Pubdate: Sat, 05 Oct 2002
Source: Florida Today (FL)
Copyright: 2002 Florida Today
Contact: http://www.floridatoday.com/forms/services/letters.htm
Website: http://www.flatoday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/532
Author: John A. Torres

NEEDELMAN CONFRONTS OPPONENT ABOUT DRUG CONVICTION

Incumbent legislator gave challenger chance to drop bid over felony past

State Rep. Mitch Needelman offered opponent Jodi James a chance to drop out
of the District 31 race in exchange for withholding information he
discovered regarding a 1988 felony drug conviction James had in Ohio.

"Coercion is the word we are using around here," James said Friday of
Needelman's offer. "His staff came to see me and said 'if you drop out, this
will not become public knowledge.' "

James, a 35-year-old Democrat from Melbourne, did not drop out, and
Needelman, R-Melbourne, supplied Florida Today with documents detailing
James' drug trafficking conviction. The information was independently
confirmed Friday by Florida Today. According to records, James sold LSD to
an undercover officer, and was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison. She
served less than a year before being paroled.

Needelman said he would have done a background investigation on anyone who
was running against him.

"I don't think it's mud-slinging," Needelman said. "We went to her first and
gave her a chance to back out. We thought it was fair to let her know we
would say this. We know she was a drug dealer. We felt it was important to
walk a fine line between mudslinging and public information. The point is,
she's a convicted felon."

Attorney Mark Gager, who approached James on Sept. 9 on behalf of Needelman,
denied coercion took place.

"It was not coercion at all," Gager said. "We just let her know that we were
aware she was a convicted felon and it was our understanding that she might
not be able to hold public office."

The Ohio Department of Probation confirmed Friday that James' rights were
restored upon completion of parole in August 1990. Late Friday, officials
with the state Department of Elections were researching whether James could
hold public office.

James said she took an oath attesting she was qualified to hold public
office under the Florida constitution.

James, executive director of the Florida Cannabis Action Network, supports
legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes as well as drug policy
reform.

"I think it's interesting Mitch would take time out of his busy schedule to
talk about me," James said. "Certainly, I am not proud of what I did. But I
paid my dues and have nothing to hide. I think our drug policies are insane.
I was 20 years old at the time."

At the time of her arrest, James said she was living with a boyfriend who
was selling drugs.

"The only thing Mitch has is to smear me publicly," she said.

Needelman, retired from law enforcement, stands by his decision to make the
public aware of James' conviction.

"In my position, one of the things I need to be is responsible," he said. "I
have to let the public know. We knew we were taking a chance, but it was the
right thing to do."
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