Pubdate: Sat, 02 Sep 2000 Source: Register-Guard, The (OR) Copyright: 2000 The Register-Guard Contact: PO Box 10188, Eugene, OR 97440-2188 Website: http://www.registerguard.com/ Author: Tricia Schwennesen Bookmark: Articles on William Conde: http://www.mapinc.org/conde.htm MARIJUANA ACTIVIST TAKES FIGHT TO COURT HARRISBURG - The doors to Conde's Redwood Lumber may be closing soon, but marijuana activist Bill Conde isn't giving up his fight. Conde filed a lawsuit against Linn County, the Linn County Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Dave Burright and officer Dennis Carson in Linn County Circuit Court on Friday and is seeking more than $3.5 million for lost revenue this year and in the future. Conde contends that his business declined more than 40 percent since a search of his home and business last year, and he has decided to shut down his nearly 30-year-old lumber company Oct. 14. He plans to then sell off his property and move his family to Belize in Central America, where Conde and his wife have built a new home for themselves and their three children, he said. "The best thing we can do is put a bandage or a tourniquet on the bleeding and close up and sell the business," Conde said. "I have to get my family out of here, and its been just heartbreaking." Conde also charges that the county and the sheriff violated his First Amendment rights, intentionally interfered with his business relations, inflicted emotional distress and falsely arrested and imprisoned him. "I can't conduct business anymore, but I'm not ruined," Conde said. "I have no reason to believe I will not prevail in that lawsuit." Conde's complaints stem from what he calls heavy-handed police tactics used at two Labor Day events staged on his property in 1998 and 1999, and a third event in July of last year - each promoting the legalization of marijuana. The lawsuit outlines his belief that he and his events were the target of intense police presence and scrutiny because of his politics. He says he was the victim of an illegal search in which the warrant affidavit issued to the sheriff's department contained false statements and did not include examining his financial records for his business. "It's spoiled my family's dreams and made me very fearful of my own government," he said. Conde also alleges that he lost customers because Burright publicly threatened everyone doing business with him to "better be looking over their shoulder because his department would be investigating them." Burright denies the charges. "We were there under a valid search warrant. He's had multiple motions to suppress evidence and he's lost each time." Burright said he never threatened those doing business with Conde and that that's not the issue at all, but rather the illegal activity and drugs he says were present at Conde's events. "He's free to believe anything he wants and work toward changing the laws," Burright said. "That's completely his right, but I do not and will not allow him to conduct illegal activity." Burright has said in the past that undercover officers saw countless violations of drug laws and open drug use, and confiscated small amounts of marijuana at Conde's events. Burright said he's not worried about the lawsuit against himself. "It's all an attempt to keep me from doing my job," Burright said. "I will not bow to persons who want to break the law just because they want to intimidate me. That's not what I'm elected to do." There are several cases still pending against Conde. Those cases include hindering prosecution, endangering the welfare of a minor and possession of marijuana. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake