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Your Honor? Who's?

trichcycler

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trichcycler Advanced Member

trichcycler

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I have been a big opponent of the war on marijuana for various reasons. One is that in Peoria, IL the mayor of that city, one Jim Ardis, ordered a SWAT police raid, not for dangerous and violent criminals, but because someone had hurt his feelings and created a parody twitter page with his name. It was obviously parody, which is legally protected, and soon after it was created, the twitter page had the words parody, written on it.

 

So Mayor Ardis, who I would be shocked if he gets re-elected, had his police chief (whose job is gone once the new mayor steps in) send a SWAT raid. The justification was that the person who created the page, which turned out to be one Jon Daniel, was trying to impersonate the idiot mayor, sorry, His Honor. But again, obvious parody and no attempt whatsoever to defraud anyone of money by Jon Daniel or to gain financially.

 

Now, once they tracked down the address of where this twitter page would have been created (I guess they have nothing to do in Peoria or have no crime) they sent in the before mentioned SWAT team. For someone impersonating the mayor on a parody twitter page.

 

The SWAT team burst in with guns drawn, in case some dangerous criminal might start making a parody twitter or maybe tumblr page of them, and handcuffed one Jacob Elliott, Daniel's roommate. They searched Elliott's room supposedly for flash drives (contraband) that might have something to do with the twitter page.

 

Well, they found Elliott's stash of marijuana. Now, the police argued that this search is justified because they were searching for you know, flash drives or whatever. Frankly, what the police really were searching for (though none will never admit it on a court stand) is what they found, marijuana. They didn't give a darn about flash drives, that is what their idiot bosses sent them to retrieve. They had a free fishing expedition (which many cops jump at) to look for some pot, and maybe a chance some harder drugs.

 

So a judge later said that yep, the search of Elliott's room was justified because you know, flash drives. Now, this raid happened because it is illegal in Peoria to engage in "false personation" of a public official. I don't think Mayor Adris has much to worry about, I don't think his chances of being a public official for much longer are that great.

 

In another case, the former mayor of a town in Kansas was raided because cops thought his sunflowers were marijuana. So police, a prosecutor I believe, and the judge who issued the warrant signed off on a raid. For what were sunflowers. Also, Kansas is the sunflower state, so it isn't like they never saw sunflowers before! Sigh, the war on drugs/ marijuana would be funny if it wasn't so destructive of our rights.

 

If you want to support civil liberties, think about joining (or checking out) the American Civil Liberties Union or the Marijuana Policy Projects. Thanks

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Habenero Advanced Member

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Interesting story. I just looked it up and the warrant is posted. It authorizes a search for illegal drugs. Dude posted pictures on twitter of illegal drugs. So flash drives, yeah, but also they was lookin for drugs.

 

Don't see how the warrant will hold up though unless the dude pretended he was the mayor for a while before he post it was a parody.

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Willy Advanced Member

Willy

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Cops Make Major Hibiscus Bust

 

Published August 04, 2004

Texas cops thought they'd made a major drug bust when they raided a home northwest of Houston last Tuesday. After all, it looked like there were huge marijuana plants growing in the front yard.

"All of a sudden, they burst in with their guns loaded, pointing at me, screaming, 'Get on the floor! Get on the floor!'" northwest Harris County resident Blair Davis told KHOU-TV.

It turns out the tall plants with the narrow leaves arranged in a fan pattern weren't pot plants at all, but specimens of Texas Star hibiscus (search), which Davis grows for his landscaping business.

That didn't convince the 10 or so members of the Harris County Organized Crime Unit (search) who stormed around the house.

"I just put my head down, shook it and said: 'Guys, you are making a terrible mistake. That is Texas Star hibiscus, not marijuana,'" Davis told the TV station. "They just told me to shut up."

At one point, the officers discussed whether the bamboo in the window might be the demon weed as well, Davis told the Houston Chronicle. They also asked him what he planned to do with the watermelons and cantaloupes growing out back.

"What would I do with them?" Davis said he responded.

It turned out a concerned citizen had seen the native Texas plant, which has little white flowers and smooth green leaves — marijuana has rough leaves and dense flowering buds — in the yard and tipped off the authorities.

"My guys went out there, and they looked at the plants and stuff, and they believed them to be marijuana," Lt. Dan Webb told KHOU-TV.

After about an hour, the officers decided the search was over. They gave Davis a "citizen's information card" with the words "closed-report" written on it.

"No apology, no nothing," Davis complained to the Chronicle. "I realize they have a job to do, but this seems a little bizarre."

Lt. Webb defends his officers.

"I'm sure it was traumatic," he told KHOU. "Any time there's a search warrant served at your house, there's gonna be some trauma involved."

Davis thinks the narcotics officers might need a little more training.

"If they don't know what a marijuana plant looks like, maybe they should bring a picture with them," he told the TV station, "before they invade a citizen's home."

— Thanks to Out There reader Michelle P

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Habenero Advanced Member

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Yo Herbie, do that be da demon weed right dere growin in da front yard.

Ya JoeBob dat look like it but I ain't dat sure sure cuz I ne'r seen it befo in real life.

Alright den JoeBob pull out dat dere picture u gots in u pocket.

Hmm let's see Herb. It's green. Gots leaves. Purdy little white flowers. Ya dat be it.

After dis raid what say we head cross the street to old man Williams. I been thinkin for years that ain't no oak tree in da front yard it might be da evil weed too. It gots leaves. It gots acorns too. Does da evil weed sometimes grow acorns too?

Ain't no acorns in da picture but ain't no Purdy white flowers in it either so maybe some strains grow dem acorns.

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trichcycler Advanced Member

trichcycler

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maybe its not about law enforcement at all ? like an incidental part of the job?  My boss thought that our jobs were to further the company along for profits, when in fact we were just there for the paycheck, party, benefits, social environment maybe? It wasnt untiI I quit the work force and earned my own living that I realized my objectives.

 read once that maybe its just a job where one can vent all the teen angst built up over 12 years of swirlies, or maybe one where a person gets to carry guns, party with a close gang of friends, shoot, drink, divorce, marry , ....each other. Or maybe they're bad guys pretending to be good guys?. Just look at the number of Nazi soldiers in that weird club of front line gunners, I suppose they believe their job is much different than what we would want. I don't know, I cant figure out why anyone smart enough to do that job  would actually accept the post for that little pay. life is strange in wonderland

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Highlander Advanced Member

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I have been a big opponent of the war on marijuana for various reasons. One is that in Peoria, IL the mayor of that city, one Jim Ardis, ordered a SWAT police raid, not for dangerous and violent criminals, but because someone had hurt his feelings and created a parody twitter page with his name. It was obviously parody, which is legally protected, and soon after it was created, the twitter page had the words parody, written on it.So Mayor Ardis, who I would be shocked if he gets re-elected, had his police chief (whose job is gone once the new mayor steps in) send a SWAT raid. The justification was that the person who created the page, which turned out to be one Jon Daniel, was trying to impersonate the idiot mayor, sorry, His Honor. But again, obvious parody and no attempt whatsoever to defraud anyone of money by Jon Daniel or to gain financially.Now, once they tracked down the address of where this twitter page would have been created (I guess they have nothing to do in Peoria or have no crime) they sent in the before mentioned SWAT team. For someone impersonating the mayor on a parody twitter page.The SWAT team burst in with guns drawn, in case some dangerous criminal might start making a parody twitter or maybe tumblr page of them, and handcuffed one Jacob Elliott, Daniel's roommate. They searched Elliott's room supposedly for flash drives (contraband) that might have something to do with the twitter page.Well, they found Elliott's stash of marijuana. Now, the police argued that this search is justified because they were searching for you know, flash drives or whatever. Frankly, what the police really were searching for (though none will never admit it on a court stand) is what they found, marijuana. They didn't give a darn about flash drives, that is what their idiot bosses sent them to retrieve. They had a free fishing expedition (which many cops jump at) to look for some pot, and maybe a chance some harder drugs.So a judge later said that yep, the search of Elliott's room was justified because you know, flash drives. Now, this raid happened because it is illegal in Peoria to engage in "false personation" of a public official. I don't think Mayor Adris has much to worry about, I don't think his chances of being a public official for much longer are that great.In another case, the former mayor of a town in Kansas was raided because cops thought his sunflowers were marijuana. So police, a prosecutor I believe, and the judge who issued the warrant signed off on a raid. For what were sunflowers. Also, Kansas is the sunflower state, so it isn't like they never saw sunflowers before! Sigh, the war on drugs/ marijuana would be funny if it wasn't so destructive of our rights.If you want to support civil liberties, think about joining (or checking out) the American Civil Liberties Union or the Marijuana Policy Projects. Thanks

You wrote this GM?

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trichcycler Advanced Member

trichcycler

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nope, came to a pm box of mine and was worth sharing. hope you enjoy the article.

 

DISCLAIMER:  I do not belong to the ACL Union, or the MPP, and have never received money from them. I am not well enough informed to know what

they believe in or what they do. I'm not sure of their political ties and have never given them money. I have not googled them, but just may soon.

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