In the news release "Busted" on Sept. 16, The Maroon reported Loyola's new policies regarding the enforcement of drug prohibition on campus. "As of fall 2009... students can be arrested by New Orleans Police Department and taken to jail if in possession of narcotics." This policy differs from the past, when Residential Life officials discerned whether violations should be dealt with internally by university disciplinary processes or reported to the police. Now, as Robert Reed noted, "[i]t's really up to the officers to decide what to do." [continues 481 words]
Sulphur, La. -- Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John DeRosier and law enforcement have made great strides in stopping the illegal prescription drug trafficking from Texas to Louisiana. They are working in conjunction with Texas law enforcement and officials to stop doctor shopping and illegal drug sales. DeRosier spoke to the Sulphur Rotary Club Wednesday about working with Texas to solve the drug problem together. "Millions of pills were coming into Southwest Louisiana from Southeast Texas. There were people from all over the parish who, on occasion, would load up a van of people and go to Texas and go to three or four pain management clinics and come back with 10,000 pills at one time. The Texas legislature started meeting about two weeks ago. It will be finished with its session by mid-May of this year. [continues 501 words]
It's luciferous to lump the relatively safe, extremely popular God-given plant cannabis (marijuana) in with heroin, cocaine and other hard drugs. The effort to continue caging responsible adult humans for using a plant is luciferous. Cannabis was never meant to be prohibited to begin with; that's why God, the ecologician, indicates he created all the seed-bearing plants saying they are all good, on literally the very first page of the Bible (see Genesis 1:11-12 and 29-30). Editorializing to perpetuate cannabis prohibition, persecution and extermination is just plain wrong. Stan White Dillon, Col. [end]
Maybe the cost of incarcerating drug offenders has become too great for strapped government budgets to bear. Maybe it's a libertarian impulse -- why should the government tell us what we can shoot, smoke or snort? Maybe it's because the generation that smoked dope and dropped acid on camera at Woodstock is the Establishment now. For whatever reason, a push is under way to call a truce -- surrender, really -- in the war on drugs. But Louisiana's recent experience, which led to the necessary but bizarre decision to outlaw certain bath salts and plant food, raises questions that should stop the drive to legalize. [continues 311 words]
Fewer Small-Time Offenders Are Jailed, Leaving More Time to Fight Serious Crimes. In the squad room of the New Orleans Police Department's 6th District, a large red square is painted on the wall behind the lectern, as if a cop had acted on some Abstract Expressionist impulse. It is a wordless reminder to officers here, one that could serve as a new motto for the city's criminal justice system. "It means, 'We don't arrest squares,' " said Sgt. Yolanda Jenkins, a community outreach specialist. [continues 850 words]
In a move that proponents said will reduce the dockets in Criminal District Court and give police more time to deal with major crimes, the New Orleans City Council voted unanimously Thursday to designate marijuana possession, prostitution and two other relatively minor crimes as municipal offenses, giving police the option to issue a summons rather than make an arrest. If you get picked up for marijuana possession or prostitution in New Orleans, police no longer will have to arrest you and take you to jail. [continues 730 words]
More teenagers these days are smoking marijuana. That troubling word comes out of the most recent Monitoring the Future Survey, which was released earlier this week. One in 16 10th-through 12th-graders are smoking marijuana daily or nearly daily, according to the report. And, for the second straight year, the study found that more 12th-graders had smoked marijuana than had smoked tobacco cigarettes within the past three months. Perhaps even more disturbing than the actual number of kids using marijuana is the indication that more teens look favorably at the drug than has been the case in the past. [continues 324 words]
To the editors: Another reason to legalize cannabis (marijuana) that doesn't get mentioned (Student club supports marijuana reform, Dec. 3, 2010) is because it's biblically correct. God, The Ecologician, indicates he created all the seed-bearing plants saying they are all good, on literally the very first page of the Bible (see Genesis 1:11-12 and 29-30). The only biblical restriction placed on cannabis is to accept it with thankfulness (1 Timothy 4:1-5). What kind of government cages people for using what God says is good? Stan White stanwmtn@colorado.net [end]
If you are anything like me, when you heard that Prop 19 wasn't voted into action over in California you thought to yourselves, "Ah well, that's probably a good thing," and continued updating your Loyola University-specific contingency plan for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. To those of you who were not updating their contingency plans and think that the zombie apocalypse is a dumb idea that will never happen, I would like to say that you have been factored into the "Escape" phase of my plan and I thank you for your selfless contributions on the behalf of the rest of us. [continues 468 words]
Five students are pushing for a greener society but the organization they recently chartered is not necessarily environmentally friendly. Loyola University is now home to the National Organization Reform of Marijuana Laws student organization NORML. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws,is an activist group devoted to promoting the reform of marijuana laws. The purpose of NORML is to push the idea that marijuana users are not criminals and to inform people about marijuana and laws that are active, in the making, and planning to be proposed. [continues 265 words]
After reading the letter about the disposal of drugs confiscated by the law, I want to express my desire to see these drugs legalized, taxed and regulated just as liquor is and probably by the same government branch. There is no reason whatsoever to prohibit the use of these drugs. There is a reason to enforce the misbehavior of individuals under the influence of drugs, just as individuals under the influence of alcohol. Now don't give me the sad story about the person that has sunk to such a terrible state that we see occasionally. We see those that are in this same predicament from the use of alcohol. [continues 143 words]
BATON ROUGE - More than 17 years ago, the St. Martin Sheriff's Office found a substantial amount of cocaine underneath the house of a candidate in the 3rd Congressional District race. But Jeff Landry says that's only half the story. Landry, a businessman and attorney from New Iberia, said the illegal drugs belonged to a roommate and the 1993 documents linking him to the incident are being spread around by his opponent in the Oct. 2 Republican primary. Landry also said he willingly signed the warrant allowing law enforcement officials to search the property at 123 W. Berard St. in St. Martinville. [continues 470 words]
Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse website. The average American teenager or young adult will experiment with marijuana sometime in high school or college. Ambitious students may altogether shun socially stigmatized hallucinogenic drugs, but many of us hold less lofty personal standards, especially as adolescents. Conviction for possession of marijuana will strip even a 4.0 undergraduate of his student loans for one year. Repeat offenders fare worse: A second offense will suspend one's student loans for two years, and after three strikes ... well, you know the saying. Third-time offenders will be indefinitely barred from obtaining student loans, as mandated by the Drug Provision of the Higher Education Act. [continues 528 words]
Re: "Forfeiture law stacked against Louisiana property owners" (June 22): Thank you for lighting a candle on the shameful, dark practice of my colleagues to go around state law to seize property from citizens. Worse, we now focus more on drug dealers than rapists, child molesters and those possessing child porn. Why? Because we can only take money from drug dealers, not pedophiles. Over the past 40 years of drug prohibition/war on drugs, my profession has become addicted to the $70 billion in tax dollars you give us every year. Even that is not enough, as Dr. Fraser pointed out so well. When will we become as wise as our grandparents and repeal our prohibition? Howard Wooldridge Retired detective/officer Drug policy specialist Citizens Opposing Prohibition Adamstown, Md. [end]
Regarding Ronald Fraser's op-ed June 22: The financial incentives created by civil asset forfeiture laws create a dangerous precedent. Police can confiscate cars, cash and homes without bothering to charge owners with a crime. Vague allegations of drug trafficking don't justify turning protectors of the peace into financial predators. The drug war threatens the integrity of a country founded on the concept of limited government. Police searches on public transit, drug-sniffing dogs in schools and random drug testing have led to a loss of civil liberties while failing miserably at preventing drug use. Despite marijuana prohibition and perhaps because of forbidden fruit appeal, lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the United States than any European country, a majority of which have decriminalized marijuana. [continues 81 words]
NORML Louisiana will have its second Medical Cannabis Rally in Monroe on Saturday. The rally will be at Tsunami on Olive Street. NORML is the acronym for the National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws. There will be guest speakers and live music. The event is for those age 18 and above and there is a $5 cover that will be donated to the cause. The event will be from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Four bands will be at the event ready to entertain. Electric Sermon, Hunter and the 3D Glasses, The Navigator and Sixty Cycle will all be at the rally playing some coveted local tunes. [continues 476 words]
Instead of relying on state laws to protect property owners, Louisiana law enforcement officers are using state and federal statutes to stack the law against them. Law enforcement officers can seize your car, your cash or your boat if they merely suspect the property was involved in a crime - and they don't even have to prove it. In most cases, you must prove the property is innocent to get it back. "Modern civil forfeiture exploded during the 1980s as governments at all levels stepped up the war on drugs, and Congress and the states created new incentives for the use of civil asset forfeiture - one of the worst abuses of property rights in our nation today," according to the Institute for Justice report Policing for Profit: The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture. [continues 373 words]
BATON ROUGE - Second-conviction felony drug dealers should have that noted on their driver's licenses, a House committee said Tuesday. The House Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee unanimously approved House Bill 139 by Rep. Rickey Hardy, D-Lafayette, after increasing the fee assessed on offenders from $10 to $25 to cover the cost of issuing a special license with "DRUG OFFENDER" in bright orange on the bottom. Similar licenses with "SEX OFFENDER" already are issued to people convicted of certain sex crimes. [continues 211 words]
Inside the green neon sign, which is shaped like a marijuana leaf, is a red cross. The cross serves the fiction that most transactions in the store -- which is what it really is -- involve medicine. The U.S. Justice Department recently announced that federal laws against marijuana would not be enforced for possession of marijuana that conforms to states' laws. In 2000, Colorado legalized medical marijuana. Since Justice's decision, the average age of the 400 persons a day seeking "prescriptions" at Colorado's multiplying medical marijuana dispensaries has fallen precipitously. Many new customers are college students. [continues 669 words]
Civil liberties advocates have cheered a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the strip search of a 13-year-old student in search of prescription drugs was unconstitutional. But school officials say it gives little guidance on how they can balance the interests of protecting students' privacy and keeping dangerous drugs out of the classroom. "The decision is based on the level of dangerousness" of the suspected hidden drugs, said Francisco NegrA3n, general counsel for the National School Boards Association. "But it is not clear from the opinion what the level of dangerous might be. aE& There are a lot of unanswered questions." [continues 381 words]
Marijuana arrests on campus are rising like smoke. The LSU Police Department has made 38 drug arrests this semester, and a majority involved marijuana. LSUPD spokesman Maj. Lawrence Rabalais said the number of marijuana arrests has significantly increased since the implementation of the Crime Interdiction Unit in 2008. Formed in response to the murder of two University doctoral students in December 2007, the CIU is made up of four officers who patrol campus in plain clothing. Their goal is to stop and identify suspicious people, Rabalais said. Drug arrests nearly tripled between 2007 and 2008 - climbing from 56 to 152. [continues 681 words]
Many of the most credible media outlets - from CNN's Ted Turner to CBS's Walter Cronkite, from the conservative Wall Street Journal to the liberal New York Times - have labeled America's War on Drugs an abject failure. We stand by that assessment. In opining on the Vietnam War, a critic offered that America was fighting an invisible enemy in an undeclared war backed by a silent majority. As with most wars of similar circumstance, an invisible enemy indicates no clear path for victory. [continues 172 words]
Marijuana is bad. On this most auspicious of days, the calls for legalizing marijuana reach their wheezing, coughing climax. And year after year, these calls go unanswered for good reason. As much as we want to think our parents are over-protective and paranoid, there's a reason they always told us not to smoke pot, and there's a reason pot is still illegal. Marijuana smoke contains 20 times more ammonia and five times more hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen oxide than tobacco smoke, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. [continues 460 words]
No one has ever overdosed on marijuana In 2001, 331 people died from alcohol overdose, with 75,000 people having alcohol-related deaths, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It is impossible to know the number of deaths caused by marijuana, although most experts agree it is significantly lower than alcohol. Students lose federal aid when convicted for possessing marijuana In 1998, an amendment to the Higher Education Act withdrew financial aid from students convicted of any drug offense - including simple possession - before or during studies. Although the bill has been scaled back to include only those convicted while in school, a bill introduced by Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., seeks to repeal all penalties. More than 200,000 students have been denied aid by this provision, according to Students for Sensible Drug Policy. [continues 459 words]
AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France - April 20th is a special day - a day when strangers will exchange a wink or a nod, casually addressing an issue that is taboo for the other 364 days of the year. But we formulate our understanding of this issue and public sentiment through the prism of the media. And because of a combination of political and financial influences, that understanding has been blurred, rebuffed and stagnated. The politicization of marijuana likely originated in the Southwest U.S., where targeting Mexicans - with whom marijuana was exclusively popular - was a good way of drumming up support. Epitomized in the 1929 film "Reefer Madness," lies and exaggerations led to excessively frightening views of the plant. [continues 600 words]
Raise your hand if you remember Chicago in the early 1930s, at the height of alcohol Prohibition. The early '30s saw mafia warfare at its highest, featuring all-time highs in black market profiteering and bootlegging what so many enjoy on a nightly basis today. Alcohol was prohibited by the 18th Amendment, but for the next 16 years, alcohol sales thrived underground while violence and murder rates skyrocketed. Prohibition was eventually repealed in 1933 by President Franklin Roosevelt at the height of the Great Depression. [continues 547 words]
When Charles Lynch asked local officials for permission to sell an herbal medicine in the central California town of Morro Bay, they granted it to him - even though the medicine was marijuana. That's because marijuana recommended by a doctor has been legal in California since 1996. A dozen other states have passed similar laws. Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and New Hampshire are among about ten states that have been debating similar measures. So Charlie applied for a business license, and even called the Drug Enforcement Administration before opening his medical marijuana dispensary with a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony. [continues 191 words]
BATON ROUGE - If drug dealers want to stay in business after being arrested more than once, they should have to let the world know what they are, says a Lafayette lawmaker who says he's tired of seeing drug deals and their effects in his neighborhood. Rep. Rickey Hardy, D-Lafayette, has pre-filed HB11, that seeks to require second-offense drug dealers to carry special driver's licenses and put brightly colored license plates on their cars. I'm pushing for it to be bright orange," said Hardy, who envisions that if dealers know they could face such a stigma, they might get out of the trade. [continues 407 words]
It's hell being a celebrity, especially if you're young and find yourself at a party, where marijuana and cameras should never mix. And it's not exactly heaven being sheriff of a county with escalating drug crimes and pressure to treat all offenders equally. Thus it is that Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps and Sheriff Leon Lott of South Carolina's Richland County are being forced to treat seriously a crime that shouldn't be one. As everyone knows by now, Phelps was photographed smoking from an Olympic-sized bong during a University of South Carolina party last November. As all fallen heroes must - by writ of the Pitchforks & Contrition Act - Phelps has apologized for behavior that was "regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment," and has promised never to be a lesser role model again. [continues 462 words]
With two major wars taking place overseas, many Americans ignore the war taking place within our borders. The phrase 'War on Drugs' was first coined by Richard Nixon in 1971. American's ongoing battle with narcotics, however, can be traced back to congressional action taken nearly 100 years ago. Financial data shows we've spent more than $400 billion on the drug war since the 1970s. Even after spending $50 billion this past year, the struggle appears to be going nowhere. [continues 735 words]
I was glad to see that George W. Bush commuted the prison sentences of former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean. I never had much sympathy for Ramos or Compean, disgraced law enforcement officers who were convicted of shooting a Mexican drug smuggler and then lying about it. Bush was also convinced that the men were guilty. That's why he didn't pardon them. In a stunning display of situational ethics, Ramos and Compean became instant superheroes to anti-immigration activists. [continues 184 words]
Last Friday, the Supreme Court decided to take a deeper look into a case involving Savana Redding, a 13-year-old girl who was strip-searched on school grounds because of her alleged possession and distribution of drugs. And what favorite teenage drug were her teachers looking for? Pot? Ecstasy? Prescription pills like Loritab, Adderall or Xanax? Nope. Try ibuprofen. Now granted, at 400-milligrams the pills were prescription strength (barely), but was it really worth emotionally scarring a young girl just to find out whether or not she had pills rarely used recreationally? [continues 395 words]
School Board Says It Has New Policy A teachers' lawsuit over drug and alcohol tests should be considered moot because of changes to testing policy, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board said in a court filing. But the document, filed Friday, does not specify what changes have been made to a policy that members of the East Baton Rouge Federation of Teachers say is unconstitutional. The federation opposes mandatory tests for injured educators who are not suspected of abusing drugs or alcohol. [continues 379 words]
LEESVILLE, La. - The Leesville Police Department laid to rest one of its finest Tuesday in a solemn ceremony near the Department's shooting range and training ground. A bitter, sleet-laden wind and a mournful rendition of "Taps" marked the passing of Chip, the Department's first K-9, and a trailblazer as far as K-9 law enforcement in this area is concerned, according to Deputy Chief of Police Tom Scott in his eulogy of the dog. "Chip was the first, folks," Scott told those gathered to pay their final respects. "Here's where the legacy began. This was the trailblazer." [continues 570 words]
THIBODAUX -- Appointed and elected Lafourche Parish officials may soon face mandatory random drug tests. The proposal, which the Parish Council is scheduled to consider Tuesday, is the brainchild of Councilman Lindel Toups. He introduced it after proposing random drug tests of public-school employees, which prompted some local residents to question why the same tests aren't required of government representatives. Toups said he believes his peers will support his newest measure. "I don't see why not. I don't see why somebody could vote against it," he said. "We drug test employees, so why not drug test the council and administration?" [continues 300 words]
The Lafourche Parish Council last week soundly defeated a resolution encouraging random drug testing of school employees. That's good. What isn't so good is that Councilman Lindel Toups has promised to revive the proposal and make it even broader. The intentions behind Toups' idea is laudable. We don't want users of illegal drugs educating our children. But interference in the education process -- even through well-meaning resolutions -- isn't a proper activity for the Parish Council, which has more-important issues on its legislative plate. [continues 407 words]
Mr. Obama, bring on the change. Bring on that new dawn of American leadership you say is at hand. Bring on your soaring rhetoric, your mandate from the media, your party's near veto-proof legislative majority. Get down to Washington in January and use your political superpowers to begin solving what you say are "the greatest challenges of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril and the greatest financial crisis in a century." Yes, you can try. We, your people, understand, as you have said, that the road ahead will be long, our climb will be steep and we may not get to wherever very liberal place you're taking us to as a nation in one year or - rather conveniently for you - even in one term. [continues 388 words]
Police reports tell the story time and again. A driver is stopped for a traffic violation and winds up in jail for carrying illegal drugs, alcohol or weapons. A common subplot: Officers ask the suspects for permission to search their vehicles, and the suspects consent, even though the thumbs up almost guarantee their arrest. A fact that poses the question: If guilty suspects are so willing to forgo their rights and submit to optional searches and seizures, how many law abiding citizens do the same? [continues 388 words]
LOGANSPORT - A DeSoto sheriff's deputy assigned to the Directed Patrol Unit is recovering from an eye injury sustained Thursday while scuffling with a man being arrested on drug charges, DeSoto authorities say. Deputy Jayson Richardson was stabbed in the eye with a stick while attempting to handcuff John C. Jones III, 19, of Logansport, according to a news release Monday. Richardson was treated in DeSoto Regional Health System's emergency room and released. Jones was booked into DeSoto Detention Center on one count each of resisting an officer, battery on a police officer and second-degree battery of a police officer involving injury. He's also accused of felony possession of marijuana and possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute. [continues 94 words]
THIBODAUX - Enactment of a law requiring drug testing of all Louisiana public employees would undoubtedly be met with a lawsuit, an official with the American Civil Liberties Union said. Any such law would have to be approved by state legislators and signed by the Governor. But it was a Lafourche Parish councilman who has floated the proposal, and wants the Parish Council to formally ask the legislature to act. District 6 Councilman Lindel Toups' suggestion has -- in addition to inflaming the ACLU -- drawn the ire of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers. [continues 596 words]
THIBODAUX - A Lafourche Parish councilman pushing for random statewide drug tests for public-school teachers said he plans to expand his proposal to include council members and other government employees. Councilman Lindel Toups, who represents Gheens, has urged his fellow council members to send a formal request for random drug tests to the state Legislature. Council members were set to vote on the matter Tuesday night, but concerns that it may violate the U.S. Constitution prompted them to delay a decision for two weeks. [continues 435 words]
THIBODAUX - A Lafourche Parish councilman wants Louisiana to adopt random drug tests for teachers and other public-school employees that civil-liberties groups say would violate key provisions of the U.S. Constitution. District 6 Councilman Lindel Toups, who represents Gheens, said a former employee of the school system alerted him to heavy drug use among faculty and teachers, prompting his request. But school boards are regulated by the state, meaning tests can only be performed if the Louisiana Legislature passes a law approving it, officials say. [continues 649 words]
Every October St. Tammany Parish students join students across America in celebrating Red Ribbon Week. This week speakers are urging students to remain drug and alcohol free, special projects are ongoing and marches are being held. Students are hearing the message. What we hope is they are listening. Red Ribbon Week is an important tradition in the drug prevention community. It began as a grassroots tribute to a fallen DEA hero, Special Agent Enrique Camarena. The National Red Ribbon Campaign was sparked by the murder of Camarena by drug traffickers. [continues 331 words]
Federation of Teachers Calls Drug, Alcohol Tests Abuse of Power The largest teacher union in East Baton Rouge Parish sued the parish School Board on Tuesday in an effort to outlaw policies that require teachers injured on the job to undergo drug and alcohol testing. The East Baton Rouge Federation of Teachers, which claims approximately 1,600 members, filed its lawsuit in Baton Rouge federal court because the automatic test policy does not require probable cause. "The longer this goes on, the more our teachers are wronged," said Carnell Washington, president of the federation. "If there is suspicion, we have no problem (with drug-and-alcohol testing). What we're practicing in Baton Rouge is against the law." [continues 426 words]
The raid on Russell's Tire Shop had the look of a successful garden-variety drug bust. Acting on an informant's tip, police stormed the building on North Galvez Street and hauled out three suspects, a bag of heroin, a quarter-ounce of crack cocaine and more than $4,000 in cash. Police say they found the evidence in plain sight. But 11 months after the August 2002 bust, prosecutors dropped the charges. And this June, attorneys for the city offered the men accused of dealing the drugs $85,000 to settle a lawsuit that alleged the four New Orleans police detectives involved in the raid planted the drugs - -- and uprooted the lives of innocent people. [continues 1558 words]
Roderick Moore Previously Convicted Of Drug Counts In Caddo A former Shreveport police officer who was convicted in Caddo Parish for supplying strippers with drugs in exchange for sexual favors has admitted to seven drug charges in Bossier Parish. Roderick "Ricky" Moore pleaded guilty as charged Friday in Bossier District Court to one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methadone, marijuana, oxycodone, hydrocodone, alprazolam and lorazepam, according to the Bossier district attorney's office. Two days prior, the 53-year-old pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated. [continues 308 words]
THIBODAUX -- A man authorities arrested last month on drug-possession charges returned to California this week after a district judge granted him permission to seek treatment while awaiting his next court date. Hours before he returned to his home in California on Wednesday, Matthew Zugsberger said he remains resolute in his fight to prove his California license for medical marijuana should be recognized in Louisiana and anywhere else in the U.S. Zugsberger, 32, faces three drug charges stemming from a June arrest where State Police allegedly discovered 951 grams, or 2.12 pounds, of marijuana inside his apartment, 2316 St. Bernard Road Apt. E. [continues 425 words]
Shortly after Keva Landrum-Johnson took over as district attorney following Eddie Jordan's resignation Oct. 30, hundreds of new felony cases flooded the public defenders office, overwhelming the 29 defense attorneys. After New Orleans regained its title as the nation's murder capital, the public demanded its city leaders crack down on violent crime. By filing hundreds of new felony cases each month, it appeared as if the new DA heeded their call. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case, said Steve Singer, chief of trials for the Orleans Public Defenders Office. [continues 1389 words]
Roderick Moore Faces Up To 30 Years On Each Of Two Counts. A Caddo jury quickly found former Shreveport police officer Roderick "Rickey" Moore guilty Saturday of supplying drugs to strippers in return for sexual favors. Judge John Joyce polled the seven-woman, five-man jury just after 2 p.m., barely two hours after he charged them. That showed only two of the 12 jurors believing defense claims there was no proof Moore actually passed drugs to the police confidential informant, a stripper at Larry Flynt's Hustler Club. Moore, 52, had been charged with providing her with Lortab and cocaine. [continues 762 words]
Inside Louisiana
