Drug War Chronicle, Issue #545 -- 8/1/08
Phillip S. Smith, Editor, http://stopthedrugwar.org/user/psmith
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545

A Publication of StoptheDrugWar.org
David Borden, Executive Director,
http://stopthedrugwar.org/user/borden
"News and Activism Supporting Sensible Reform"

Students: Intern at StoptheDrugWar.org to stop the drug war now!
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/drcnet_internships_to_stop_the_drug_war

Table of Contents:

1. EDITORIAL: TWO DOGS DEAD, A FAMILY TRAUMATIZED, ANOTHER DAY
IN THE DRUG WAR
County police near Washington brought marijuana to a local
mayor's home, then sent a SWAT team in because of the marijuana.
Now the family's two dogs are dead. Another day in the drug war.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/another_day_in_the_drug_war

2. FEATURE: FEDERAL MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION BILL HAS ITS
COMING OUT PARTY
For the first time in decades, there is a marijuana
decriminalization bill before Congress. No one thinks it will
pass this year, but you have to start somewhere.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/barney_frank_federal_marijuana_decrimina...

3. FEATURE: PRESCRIPTION DRUG "FATAL MEDICAL ERRORS" RISING
DRAMATICALLY -- WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
A study released this week shows a dramatic increase in "fatal
medical errors" related to self-administered prescription drugs,
especially when other drugs and/or alcohol are involved. But the
study is raising as many questions as answers.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/fatal_medical_error_prescription_drug_de...

4. STUDENTS: INTERN AT DRCNET AND HELP STOP THE DRUG WAR!
Apply for an internship at DRCNet for this fall (or spring), and
you could spend the semester fighting the good fight!
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/drcnet_internships_to_stop_the_drug_war

5. LAW ENFORCEMENT: THIS WEEK'S CORRUPT COPS STORIES
Prison guards get busted as cocaine traffickers in Louisiana and
New Jersey, and a pair of North Carolina cops plea to helping
out the local cocaine trade.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/police_drug_corruption

6. RACIAL PROFILING: LATEST ILLINOIS REPORT PROMPTS CIVIL RIGHTS
GROUPS TO CALL FOR END TO CONSENT SEARCHES
Another year, and another report showing racial profiling by
Illinois law enforcement. Now, civil rights groups want the
governor to end the policy of allowing consent searches by state
troopers.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/illinois_racial_profiling_of_drivers

7. HARM REDUCTION: BILL TO END FEDERAL NEEDLE EXCHANGE BAN FILED
Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY) and 25 cosponsors have filed a bill
that would lift the 20-year-old federal ban on funding for
needle exchange programs.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/federal_needle_exchange_funding_bill_fil...

8. MEDICAL MARIJUANA: DEA SEIZES MEDICAL MARIJUANA SEIZED BY
SEATTLE POLICE
Although Washington state has a medical marijuana law and the
city of Seattle has a lowest law enforcement priority ordinance,
Seattle police two weeks ago raided a medical marijuana co-op,
seizing patient records and 12 ounces of medicine. The co-op got
the records back, but now the DEA has seized the marijuana.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/DEA_seizes_medical_marijuana_from_seattl...

9. MARIJUANA: JOPLIN, MISSOURI, DECRIM INITIATIVE IN FINAL
SIGNATURE-GATHERING PUSH
An initiative that would decriminalize possession of up to 35
grams of marijuana in Joplin, Missouri, is in a last-minute push
to get the number of valid signatures required to make the
November ballot.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/joplin_marijuana_decriminalization_initi...

10. MARIJUANA: FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS, LOWEST PRIORITY
INITIATIVE IN SIGNATURE DRIVE
An initiative that would make adult marijuana possession
offenses the lowest law enforcement priority is in the
signature-gathering phase in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/fayetteville_lowest_priority_marijuana_i...

11. SOUTHWEST ASIA: IRANIAN HARM REDUCTION DOCTORS ARRESTED,
HELD WITHOUT EXPLANATION
A pair of Iranian physicians who are internationally known harm
reduction practitioners have been arrested by Iranian
authorities. No reason has been given, they are being held
incommunicado, and there is a petition drive underway to secure
their release.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/iranian_harm_reduction_doctors_arrested

12. LATIN AMERICA: IN BID TO REDUCE US INFLUENCE, BOLIVIA TO
FUND OWN ANTI-DRUG UNIT
The Bolivian government announced late last week that it would
fund its own anti-drug units in a bid to reduce foreign (read:
US) influence over its coca and cocaine policies.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/bolivia_funds_anti_drug_unit_for_first_t...

13. EUROPE: BRITAIN'S DRUG WAR NOT WORKING, THINK-TANK FINDS
A leading independent British commission has examined the UK's
war on drugs and found it ineffective and misguided.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/british_drug_war_not_working_study_finds

14. WEEKLY: THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of
years past.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/drug_war_history

15. JOB OPPORTUNITY: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JUSTICE POLICY
INSTITUTE, DC
The Justice Policy Institute (JPI) is seeking a dedicated and
experienced Executive Director for its Washington, DC office.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/justice_policy_institute_hiring_executiv...

16. JOB OPPORTUNITY: STATE LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS DIRECTOR,
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS, DC
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is
hiring a State Legislative Affairs Director for its Washington,
DC office.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/nacdl_hiring_state_legislative_director

17. WEEKLY: BLOGGING @ THE SPEAKEASY
"Marijuana Laws Killed Two People This Week," "SWAT Team Kills
Mayor's Dogs in Botched Drug Raid," "Drug-Sniffing Turtle
Discovers Marijuana," "Six More Drug War Disgraces," "US Drug
War Funding Supports Human Rights Violations in Mexico," "Isn't
it Already Illegal to Traffic Drugs in a Submarine?," "Drug
Raid: Police Shoot Man, Find Nothing But Codeine Syrup,"
"Everyone Should Know the Story of Rachel Hoffman," "Concerned
Citizen Launches "Drugs Bring Death" Campaign," "Drug Dealing,
Entrepreneurship, and Drug Prohibition," "Hey, Dirtbags, Ya
Wanna Know What Cops Think About Frank's Decrim Bill (and You)?"

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/blogging_at_the_speakeasy

18. FEEDBACK: DO YOU READ DRUG WAR CHRONICLE?
Do you read Drug War Chronicle? If so, we need your feedback to
evaluate our work and make the case for Drug War Chronicle to
funders. We need donations too.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/do_you_read_drug_war_chronicle

19. WEBMASTERS: HELP THE MOVEMENT BY RUNNING DRCNET SYNDICATION
FEEDS ON YOUR WEB SITE!
Support the cause by featuring automatically-updating Drug War
Chronicle and other DRCNet content links on your web site!
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/drug_policy_content_syndication_feeds_no...

20. RESOURCE: DRCNET WEB SITE OFFERS WIDE ARRAY OF RSS FEEDS FOR
YOUR READER
A new way for you to receive DRCNet articles -- Drug War
Chronicle and more -- is now available.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/drug_policy_RSS_feeds_now_available

21. RESOURCE: REFORMER'S CALENDAR ACCESSIBLE THROUGH DRCNET WEB
SITE
Visit our new web site each day to see a running countdown to
the events coming up the soonest, and more.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/drug_reform_calendar

(Not subscribed? Visit http://stopthedrugwar.org to sign up
today!)

================

1. Editorial: Two Dogs Dead, a Family Traumatized, Another Day
in the Drug War
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/545/another_day_in_the_drug_war

David Borden, Executive Director,
http://stopthedrugwar.org/user/borden

This newsletter has reported or opined on the issue of
paramilitarization in policing
(http://stopthedrugwar.org/policeraids) many times. This week
that outrage struck in my own figurative backyard. At 7:00pm
Wednesday, in the tiny DC suburb of Berwyn Heights, a SWAT team
from the Prince Georges County, Maryland, police department,
stormed a home, killed two dogs, then handcuffed one of the
homeowners and his mother-in-law on the floor for hours as the
dogs' blood drained around them.

That homeowner happened to be the mayor of the town, a fact
which has drawn a lot of attention
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/30/AR2008073003299....)
to the incident. Unfortunately, as reckless as this police
squad's actions were, and as tragic the outcome, it is by no
means unique. One study has estimated the number of SWAT raids
nationwide at about 40,000 per year, and the killing of both
dogs and people has occurred many times. One mother and child
who lost their dog to a SWAT team spoke out in an interview with
one of our supporters
(http://stopthedrugwar.org/videos/swat_team_drug_raid_claims_life_of_pet)
two years ago.

The rationale for the home invasion was that a package of
marijuana -- 32 pounds of it -- had been delivered to the home.
What was mentioned in the reporting, though, but not reflected
on, is that the package had actually been brought to the home by
the police! The sequence of events is both revealing and
nauseating. A drug dog in Arizona smelled marijuana inside a
package at the post office, addressed to the mayor's wife.
Police brought the package to Maryland, and disguised as postal
workers delivered it the house. The box sat outside all day.
When Mayor Calvo came home, he brought the box inside, placed it
near the door, and went upstairs. The SWAT team then stormed the
house, killed the dogs, and locked the people up.

There are plausible ways in which the family can have had
nothing to do with the package, despite it having been mailed to
them, and Calvo and his wife seem unlikely lawbreakers. Police
have yet to file any charges. Still, suppose that someone living
in the home is guilty. Would that justify the actions of the
police?

Absolutely not. The idea that a man returning to his home and
moving a package from his porch to his hallway, should trigger a
SWAT raid, by a SWAT team that had literally been waiting in
hiding to see him move the package, is criminally insane. They
didn't wait for the package to go inside because of any tactical
purpose. They waited because they wanted to use the action of
bringing the package inside as evidence. They had all literally
all day to figure out some way of being able to arrest the
residents of the home without murdering their dogs! They didn't
even have to bring the package to the house -- they already had
the address with which it had been marked. They could have
simply called the individuals in for questioning, or conducted
an ordinary search or arrest warrant, waited for Mayor Calvo or
his wife to walk up and approach them on the street, almost
anything other than what they did.

And as evidence goes, moving the package inside the doorway is
worthless anyway, or should be. Would you bring a package that
arrived in your mail inside, maybe even open it to see what it
contains? Doing so would prove nothing about your knowledge of
the contents. So even that weak rationale falls to pieces.

The town's police chief, Patrick Murphy, who was not involved in
the raid or informed of it, had wise words to say in the
aftermath: "You can't tell me the chief of police of a
municipality wouldn't have been able to knock on the door of the
mayor of that municipality, gain his confidence and enter the
residence," he told the Washington Post. "It would not have been
a necessity to shoot and kill this man's dogs." He really wishes
the narcs had contacted him about it first, and the tragedy
thereby prevented.

But while the fact that this was the mayor's house makes the
action even more deranged, it would be a mistake to regard that
as THE reason not to use a SWAT team. The truth is that entering
a home in that fashion is unnecessary, and therefore wrongful,
ALMOST ALL OF THE TIME. SWAT teams are meant for emergency or
other high-intensity situations -- hostage situations and the
like -- not routine drug enforcement. But even if there had been
200 pounds of marijuana, or 2,000 pounds, there would still be
no excuse. Invading a home in this manner endangers people and
animals and property, for no good reason, if there is any other
way of dealing with the situation.

Two dogs dead, a family traumatized, another day in the drug
war.

================

...

later
bliss -- C O C O A Powered... (at california dot com)

--
bobbie sellers - a retired nurse in San Francisco

"It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by the beans of cocoa that the thoughts acquire speed,
the thighs acquire girth, the girth become a warning.
It is by theobromine alone I set my mind in motion."
--from Someone else's Dune spoof ripped to my taste.