Monday, March 22, 2004

Bethlehem to pay $7.89M Hirko Settlement. Communities put on notice. Just released in the Morning Call: Mayor John Callahan on Monday announced that the city of Bethlehem will pay $7.89 million to settle the John Hirko Jr. federal civil case, a figure that avoids a potentially higher jury award and one Callahan believes should prevent the need for raising taxes to cover the settlement. Callahan and defense attorney John Karoly Jr. shook hands at the federal courthouse in Allentown in what amounted to a media photo opportunity. But it was symbolic nonetheless. It marked the end of a seven-year ordeal that began when Hirko was shot and killed and his residence was set on fire in a drug raid... Callahan said as part of the agreement the city would seek a $5 million grant for additional training for the police department. Background on the Hirko case is available here and here and here and here. This follows closely on the heels of a $5 million settlement in the Tulia, Texas case. Both of these cases could have ended up with massive jury judgments that could bankrupt a city, so the settlements are really relatively small. This is a wake-up call that communities need to be aware of the tactics being used by drug task forces in their area. A mistake by them could end up with significantly increased taxes. Citizens cannot afford to sit back and assume that drug task forces work properly. In fact, the nature of these task forces makes them an extreme high-risk for communities to employ, which is why such tactics should only be used as an absolute last resort (such as hostage situations), not for everyday drug busts. 6:31:13 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []

Elsewhere... At TalkLeft -- Canada to put marijuana in pharmacies. Of course, until they learn to grow the good stuff, it'll sit on the shelf getting stale. Good piece at LastOneSpeaks on Cyber Warfare Too Hard to Handle. The DEA is apparently trying to get foreign countries to help them snoop on the internet. 6:29:42 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []