CA NORML - www.canorml.org - Press Release – HEATHER LARNEY
San Diego patient federally charged with possession- needs court support on Wednesday - CA NORML Release - 6-8-10 - U.S. Court House -940 Front Street-San Diego, CA 92101
Wednesday June 9th at 8:30am - Heather is a card holding medical marijuana patient. She is perfectly comfortable talking about her medical conditions. Heather has Fibromyalgia, 2 herniated discs in her neck with pinched nerves at C4/C5 and C5/C6. A few of the medications she takes for pain make her extremely nauseous. Since this incident in April she has lost over 13lbs due to the inability to keep food down. She is 5Åå2Åç and used to weigh 110lbs, I dropped down to 92 lbs at the lowest since April 22nd when this took place.
Heather lives on Camp Pendleton, on April 22nd there was a knock at her door, it was 4 or 5 military police. After speaking with them for a few minutes thru the screen door, they asked if they could come inside, she told them that they could not, so they asked if she would come outside and talk to them. As soon as Heather walked outside they had a female corporal put her in hand cuffs and entered her home. In the master bathroom at the farthest corner of the house they saw one of heathers pipes sitting on table. One officer came out asked for permission to search, he already had probable cause because of the pipe being out in the open. At the time she had 125 mg of Demerol and 15mg of Valium in her system. He asked heather to sign a consent to search. She did, Heather didn't have anything to hide. "I didn't know I was doing anything wrong, I am a civilian, a California resident, a registered voter and have a medical card. Besides the fact that they trashed the entire house during their "search" after I told them where my medication was located, they also refused to allow me inside to urinate, and made me urinate on my back patio while hand cuffed".
She has been charged with possession of marijuana and because she has 2 daughters she was charged with child endangerment. Heather is to appear in court on Wednesday June 9th at 8:30am. The location is: U.S. Court House - 940 Front Street - San Diego, CA 92101 - Case : Heather Larney
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See http://www.canorml.org/canormlmission.html - Dale Gieringer - dale@canorml.org
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ASA - Americans for Safe Access - Press Release – JAMES STACY
San Diego Medical Marijuana Provider First to be Tried Under New DOJ PolicyASA - Americans for Safe Access - Press Release – JAMES STACY
San Diego, CA -- A North San Diego County medical marijuana provider, James Stacy, whose Vista dispensary was raided on September 9, 2009, by a multi-agency narcotics task force, will be the first such case to go to trial after the Justice Department issued its enforcement policy in October 2009, a month after the raid. Stacy's trial date will be scheduled Wednesday June 9th during a hearing at which Stacy will argue he's entitled to admit evidence of state law compliance, something routinely denied federal defendants. Stacy's dispensary, Movement in Action, was raided along with more than a dozen other San Diego County dispensaries as part of local-federal enforcement actions called, "Operation Green Rx," which resulted in more than 30 arrests. Only Stacy, and one other medical marijuana dispensary operator Joseph Nunes, were charged federally as a result of the raids. Nunes has since pleaded guilty and was recently sentenced to a year in prison.
What: Federal hearing on whether dispensary operator James Stacy can use medical marijuana and state law as a defense at trial
When: Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 10:30am
Where: Courtroom 15, U.S. District Court, 940 Front Street, San Diego, CA
"With a new enforcement policy on medical marijuana, the federal government should not be trying this case at all," said Joe Elford, Chief Counsel with Americans for Safe Access, the country's largest medical marijuana advocacy organization. "At the very least, Mr. Stacy's case should be tried in state court where he's guaranteed a defense against his charges." Because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on medical marijuana, defendants are prevented from entering evidence of medical use or state law compliance in federal court.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder testified before Congress last week and reaffirmed that the Obama Administration was not interested in using the Justice Department's "limited resources" to prosecute people who are in compliance with their state's medical marijuana laws. Stacy argues that he was in full compliance with state law, nevertheless he was federally charged with cultivation of marijuana, conspiracy to cultivate and sell marijuana, and possession of a firearm, which could result in more than 20 years in prison. The federal government has so far failed to show any evidence of state law violations and has blocked repeated attempts by Stacy's lawyer Kasha Kastillo to try the case in state court.
Another San Diego dispensary operator, Jovan Jackson, was arrested as a result of the raids in September and prosecuted by San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis in state court. Jackson was acquitted by a jury after a November 2009 trial on similar charges. More recently, the San Diego Board of Supervisors has taken note of the county's failure to gain convictions and has decided to regulate medical marijuana distribution in the unincorporated areas of the county. The City of San Diego City Council is similarly debating a dispensary ordinance. "The move to regulate local medical marijuana distribution is certainly a positive step for San Diego," continued Elford. "However, it begs the question of why Mr. Stacy is still being prosecuted in federal court."
Because of the government's continued efforts to prosecute medical marijuana patients despite a new Justice department enforcement policy, advocates are urging Members of Congress to pass HR 3939, the Truth in Trials Act, which would allow defendants to use a medical or state law defense in federal court. The Truth in Trials Act currently has more than 30 Congressional cosponsors.
Further Information:
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's recent statements before Congress: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMCHmU-nFAM
Truth in Trials Act: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/TruthinTrials.pdf
Join ASA – www.safeaccessnow.org
Visit San Diego Chapter of ASA – www.safeaccesssd.org
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