Pubdate: Tue, 21 Sep 2004
Source: Montgomery Advertiser (AL)
Copyright: 2004 The Advertiser Co.
Contact: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/customerservice/letter.htm
Website: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1088
Note: Letters from the newspaper's circulation area receive publishing priority
Author: Jessica M. Walker, Montgomery Advertiser
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

DEA AGENT ASKS COURT TO REMOVE PHOTO

A federal agent is seeking a court order to have his photo removed
from drug defendant Leon Carmichael's Web site, claiming that the
picture was illegally obtained and that it poses a professional and
personal danger to him.

Last month, Montgomery Police Department Lt. George Salem was accused
of leaking an old file photo of Drug Enforcement Administration agent
Raymond David DeJohn to an investigator working for Carmichael's defense.

Salem retired before facing an administrative hearing on the issue,
citing health reasons.

DeJohn, who does undercover work for the DEA, is a former Montgomery
police officer.

Carmichael is under indictment in federal court for trafficking
marijuana and laundering money.

The leaked photo appears on Carmichael's Web site at
www.carmichaelcase.com. Carmichael's attorneys say the site was
intended to be a cheap, effective way of collecting information on his
case.

Federal prosecutors twice have tried to have the site removed,
claiming it was intended to intimidate and threaten witnesses.

DeJohn's motion only seeks to have his photos removed, not shut down
the entire Web site.

"The government cannot introduce illegally obtained evidence in a
criminal proceeding. Why then can the defendant utilize an illegally
obtained photo to seek evidence in his defense?" the motion asked.

The motion was filed on Monday and no hearing date has been set on the
issue. Carmichael is slated to face trial on the drug and
money-laundering charges in November. 
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