Sunday, April 4, 2004

Keith Alden released I received this information from Americans for Safe Access: Keith Alden, who has served more than a year in Federal prison for a conviction of cultivating marijuana was released on bail on Thursday night from Federal Prison Camp Sheridan.  He had to come up with his own money for the bus trip to his home in Sonoma County. The 9th Circuit court heard Keith's appeal on Feb. 2, 2004.  Appellate Judges Alfred T. Goodwin, A. Wallace Tashima and Richard R. Clifton ruled that the case was vacated and deferred pending the issue of the mandates on two cases:  U.S. v. Stewart, No. 02-10318, and Raich v. Ashcroft, 03-15481. Keith was one of those prosecuted in Federal court for growing marijuana who was not allowed in court to defend himself. As CalNorml wrote: In accordance with federal law, Judge Martin Jenkins rigorously excluded any mention of medicine, illness, medical marijuana or Prop. 215 at the proceedings. The court smiled condescendingly as Alden struggled with the rules of evidence and strove vainly to defend himself against the US government Leviathan. Naturally he was convicted. His release now is further evidence of the importance of the Raich v Ashcroft ruling in the 9th Circuit. 6:14:59 PM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

Oops. We almost killed you. Sorry. Here's some fruit. LastOneSpeaks has the story of another bad bust which could have easily become another unfortunate one of my Drug War Victims. From the Post: An 84-year-old Brooklyn man says he and his wife - who uses a walker - were terrorized by cops who invaded the wrong apartment looking for a drug dealer. As a result of their terrifying two-hour ordeal, Martin Goldberg said he has facial bruises and his 82-year-old wife, Leona, is in the hospital with an irregular heartbeat. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said the cops went to the right apartment in the wrong building of the Sheepshead Nostrand Houses in Sheepshead Bay. Goldberg's response about the NYPD after the incident: "Not going to change. They'll do the same thing over and over again." The police are trying to fix their little mistake. They've now sent the Goldbergs a big basket of fruit for Passover. How nice. 5:39:03 PM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []