the case of prohibition.

Bingo!

471 posted on 07/26/2008 5:32:54 PM PDT by Diego1618
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To: MileHi

Be Careful. Posting on a thread just to insult is one of the first symptoms of Liberalism. You might want to get that checked out.

Until then you may feel more at home on this website:
www.democraticunderground.com


472 posted on 07/26/2008 5:45:17 PM PDT by waiyu (Living is the only thing worth dying for.)
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To: Mojave

Alcohol is legal here no need for a still or a moonshiner. My supermarket has a fine supply at a very reasonable price. Repeal drove the price down and the quality up while taking the violence out of the trade.

Prohibition never worked anywhere ever. It doesn’t even work in prison. You could turn the entire country into one huge prison and people would still get drugs of some kind.


473 posted on 07/26/2008 5:48:00 PM PDT by SUSSA
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To: waiyu

DUers are big supporters of legalized dope.


474 posted on 07/26/2008 5:48:36 PM PDT by Mojave
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To: Mojave
Put a still in your front yard if you think moonshine is legal.

Just guard it with your straw man.

475 posted on 07/26/2008 5:48:51 PM PDT by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: Mojave
That must be pot humor.

I wouldn't know...I've never touched the stuff.

476 posted on 07/26/2008 5:50:43 PM PDT by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: SUSSA
Alcohol is legal here no need for a still or a moonshiner.

The manufacture and sale of alcohol is done under license and is closely regulated under federal, state and local law. Is that what you mean when you demand "legaliztion" of pot?

477 posted on 07/26/2008 5:51:27 PM PDT by Mojave
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To: jan in Colorado

ping


478 posted on 07/26/2008 5:52:27 PM PDT by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: Gondring

I’m reminded of the liberal talk show callers who always announce that they’re lifelong Republicans as soon as they get on the air.


479 posted on 07/26/2008 5:53:32 PM PDT by Mojave
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To: MartinStyles

It’s kinda cool...speeders ought to be threatened with felony charges and convinced they should do the high-speed chases so we don’t need so many cops on the highways.

And we can get rid of the secretaries in the offices, too. Why, who needs workers with OSHA protections, etc., when you can just threaten citizens into laboring for you instead of hiring personnel that have to be paid, trained, etc.


480 posted on 07/26/2008 5:54:48 PM PDT by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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