NEW YORK (AP) -- Two packages seized in a drug trafficking case against the wife of the former commander of the U.S. anti-drug operation in Colombia contained heroin, not cocaine as first thought, according to court papers. Laurie Ann Hiett, wife of Col. James Hiett, made headlines in August by surrendering to federal authorities in Brooklyn on drug conspiracy charges. Field tests had indicated two parcels she allegedly shipped to the United States from the U.S. Embassy in Bogota each held 1.2 kilos of cocaine. [continues 458 words]
Laws Called Too Weak To Halt Huge Parties Weak bylaws rendered Toronto police virtually powerless to tone down a weekend party attended by about 15,000 people, despite reports of rampant drug trafficking, a police spokesperson says. And until communities thrash out ways of putting public safety before profit at similar gatherings, ``the potential for disaster is just astronomical,'' said Inspector Randal Munroe. Responding to criticism by local politicians that police had ignored noise complaints from area residents over the rave at The Docks complex at Polson and Cherry Sts., Munroe said officers did as much as they could, legally and safely. [continues 526 words]
The possiblity of past drug use turned into a subject of dinner party debate and national headlines for Presidential candidate Governor George W. Bush of Texas. But a recent poll shows Bush's support varies little between those who have or have not used cocaine in the past. It's a different story, however, for hardline conservative Patrick Buchanan, the prospective Reform Party candidate. His support nearly doubles among some former drug users. In a survey of 600 Michigan voters conducted between Sept. 30 and Oct. 7 by the independent EPIC/MRA pollsters, Buchanan received 7% of the vote in a three-way race with Vice-President Al Gore and Bush. But among former crack cocaine users he got 14%, while among old pill poppers he garnered 11% of the vote. "You definitely have to get high to vote for Pat Buchanan," quipped Ed Sarpolus of EPIC/MRA, who conducted the poll. Former cocaine users, it turns out, are not much different from other voters in their support of Bush. The governor led Gore by 48% to 40% among them, and by a nearly identical 51% to 39% among all voters. All three campaigns declined to comment. [end]
BOSTON -- A New Bedford police detective yesterday pleaded guilty to charges that he accepted a bribe from a cocaine dealer in exchange for giving up the identity of an undercover narcotics officer. During a hearing in U.S. District Court, Detective Stephen Greany, 31, of Rochester pleaded guilty to four charges of conspiracy, extortion, soliciting a bribe and intimidating a grand-jury witness. Mr. Greany's plea and expected sentence are part of a deal with federal prosecutors that was kept under wraps by the judge yesterday. [continues 711 words]
WASHINGTON-Students convicted of drug offenses will be barred from receiving federal college tuition aid for one year from date of conviction and, in some cases, permanently under rules taking effect next summer. The regulations are based on a law enacted last year to reduce waste in the student loan system. They do not apply to juvenile records, and some students will be able to retain eligibility by completing drug rehabilitation or by having their convictions overturned. Students must report any drug convictions on forms for federal financial aid, including Pell grants and student loans. Some student groups complain that the new rules are counterproductive. [continues 446 words]
Another Y2K bug lurks. It goes by the name of truth in sentencing. This tough-sounding law, scheduled to kick in Jan. 1, is supposed to clear up public confusion over the length of prison sentences. But it could amount to deceit in sentencing, crowding the prisons even further and pushing dangerous criminals onto the streets prematurely. Lawmakers ought to delay the start of truth in sentencing until they come up with a comprehensive plan to ensure that the statute doesn't boomerang. [continues 407 words]
Charges of manslaughter and assault against one of the accused in the Josie Dwyer trial have been withdrawn from the jury by Judge Dominic Lynch at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. William Kenny (55), St Anthony's Road, Rialto, was discharged from the hearing following legal submissions by his counsel, Ciaran O'Loughlin SC, in the absence of the jury. Another accused, Hugh Byrne, has claimed in evidence to the jury that a garda told him he was going "to stitch" him up by writing down what he liked as an alleged statement and that he had done so. "That is why I'm here now," he said. [continues 378 words]
Federal agents say James R. Metzger, a Golden physician, was on a drug run for himself when he drove to a Safeway pharmacy in April and picked up a prescription of 60 codeine-laced pills. Sensing something was amiss with Metzger's explanation that the prescription was for a patient, the pharmacist promptly notified the Drug Enforcement Administration. Now the 38-year-old doctor is fighting the DEA in Denver federal court for the return of his 1999 Lexus RX300. The $40,000 sport utility vehicle was seized from Metzger's home earlier this month under civil forfeiture rules that allow law enforcement agencies to confiscate property that may have been used to commit a crime. [continues 629 words]
A CONTROVERSIAL Cabinet plan will allow Queenslanders to possess more than 30 times as much marijuana as permitted in some other states and still escape criminal conviction. Drug experts stepped up criticism of the plan yesterday, prompting Premier Peter Beattie to ask two of his Ministers to review a 500g cut-off point for first-time offenders. The Cabinet proposal applied only to people who admitted to possession and agreed to complete a rehabilitation course. Victoria and Tasmania have 50g cut-off points for their cannabis cautionary programmes, the ACT has a 25g limit and New South Wales will cut its limit to 15g. [continues 261 words]
Drug Czar Cripples Reefer Tests In his most recent round of unintended self-immolation, drug czar Barry McCaffrey effectively nullified drug testing for marijuana users nationwide. In a move that he hoped would bring the medical marijuana movement to its knees, the retired general instead gave pot smokers legal carte blanche to fail every urine test they take. Here's how it happened: This past July, the Drug Enforcement Administration, with a nod from the Food and Drug Administration, reclassified the prescription drug Marinol, which is synthetic THC, the most psycho-active of marijuana's many cannabinoids. Marinol was moved from Schedule II, the most restrictive category of drugs available by prescription, to Schedule III. The change makes it much easier for doctors to distribute the drug. Notably, they now can phone or fax prescriptions to pharmacies and provide for as many as five automatic refills every six months. They also won't have the DEA looking over their shoulder each time they write a Marinol prescription. [continues 593 words]
Last week the European Court of Human Rights heard argument on an issue of much importance: is it a breach of the right to a fair trial of a criminal charge for the prosecution to rely on evidence obtained by illegal means? In January 1993 Sultan Khan visited a house in Sheffield. Unknown to him, the police were bugging the premises. They obtained a tape-recording of a conversation in which Khan admitted that he had been involved in the import into the United Kingdom of heroin with a street value of pounds 100,000. [continues 763 words]
A close friend of former police constable Rodney Podesta had slipped away from him during visits to nightclubs and gone into toilet cubicles to take cocaine and ecstacy, the Police Integrity Commission heard yesterday. Ronald James Quin, appearing before PIC Commissioner Judge Paul Urquhart, said Mr Podesta had not known about Quin's drug taking and it had not occurred to him that Mr Podesta might have noticed anything strange. Giving evidence in the PIC's inquiry into allegations surrounding the fatal shooting of Roni Levi at Bondi Beach on June 28, 1997, Mr Quin denied he and Mr Podesta had ever been in the same toilet cubicle when he had used cocaine. [continues 473 words]
