We've mentioned these pursuits before on the LEAP blog. And we'll surely do it again.
It will be interesting to find out the amount of drugs involved, since that wasn't provided in the initial press release. As Dave Dale notes in his column, "My only hope is that the initial arrest wasn't over a relatively minor infraction. Someone please tell me two people didn't die over a joint of pot."
A separate article by the Globe and Mail misses the point entirely, as they don't even mention the drug investigation. I guess the fundamental question is: should we even be arresting people for possessing drugs?
On another topic, the Ontario Court of Appeal criticized Judge J. Elliott Allen for stating the obvious: criminal penalties do not deter drug traffickers.
Judge Allen expressed his views on Oct. 14, 2008, while sentencing Zeyu Song to a conditional sentence for producing 1,400 marijuana plants at a large-scale grow operation near Brampton, Ont.Perhaps when Judge Allen retires from the bench he will consider becoming a speaker with Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.
Judge Elliott spoke at length about the fallacy of believing that harsh penalties for marijuana have any effect on its use and production.
“Nobody has been deterred,” he said. “People have been going to jail for drug offences for – for a couple of generations now and the drug – the drug plague is worse than it ever was ... If something doesn't work, do I try doing it again and again to see if it does work? Isn't that the definition of insanity?”
It will be interesting to find out the amount of drugs involved, since that wasn't provided in the initial press release. As Dave Dale notes in his column, "My only hope is that the initial arrest wasn't over a relatively minor infraction. Someone please tell me two people didn't die over a joint of pot."
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget Pastor Jonathan Ayers who was found to have nothing in his car but passed-away good-will in trying to help a woman who needed help.
Pastor Ayers Update -- Grand Jury Claims Killing Him Was Justified
Kudos to Judge Allen for speaking the truth. If we had more people like him working in justice, perhaps we might actually live in a free society.
ReplyDeleteNow they're killing their own. See: Another high-speed chase – will this help them learn? at http://bbvm.wordpress.com/2009/12/19/another-high-speed-chase-will-this-help-them-learn/
ReplyDeleteThis happens on a daily basis, when it hits close to where we live then we take it more personally.
ReplyDeleteA similar stop happened in Utah awhile back, the Trooper stopped a vehicle, "smelled marijuana" and called for back up. Rhayader and I had a brief talk about it here as the 17 year old had a gun.
However, the 17 year old was shot in the head (supposedly by accident) with the gun in his possession. The last I heard the 17 year old recovered but is still in critical condition. The last I heard the Trooper was on administrative leave pending further investigation. The last I heard they had impounded the vehicle to search it.
Sooo .... we'll never hear unless we stay glued to the television or internet, something that's not possible to do for even the most time efficient of people.
What I did do was write to Senator Orrin Hatch and asked him to look into it, sighting the failed drug war policies, and asked that the Trooper be put on unpaid leave or fired. Never heard back from the Senator either and doubt that I will.