Potecasi Man Faces Cocaine Charges in Two Counties JACKSON - A man who is reportedly one of Northampton County's biggest drug dealers is behind bars and faces charges of cocaine trafficking in two counties, the Northampton County Sheriff's Office said at a press conference Friday. Sheriff Wardie Vincent said a joint investigation with the Bertie County Sheriff's Office and the State Bureau of Investigation resulted in the seizure of 29 ounces of cocaine, numerous weapons, a military flak jacket and $137,450 in cash. [continues 307 words]
HALIFAX - Halifax County Crimestoppers is asking for input on local drug dealers in the area and plans to push this as its next Crime of the Week. "There is a continuing Crime of the Week right here in our neighborhoods and drug investigators want public input," Detective Bruce Temple of the Halifax County Sheriff's Office said. "Having intelligence on local drug dealers is a key part of making a difference in our community." Temple said Friday there has been no real increase in drug activity, but drug sales remain a problem. "We recognize that drugs contribute to 90 percent or better of our violent crimes, the majority of local property crimes and the deterioration of families." [continues 259 words]
The issue of elementary-age students bringing drugs to school may not be a reality in the Roanoke Valley, but has been increasingly highlighted in the news. Most recently, a 5-year-old boy in Miami, Fla., took a bag of marijuana to school Monday and sprinkled it over a friend's lasagna, possibly thinking it was oregano. On the same day, a 4-year-old boy brought crack cocaine that he believed to be flour to his preschool class in Indianapolis, Ind. [continues 434 words]
JACKSON - A Garysburg man's car and cash were seized Tuesday because he owes the state more than $5,000 in drug tax money. Agent Leon Martin of the Northampton County Sheriff's Office stopped 48-year-old Marvin Cornell High while on routine patrol and knew he owed the state money. High was charged and convicted with possession of crack cocaine almost two years ago. Due to the amount of drugs he possessed, he was taxed several thousand dollars, Martin said. With penalties and interest, he owes the state more than $5,000. [continues 96 words]
ROANOKE RAPIDS - Two candidates for Northampton County sheriff squared off and the incumbent sheriff's wife spoke on his behalf during a forum in Roanoke Rapids Monday night. Incumbent Wardie Vincent could not attend the forum sponsored by Concerned Citizens of Northampton County but his wife spoke on his behalf. "Wardie comes to you as a candidate who is qualified," Betty Vincent, said. "He has worked on every level (of law enforcment)." Vincent said her husband has experience preparing budgets, but more importantly, he is involved in the community and contributes his time to different organizations in the county. [continues 628 words]
HALIFAX - Resident Halifax Superior Court Judge Dwight L. Cranford Monday will file in Raleigh to seek election this November. Cranford has served as a Halifax County Superior judge since he was appointed by Gov. Jim Hunt in October 2000 to fill the seat left vacant by the retiring Hon. Richard Allsbrook. Cranford said his eight years of experience as a Halifax County District Court Judge in both civil and criminal matters will serve him well. He strongly supports local law enforcement, and believes in strong punishment for those who sell drugs as well as programs of rehabilitation for drug abusers. He believes justice should be tempered with mercy, though he will not tolerate arrogance, discourtesy or partiality in his courtroom. [continues 261 words]
ROANOKE RAPIDS - A civil suit over an improper search warrant in Northampton County was dismissed because the county did not have insurance to cover the two officers in such a lawsuit, attorney Gilbert Chichester said. The county claimed sovereign immunity because Northampton does not have insurance to cover officers in a lawsuit of that nature. The county admitted in a motion to dismiss the case the defendants did not have liability insurance to cover the claims alleged in the December 2000 lawsuit. [continues 652 words]
JACKSON - A lawsuit that claimed two former Northampton County Sheriff's Office drug agents used an improper search warrant during a 1999 drug bust was dismissed last month in Hertford County. The two officers named in the suit - Norman Smith and Mike Boone - said the suit's dismissal clears their names and reputation in the county. "I feel a two-pronged victory," said Smith, now a special investigator for a major insurance company in Fayetteville. "One is a victory against the criminal element. It lets them know we're not going to throw money at a winnable lawsuit just to make it go away. My attorney assured me he had a great deal of certainty it was going to be thrown out." [continues 602 words]
ROANOKE RAPIDS - In the last six months the uniformed division of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department has confiscated more so-called rave drugs than they saw all of last year. Officers expect to see more drugs such as ecstasy and Ketamine make their way into the Roanoke Valley. "It hasn't been as prevalent as crack and marijuana but it's starting to come to rural areas," said Capt. Greg Lawson of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department. "It's the same euphoric feeling of happiness, love and joy," said Roanoke Rapids Narcotics Agent Tommy Hathaway, who compared the use of rave drugs to the use of acid in the 1960's. [continues 377 words]
ROANOKE RAPIDS - Hundreds of children packed into the gymnasium, police officers were present and bags full of drugs were laid on a table at Chaloner Middle School Wednesday morning. It was not a drug bust, but an anti-drug rally held by the school. Police took a more direct approach to informing students on the war on drugs. "Today concludes our Red Ribbon Week," said officer Jamal Bryant with the Roanoke Rapids Police Department and Chaloner's resource officer. "What we're doing is, we've invited guest speakers to come regarding the war on drugs." [continues 502 words]
ROANOKE RAPIDS -- A Roanoke Rapids man who used marijuana for medicinal purposes and reported to police someone had stolen his pot plants died of cardiac arrest Monday at Halifax Regional Medical Center, a family member said. Emmit Scott's niece, Shanie Scott, said this morning she did not believe stress from the national attention her uncle's case received complicated her uncle's poor physical condition. Scott's case, for which he was to have a second appearance in court on Sept. 19, received national media attention as well as the attention from several groups which advocate the legalization of marijuana. [continues 350 words]
HALIFAX - A Roanoke Rapids man arrested after dialing 911 to report someone stealing the marijuana plants growing in his backyard appeared in court for the first time Wednesday morning in Halifax. Emmit Scott, 61, was arrested July 27 and charged with one count of manufacturing a controlled substance and one count of maintaining a place to keep a controlled substance, both felonies, after authorities discovered 27 marijuana plants growing in a garden behind his home. Scott, at the time of his arrest, said he had grown the marijuana since 1991 for medicinal purposes and did not know it was illegal to cultivate for personal use. [continues 720 words]
The daily herald's thoughtful Aug. 5th editorial on the Emmit Scott case makes the point that marijuana is relatively harmless compared to many legal drugs. If health outcomes determined drug laws instead of cultural norms marijuana would be legal. The first marijuana laws were a racist reaction to Mexican immigration during the early 1900s, passed in large part due to newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst's sensationalist yellow journalism. White Americans did not even begin to smoke marijuana until a soon-to-be entrenched government bureaucracy began funding reefer madness propaganda. [continues 273 words]
Who's the one smoking pot? Your story, "Bizarre tip leads to biggest pot bust of the year" is a great example of the ambiguity surrounding the felony offense, but harmless act, of growing marijuana for personal use. Assuming the thief is caught, which "criminal" will get the most time? By the way, if the sheriff thinks 27 full mature marijuana plants is worth $1 million he's smoking something. That's $9,260 per oz. Gerald M. Sutliff Oakland, CA [end]
On July 27, Emmit Scott called his local law officers to report a crime. He suspected someone was stealing the marijuana he had grown for his own personal use. Emmit Scott was charged with two felonies. The man who stole from Scott was charged with nothing. Is Emmit Scott a criminal? Maybe and maybe not. Today, eight states have passed some form of legislation that legalizes marijuana for medical use Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Washington state, Hawaii and Washington D.C. This spring, medical marijuana bills were debated by at least 25 other states. [continues 673 words]
Questions 'street Smart' Article Re HRMC Employees Get 'street Smart', July 11 I'm glad to see your police officers venture into the community to acquaint others with street slang surrounding drugs. I'm less happy, though, to see the police talking about "the impact drugs can have on the county" which is presumably a means for the police to persuade the audience that drug prohibition is a good idea. I would like to be a fly on the wall when an audience member asks a few probing questions about drug prohibition: [continues 198 words]
Man reports assault, then police discover he's growing 27 pot plants in his backyard 07/29/01 Michael McKnight Email this story to a friend ROANOKE RAPIDS - A bizarre tip resulted in the largest marijuana bust of the year for Halifax County authorities Friday afternoon. Halifax County Sheriff's Deputy J.M. Clark said he responded to a call from Emmit Scott, 60, of 39 Heritage Lane, to go to the Best Bet convenience store on N.C. Highway 48 south of Roanoke Rapids. [continues 539 words]
ROANOKE RAPIDS - Staff members at Halifax Regional Medical Center got some "street smarts" from members of the Halifax County Drug Task Force Thursday. The "Street Smarts" drug education program was started in 1997 by Halifax County Sheriff Jeff Frazier to educate citizens in the county to identify drugs and recognize signs of drugs use as well as teach residents the impact drugs can have on the county. "I just think that's part of our job," Frazier said. "We just care about kids." [continues 276 words]
