Ferndale

[bobandtorey]

A judge ordered Oakland County prosecutors to provide copies of seized patient files

 

 

Items seized in Ferndale pot bust must be returned

 

Ferndale —

A judge ordered Oakland County prosecutors

to provide copies of seized

patient files and ID cards and to return

computer hard drives and other items to

two defendants charged in Oakland County's

largest raid on medical marijuana facilities.

 

Attorneys for Nicholas Agro, 38,

of Lake Orion and Ryan Richmond, 33,

of Royal Oak, both investors with

Clinical Relief, a Ferndale medical marijuana

dispensary, argued Thursday for the return

of the items taken by narcotics officers

with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.

 

Officers raided the business, another

dispensary in Waterford Township and

multiple homes Aug. 25.

 

Assistant Oakland County Prosecutor

Beth Hand and attorneys Amy Bowen-Krane

and Neil Rockind worked out an agreement

Thursday to make photocopies of some of

the items and to return others.

 

Agro is also a medical marijuana patient

and caregiver licensed by the state of Colorado.

 

Bowen-Krane said police seized records

for four patients Agro was treating.

The records are protected by state

privacy laws, she said.

 

Neil Rockind said police seized items

from Richmond's home that had nothing

to do with operations at Clinical Relief.

Richmond is in commercial real estate,

he said.

 

"The Sheriff's Department seized a

laptop computer, carrying cases,

some paperwork and rental property

keys that my client wants back entirely,

" Rockind said. "He has other business

and personal interests.

His laptop computer contains information

he needs to live his life while this

case is going on."

 

Prosecutors and attorneys will be

back Nov. 3 for a preliminary examination

in the case, which involves nine defendants,

most of whom are charged with illegally

growing and selling marijuana or conspiring

to do so.

 

The raids resulted in 16 arrests

and the seizure of marijuana, medical

records and cash. In both cases,

police allege employees illegally grew

and sold marijuana in the facility,

including drug sales outside the clinic.

 

Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper

and Sheriff Michael Bouchard claim

dispensaries are illegal operations

and are not protected under the state's

medical marijuana law.

 

Michael Bouchard claim dispensaries

are illegal operations and are not

protected under the state's medical

marijuana law.

 

Bouchard likened the businesses to

"organized crime" rather than compassionate

care for the chronically ill. NET officers

said they were able to buy the herb

without proper identification and also

witnessed open sales and exchanges

between unlicensed people.

 

Attorneys for the defendants claim

their clients are protected by the

state's Medical Marijuana Act.

 

 

From The Detroit News :

 

http://www.detnews.com/article/20101015/METRO02/10150386/1409/METRO/Items-seized-in-Ferndale-pot-bust-must-be-returned#ixzz12WuUwWP6

[peanutbutter]

That's a start ..

 

The judge says "Please provide copies of the evidence that you committed a crime."

 

good start.

[Nameless_Hero]

Nice find guys.