ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- A nurse who worked for a McLean doctor accused of using his office as a front for drug trafficking testified that the doctor rebuffed her concerns about patients who were "a little bit creepy or seedy characters" and frequently demanded a high volume of drugs. Susan Cruz of Herndon, a nurse practitioner in the pain-management clinic of William E. Hurwitz, said Tuesday at Hurwitz's trial that she recommended Hurwitz discharge from the practice a group of patients from Manassas who frequently demanded early refills of their prescriptions for potentially illicit drugs like OxyContin. [continues 413 words]
When one of the cogs in the wheel of justice breaks down, it throws the entire system out of whack. When the cog is as critical as the state crime lab, the consequences can be far-reaching. The lab is essential in getting at the truth in criminal cases - in determining whether, for example, DNA samples link a suspect to a crime, or whether a gun was involved in a shooting. In some cases lab work is necessary to document whether a crime was committed - to confirm that the white powder in a baggie seized by police is indeed an illegal drug. [continues 511 words]
NORFOLK, Va. -- A statewide surge in drug arrests and staffing shortages in Virginia's four forensic laboratories have created a massive evidence backlog and have caused some felony drug cases to be dropped, police and prosecutors say. Scientific analysis of drug evidence that normally would be completed in 10 days was taking an average of 82 days at the end of August, Paul B. Ferrara, director of the state's Division of Forensic Science, told The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk. The backlog has stalled cases in general district courts, where informal state guidelines set a goal of decisions on most matters within 60 days of an arrest. [continues 441 words]
A Local Woman Is Shadowed By A Camera Crew As She Kicks Her Addiction In "Choose Or Lose: 20 Million Loud." HAMPTON -- Patricia Moody became a TV star Tuesday. It wasn't because she won $1 million on a reality show, or because she hit 700 home runs. No, the 24-year-old Hampton resident became a star because she kicked a drug habit. And MTV is going to broadcast her story for the country to see. The music television station that features shows such as "Pimp My Ride" and "Punk'd" is spending two days in Hampton Roads doing a story on Hampton's Drug Court as part of a segment on the country's national drug policies. [continues 504 words]
Some Ambitious HU Students Encounter The Dark Side Of What Police Say Are Drug-related Shootings. HAMPTON -- Five students left their homes along the East Coast four years ago to enroll at Hampton University, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious historically black colleges. Mostly they came from upper-middle-class families headed by doctors, lawyers, chemists and dentists. One student had an academic scholarship. They had attended private high schools, volunteered at hospitals and participated in internships over their summer vacations. [continues 2360 words]
This last school year, I discovered that there was a high tendency for over indulgence in alcohol and marijuana on and off campus. It appears that our students use these illicit substances as scapegoats in order to ease the dramatic events going on in their lives. Peer pressure for academic acceptance has been a major factor, but the real reasons may even go deeper. Overbearing parents, divorce, heightened sexual activity or simple lack of self-esteem can contribute to them. Unfortunately, these young people's unhampered acts just could lead them to full dismissal, rape, aggravated assault or possible suicide. [continues 116 words]
The article on the inappropriate use of Coricidin, an over-the-counter drug, by York County Middle School students was forthright and a positive step in the right direction. Why is it that headlines such as "Hampton/Newport News/ Poquoson or York students abuse illegal drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, LSD, ecstasy, etc." don't make the news? Could it be that these school systems would prefer to keep such happenings quiet so as not to shed a bad light on their school systems? [continues 114 words]
Some Children Are Using Easy-To-Get Cold Remedies to Get High. Several Local Stores Have Made It Harder for Certain Brands To Be Bought or Stolen. Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold medication is the one cough and cold medication sold over-the-counter that's safe for people with high blood pressure to use. A few parents are learning, however, that it's also a drug their children are using in large doses to get high. Last month, three Queens Lake Middle School students ended up in the hospital after abusing Coricidin. School officials learned they had taken the drug, often referred to as "Triple C" or "Skittles," because teachers noticed they were acting strange. [continues 794 words]
ROANOKE, Va. -- There were 85 deaths from methadone overdoses in western Virginia last year--a per-capita rate that is at least twice the rate for New York City, according to state crime lab figures. Deaths from the prescription drug, developed during World War II as an alternative to morphine, have increased by 600 percent in the region in the past five years. Fatal overdoses from other prescription drugs have also risen sharply, said Dr. William Massello of the state Medical Examiner's Office for Western Virginia. [continues 257 words]
Where are the less-government-intervention Bush's when you need them? I was working as a corrections officer at the Newport News City Farm in 1997 when I was struck by a drunken driver while out of the truck watching my inmates cut grass. I was thrown 50 feet, landed head first and slid another 50 feet on my back. In the last 61/2 years I have had 10 knee surgeries, three on the left, seven on the right. Number 11 is fast approaching. I am in constant pain, whether sitting or standing. I am 40 years old with the knees of an 80-year-old through no fault of my own. [continues 202 words]
RICHMOND, Va. -- An increasing number of people on probation or parole who have not committed new crimes are being sent to prison for breaking their release conditions, according to a new state report. Officials said the upswing illustrates a national trend of states using scarce prison space for people who break the rules that govern their freedom. As states grapple with rising prison populations, many, including Virginia, are taking careful inventories of prison populations to determine who really needs to be there. [continues 944 words]
'Huffing' Law Is Tough To Enforce; The Act Must Be Witnessed Newport News -- An 18-year-old Newport News man was convicted Friday of inhaling noxious chemicals - a misdemeanor charge authorities said is rarely used in the city in part because of the difficulty in catching someone in the act. In this case, {NAME DELETED} was charged after a Newport News police officer stopped him for speeding last October and said he smelled a strong odor coming from the car. Officer Martin Scott testified in court that after he asked {NAME DELETED} to get out of the car, he noticed silver paint residue around the teen's mouth and nose. The residue, Scott testified, was consistent with a practice called "huffing" - to which {NAME DELETED} admitted, Scott said. [continues 483 words]
A comment on the Jan. 30 article "Drug court class is arrested." I understand that the nonviolent participants involved in this program had rules to follow, but there was no need to punish the whole group, especially since they were not supervised. I have a family member who was arrested on a drug possession charge and learned a lesson behind becoming an addict. This drug court was the best thing that ever happened; the person has a new look and a positive attitude in life because of this program. I could not be a part of the family member's life during the time of the drug addiction because of my profession, and it devastated me a great deal. [continues 107 words]
HAMPTON -- Most members of Hampton's first drug court class - who were jailed a week ago because of missed meetings, failed drug tests and forged notes - won't graduate on schedule. The drug court participants were released Tuesday, a day after Circuit Court Judge Christopher Hutton decided to punish most of the 17 classmates who appeared before him in court. Hutton said they'd have to start a phase of the jail alternative treatment program all over again. For many, that will mean spending an additional three to 10 weeks in the program depending on when they entered drug court, said Natale Ward, the program's administrator. [continues 333 words]
Members Sent To Hampton Jail To Reinforce Rules HAMPTON -- The entire first class of the Hampton Drug Court program found themselves behind bars this week on probation violation charges - ranging from failing drug tests to missing meetings. The 17 men and women are part of Hampton's first group to go through the jail alternative drug treatment and support program targeting nonviolent substance abusers. Program administrators decided the group should go to jail Wednesday in an effort to demonstrate that drug court must be taken seriously. [continues 376 words]
In regard to the Dec. 30 editorial "Stopping drunks." I would like to comment as well as agree, to a point, to proposals for tougher DUI laws. There isn't any mention of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program in the proposals for tougher DUI laws. We all know that tougher laws should be in effect for anyone driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. But instead of a jail or prison conviction, I believe the person should be mandated to a substance abuse treatment facility either in place of or in addition to their sentence. Whether it is for a one-month program or a six-month program, that person should be given the chance to learn about the addiction and recovery process. [continues 84 words]
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The state Health Care Authority is considering a moratorium on new methadone clinics in West Virginia. Critics argue that for-profit clinics owned by companies headquartered in other states are making profits off of West Virginia's citizens. The authority will vote on the proposed moratorium Jan. 19. "A number of people in state government, legislators and regular citizens have concerns about methadone clinics," authority chairwoman Sonia Chambers said Wednesday. "There are strong feelings on both sides." Methadone is a synthetic narcotic used to treat people addicted to opium-based drugs such as heroin, morphine and OxyContin and wean them off those drugs. The clinics sell daily doses of methadone to people who ingest the chemical in front of a nurse. [continues 109 words]
ROANOKE, Va. -- Three methadone clinics have opened in western Virginia, and soon there could be more, as the region tries to heal from prescription drug abuse that peaked around 2000 with the emergence of OxyContin. Methadone clinics typically meet resistance from nearby residents who fear that an influx of addicts will bring crime into their neighborhoods. Opponents also say the treatment--which costs about $10 a day and can last for years--often becomes a business run by corporations more concerned about the bottom line than with addicts who have bottomed out. [continues 450 words]
HARRISONBURG, Va. -- Alarmed by a rise in methamphetamine traffic in the Shenandoah Valley, police and a newly elected state senator are seeking tougher penalties for dealers of the stimulant. Trafficking in the drug is concentrated in and around Harrisonburg and along the Interstate 81 corridor. Law enforcement officials trace its local introduction to about six years ago. Local authorities have had to prosecute with penalties they consider to be too light for big-time pushers, said Tom Murphy, coordinator of the drug task force for Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. [continues 356 words]
NEWPORT NEWS -- Drug dealers will soon be on surveillance camera in Newport News. The Newport News Police Department plans to spend $100,000 to buy a closed-circuit camera system that it will post on street corners and other public places known for drug dealing. Neighborhood Crime Watch organizers praise the cameras as a valuable tool to combat crime when police officers must be elsewhere, while privacy-rights advocates caution against potential abuse and questionable effectiveness. City Council agreed during a Thursday meeting to buy the cameras. No council member spoke against the purchase, which will be paid for with money seized from criminals. [continues 378 words]
