Upcoming Legal Hearings for Medical Marijuana Cases

From: "Hilary" hilary@riseup.net

Dear Friends-

We're heading into a heavy phase of upcoming legal hearings & trials for both federal and state (!) medical marijuana cases. There were
three upon us last week, and we were a bit taken by surprise. (Keith Alden,
Michael Farrell, and Mike Riggs) We need to track these better, give people
warning of upcoming court dates, and keep organizing a visible response
(when wanted by the defendant) and press coverage. The judges and juries
need to know we are here, and those facing possible incarceration need our
emotional, political, and practical support.

We'd like a committment from 2 support people of each defendant to keep
track of details, dates and progress and let us know here at ASA as far
ahead of time as possible.

Dale from CA NORML has been keeping a list of federal cases, and it sounds
like AMMA may be keeping a similar tally for state cases. If you are on the
below list, or are the support for someone that is, can you please send us
(off-list) information we need to help:
1. Name & number;
2. County;
3.Charges;
4.Status of case;
5. Lawyer name & number;
6. Names & Numbers of 2 support people;
7. Next court date

And for those in San Francisco, we'll be outside of Keith Alden's jury
deliberations starting at 8 am Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the Federal Building,
(19th Floor, Courtroom 11) at 450 Golden Gate Ave. (at Larkin).

In solidarity,
Hilary McQuie
Campaign Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
Phone: 510-486-8083
Fax: 510-486-8090
www.safeaccessnow.org
*************************************************************
Federal Medical Marijuana Cases in California & elsewhere
(Sept 11 2001 - Oct 28, 2002)

Raided by DEA, no charges filed yet:

. Santa Cruz - Wo/men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana, a collective of 250
seriously ill patients, raided by DEA Sept. 5, 2002; armed agents destroy
167 plants. Directors Valerie and Mike Corral handcuffed and arrested, then
released. WAMM files suit for return of property.

. Butte Co. - Diane Monson - 6 plant personal use garden destroyed by DEA in
defiance of pleas by local D.A. Aug 15, 2002. Monson files patient lawsuit
with Angel Raich against federal government.

. Linn Co., OREGON - Leroy Stubblefield, a quadriplegic, and two other
patients are robbed of a 12-plant caregiver garden, legally registered under
state law, by DEA on Sept. 23, 2002. They plan to sue the federal
government.

. Sonoma Co. - Alan MacFarlane - 128 plant, 10 patient cooperative garden
destroyed by DEA Aug 2002. Had been acquitted for personal medical use
cultivation of 100 plants by jury in 2001.

. Lake Co. - Charles "Eddy" Lepp - DEA destroyed 281 plant, six-patient
caregiver garden Aug 27, 2002. Had been acquitted by jury for cultivating
132 plants in 1998 Prop. 215 case. (Lepp told by US attorney that no charges
would be filed.)

. Bremerton, WASH. - Monte Levine and Marc Derenzy raided by the DEA and
threatened with arrest by U.S. attorney in August 2002 for openly growing
medical marijuana (42 plants) for themselves and two other patients under
Washington state law.

. El Dorado Co: Dr Mollie Fry & Dale Schafer. Operated medical marijuana
clinic in Cool, California with 6000 patients; DEA raided Sep. 28, 2001;
seized patient records. Investigation pending.

Pending charges:

. San Diego - Steve McWilliams, co-partner of Shelter from the Storm medical
marijuana collective, arrested by DEA Oct. 11, 2002 for cultivating a small
sideyard garden for a half dozen patients. Charged with 25 plants, plus
another 448 from a co-operative garden that he helped organize, which was
raided in 1999 but for which he was never charged. McWilliams denied medical
marijuana on bail, faces possible 5-year mandatory minimum.

. Sonoma Co. - Robert Schmidt, proprietor of Genesis 1:29 club in Petaluma,
arrested Sept 13, 2002. Agents uproot 3,454 plants at the club's garden in
Sebastopol. Schmidt faces potential life sentence.

. Mendocino Co. - David Arnett and David Kephart charged federally Jun 02
with growing 27 plants on BLM land after case was dismissed in state court.

. Orange Co. - Michael Teague - arrested May 2002 growing 60 plants in
garage in Tustin. Charges dismissed under Prop. 215; re-arrested by BATF on
federal charges of being "unlawful user" in possession of a handgun.

. Sonoma Co. - Aiko Compassion Center (Santa Rosa) raided by DEA May 29,
2002. Ed Bierling and Dan Nelson arrested separately each with plant #s
beneath Sonoma Co. guidelines.

. Sonoma Co- Mike Foley and Robyn Few arrested by FBI Jun 2002, incidental
to another investigation; charged with 95 plants. Also charged with 300
other plants grown two years ago for a medical cannabis dispensary that SF
authorities refused to prosecute.

. West Hollywood - Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center - Raided and closed
by DEA Oct. 25th on orders of US Justice Dept against wishes of local
authorities. Served 960 seriously ill patients In Hollywood. Forfeiture
charges filed against the LACRC's building Jun 2002.

. Ventura Co. - Lynn and Judy Osburn raided Sept 28, 2001 for cultivating
for the LACRC. Forfeiture filed against Osburns' property, including home
they built for themselves, in July 02. Raided again and arrested for
personal use garden of 35 plants in Aug 02; charged with cultivation.

. SF Bay Area - Marijuana author/advocate Ed Rosenthal indicted with Ken
Hayes and Rick Watts following DEA raid on S.F. Sixth Street Harm Reduction
Center Feb. 12, 2002. Hayes, previously acquitted in Sonoma Prop 215 case,
is in Canada.

. San Francisco - Stephanie Landa, Kevin Gage, Thomas Kikuchi arrested July
15th 2002 for 3000 square ft. medical marijuana garden in San Francisco
(charged with over 1000 plants). Police turned over to DEA.

. Sacramento - Robert and Shawna Whiteaker - patient couple involved in
Prop. 215 cultivation case that was turned over to the US attorney by the
Sacramento DA's office after they charged that search warrants were
falsified by a sheriff's deputy.

. Sonoma Co - Mark Whitney arrested March 2002 for 660 plant caregiver
garden.

. Humboldt Co. - Chris Giauque - arrested in Humboldt County Aug 01, 2001
growing 204 plants for the Salmon Creek patients' collective; case turned
over to the feds, pled guilty Dec 6; sentenced to 15 months for possession.
In a separate case, Giauque is suing the federal government for one ounce of
legal marijuana wrongfully seized by the DEA at the behest of the Humboldt
County sheriff.

. Sonoma Co. - Keith Alden - arrested May 9, 2001 while growing for himself
and other patients; convicted by a jury of cultivating more than 100 plants
on Feb 11, 2002; sentenced to 5 yrs probation; re-arrested July 31, 2002 for
cultivating over 1,000 plants while on probation.

. Amador Co - Bill Lockyer & Bill Olson, fighting federal forfeiture of
their home for growing 300 plants; Lockyer a patient; seizure order dated
Dec 2001.

Convicted:

. Chico. - Bryan Epis convicted by federal jury July 2002 cultivating 457
plants for Chico cannabis collective; arrested August 1997; sentenced to
10-year mandatory minimum Oct. 7, 2002; appeal pending.

. Oakland. - Jimmy Halloran arrested in Feb 12th DEA raid for sizeable
indoor medical marijuana grow ( 3,500 plants). Halloran, 60 years old,
facing a 10 year sentence and ill with Hepatitis C, agreed to plead guilty
and cooperate with the government.

. Placer Co. - Bill & Peggy Riddick (aged 68, 69) sentenced 4/5/02 to 30
months beginning 5/13; home forfeited; arrested by Placer Co. sheriffs in
1997 growing 400-680 plants for a San Francisco cannabis club.

. El Dorado Co. - Roy Lee Sharpnack, 55 patient sentenced to 57 months on
Mar 4, 2002 for growing 957 plants for an El Dorado patients' dispensary.
Other defendants in the case: Jacob Sink sentenced to 18 months Jan/Feb
2002; Traci Coggins, in prison: Paul Maggi, released after agreeing to
inform.

Hilary McQuie
Campaign Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
1678 Shattuck Ave. #317
Berkeley, CA 94709
Phone: 510-486-8083
Fax: 510-486-8090
www.safeaccessnow.org

"The best political, social, and spiritual work we can do is to withdraw the
projection of our shadow onto others."
~Carl Jung