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 ...
Ludicrous counter-argument that only serves to inflame.
“How did you catch them? On the job?”
yes.
I wish I had a little pot right now .
I have a friend that when he drinks he likes to go driving, but when he smokes he stays at home and plays video games. I finally convinced him to stop drinking when he almost killed his neighbors kid coming home one night. I would rather he smoke weed. My point with the bank thing is that if we legalize everything people are into then we have anarchy. There are many good reasons to legalize it, but then what? What will people try to legalize next? Do you really want kids laying around smoking or are you for regulating it? At what age would it be legal to smoke? 21? 18? 12?
From the article, "Rachel was in a drug court diversion program when she became an informant. "
I'll have to make an educated guess as to her guilt.
Is "more guilty" like a 'little pregnant'?
According to the story, she also had ecstasy pills on her.
Wow, why do so many people feel the need to smoke rope while working for you?
21. Same as alcohol.
You can grow weed anywhere.
If people can grow it, they don’t need to buy it from gangsters. I am for pot and hashish to be legal, nothing more.
Hear, hear.
Florida state attorney Willie Meggs said Hoffman, as part of the drug court program, never should have been used as an informant in the first place. "The drug court contract says you are not to associate with anyone using drugs," said Meggs. Under Tallahassee police department rules, any time a person under court probation is to be used as an informant, it requires the permission of the state attorney. Meggs was never notified, and never gave his permission for Hoffman to participate in the sting.
Drunk, hunGover, using pot, or any other drug they were instant history.
They are dangerous to not only themselves but to people that had to work with them besides being non productive.
I never left the office without a payroll check book and everyone that worked for me knew it.
OK "guilty of a worse crime" if you want to be technical
At this point, a good case can be made for legalizing opiates. It would drive the price of heroin down to it's true value - nothing - and the Taliban would be deprived of their major source of funding. If our military mission in Afghanistan becomes an opium war, it will go on forever - unless we nuke Helmand province. Of course, there would be a lot more addicts, but that is more acceptable than allowing the Taliban terrorists to grow richer and more threatening to Afghanistan and the U.S.
So, once you are convicted of a crime (or intimidated into pleading on it), then you are automatically guilty of any accusation they want to put on you in the future?
Sorry, but that’s not how America works...yet.
It’s nice to hear from someone that doesn’t have a room full of black light posters and a ‘killer’ skull bong. Thanks, I figured that I would get hammered by everyone for saying that.
“why do so many people feel the need to smoke rope while working for you?”
Probably because they were baby boomers or younger.
And stick with jute, the nylon type is a bummer
Hungover?
What if they were just sick?
How would you know?
I’d sue you into bankruptcy.
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