Loretta Nall's Blog

For the third time in recent months a Dothan, AL jury has come back with an astonishing verdict in a drug case. They are astonishing because they are correct verdicts.

I don't remember the details of the first two cases other than they were both drug related and the verdict was not guilty.

In today's Dothan Eagle a jury has found a man who was fleeing from police officers NOT GUILTY of trying to run over one of those officers.

Jury finds no intent to kill

A Houston County jury concluded a Hartford man charged with attempted murder was not trying to kill a Dothan police officer when he drove toward the officer during a confrontation last year.

Instead, the jury convicted Fred Kenyatta “Lamont” Collins, 33, of the lesser included offense of reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor. Collins was also convicted of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and first degree possession of marijuana, both Class C felonies.

A sentencing hearing is set for April 28 in front of Circuit Judge Butch Binford.

Police arrested Collins in June of 2009 after he failed to yield to emergency vehicles. He was arrested after authorities shot out a tire in the vehicle he was driving. He was charged with trying to run over a Dothan police officer during the pursuit.

Officers testified Collins drove through the front yard and around to the back of a Wicksburg residence on Riverview Drive several times despite repeated calls for Collins to stop and get out of his vehicle.

Collins claimed he did not know the people were police officers. They were not in uniform at the time of the incident.

One officer, Jeremy Kendrick, claimed Collins accelerated in his direction in an attempt to run him over during the incident. The officer said he had to dive out of the path of the vehicle to keep from being struck.

These continued proper verdicts give me hope that things are changing here for the better. Many thanks to the juries. Could it possibly be that jury nullification is happening there?

Folks we now have a new bill number for the medical marijuana bill.

HB642 The Michael Phillips Compassionate Care Act will replace HB207. We expect this bill to come before the House Judiciary Committee on either March 24 or March 31. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the hearing to show your support for patients across Alabama.

This Thursday March 4, 2010 at 7:30 pm: The University of South Alabama is sponsoring the annual face off between High Times Editor Steve Hager and DEA agent Robert Stutman.

Mr. Hager and Mr. Stutman will debate the pros and cons of marijuana.

This event is called Heads vs. Feds.

Members of Alabamians for Compassionate Care, including yours truly, will be attending and disseminating information on the Michael Phillips Compassionate Care Act which is set to come before the Judiciary Committee the week of March 22.

More information about the event can be found HERE.

If you plan to attend and would like to help ACC hand out info or if you are in the central part of Alabama and need a ride down please contact me at lorettanall@gmail.com or Christie O'Brien at reederchristie@yahoo.com

I was on a very conservative radio station in Mobile, AL on Friday. I was expecting just 5 or 10 minutes like a normal radio interview but Uncle Henry kept me on for the entire hour.

It went really, really well. For those of you who wish you can listen to the podcast here:

http://www.newsradio710.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcas...

Below is one of three articles in the Clay Times Journal about the large drug bust that was conducted in Ashland and Lineville in Feb. 14...hence the name 'Operation Heartbreaker'. My, my aren't they clever?

Basically, the entire paper was taken up by this article scanned below, an article about the Mayor of Lineville's comments on the drug bust (I used to go to church with him) and an editorial about the drug bust.

I've really never seen such circular dick sucking in my life. They were so busy fellating each other that they never even got around to saying what kinds of drugs or how much/many drugs they found in connection with all of these arrests. Wonder why they didn't all get woodies when Judge Rochester's son Alex Rochester was arrested and agreed to lead them directly to his actual kingpin in Atlanta? Actually, I know why. Cops and government don't want the kingpins in the drug war....they only want the small time, poor whites, and any socioeconomic status blacks, because, without the kingpins they cannot justify their jobs and would have to find another line of work. Plus, they probably like getting all those free drugs and being basically immune from any sort of suspicion and prosecution.

This whole operation really reminds me of the Tulia, Texas drug bust about 10 years ago. Except, in the Clay County bust there were actually a few white people. Ashland only has a population if 1,885 according to the 2005 Census Bureau. Lineville only has a population of 2,401 (2000 Census Bureau). Both populations may have grown a tiny bit since then, but I kind of doubt it. That place is tiny and never changes and new people never move there because there is absolutely no industry to support population growth. Could there really be 34 drug dealers in a population of 4286 people?

More to come as things develop. I will find out from some legal friends of mine what kinds of drugs are involved, bonds the accused received and so forth and so on. Stay tuned....

The meth lab/bingo hall analogy has been brought up in a few different media sources recently.

The argument goes like this;

(From Mobile Press Register) We've heard the governor say several times that the state wouldn't condone a meth lab even if it provided 500 jobs. That comparison doesn't work, because no one disputes that meth is illegal and no law-abiding citizen would work for a meth lab."

Unfortunately, for those bringing it up, what it does is point out parallels between the failed drug war and this stupid bingo war.

Adult drug users/alcohol drinkers and people who like to gamble aren't much different in many respects. Most of them use/drink/gamble responsibly and do not harm anyone else or deny anyone else in their pursuit of life, liberty and happiness by doing those things. A small percentage of both drug users/alcohol drinkers/gamblers do become addicted or exhibit other problems that cause harm to others. But you will always have idiots in every group of people. However, making behaviors such as using drugs/drinking alcohol/gambling illegal punishes all those who engage in these behaviors responsibly and not just the idiots. That is why our prison system is so horribly overcrowded. Alcohol prohibition failed because our ancestors finally realized the simple fact that you can't punish everyone for the bad behavior of a few. It's time those of us in the 21st century revisited that simple lesson that history taught us and that we have ignored.

Drug use and gambling will never be eliminated and the negatives of both could be reduced with regulation of the industries with the monies from tax revenue going to our deplorable education system and other worthy programs in Alabama. Both would create jobs. Thousands of Alabama farmers could be back in business tomorrow if marijuana were legalized for adult use.

As for meth....that's nasty stuff and I don't use it. However, if it were regulated and controlled then there would be no people with enough deadly, toxic chemicals in their basements (or car trunks) to level six city blocks. No children would be around the manufacture of it because all of that would be done in a safe, laboratory environment with trained chemists....just as is done now with Desoxyn...that's prescription meth. People who became addicted would have more options for treatment and chances to recover from addiction and put their lives and families back together. And, when you look at the numbers the 'meth epidemic' is way overblown. It is estimated that there are 1.4 million meth users in the US. The US has a population of 308,664,392 That comes out to 0.45%

And yet another fabulous medical marijuana letter in today's Opinion pages round up.

This one is a masterpiece from Don Seibold of Wetumpka and appeared in today's Anniston Star. Don is 74, a war veteran and suffers from chronic pain. However, he will not break the law in order to see if medical marijuana would alleviate his suffering.

Way to go Don!!

Readers, please read the letter on the Anniston Star website, leave a comment and then write your own letter to the Star at speakout@annistonstar.com

Marijuana nonsense
by our readers
Feb 08, 2010
Re “Drugs lead to more drugs” (Speak Out letter, Jan. 28):

Tonya Curvin wrote in her recent Speak Out letter to The Star, “There are other ways to live a painful life without drugs: Therapists, chiropractors, counselors, pastors and exercises are examples. It’s also sad to say, but some chronic pain sufferers got hurt under the influence of drugs and that’s why they are now in chronic pain.”

Note that she said “live a painful life” instead of “alleviate their pain.”

I’ve tried most of the examples she cited plus prescribed pain relief drugs, and none of them helped me. The only relief I get is from a non-prescribed legal drug called alcohol, which probably does more harm to my body than marijuana ever could, and I imagine it costs more, too.

My chronic pain didn’t come about as a result of being under the influence of drugs. It came about while I was serving in the military protecting Curvin’s freedom and her right to spout her nonsense.

Don Seibold
Wetumpka

From a story about a marijuana bust in Tuscaloosa

when figuring that individuals pay mid-level dealers around $380 for one ounce.

What planet are cops from? No one I know in Alabama pays anywhere near $380 for one ounce of weed unless it is certified-kick-ass from Canada or California/West Coast. And, I NEVER see that kind of weed in Alabama.

Even worse than the cops jacking of the prices is the fact that another young man, 25, will now be sent to rot and be sexually assaulted in an overcrowded, dangerous and inhumane Alabama prison....all for selling something that grows naturally on this earth.

Where do these mother fuckers get off outlawing nature?

Dear Friends and Supporters of Medical Marijuana in Alabama:

On Feb. 13, 2010 beginning at 1 p.m. members of Alabamians for Compassionate Care will kick off International Medical Marijuana Week with a celebration in Birmingham, Alabama with a pot luck dinner, fellowship, speakers and a short demonstration. If you plan to attend please bring a covered dish to share with other attendees. Later on we plan to have individual patients tell their stories about why they use medical marijuana, what they have to endure to get their medicine and how such obstacles have negatively impacted their lives. We will conclude our event by marching from 2330 Highland Ave. down to the fountain at 5 Points South and the back to the Hwy 280 overpass. Please make and bring signs about medical marijuana. Possible slogans include

I am a PATIENT not a criminal

My other medicine is addictive

STOP ARRESTING PATIENTS

MAKE MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGAL

Please feel free to make up your own sign slogans so long as they have to do with medical marijuana.

The address of our celebration is

2330 Highland Ave. South (on Southside)

This location is right next to Caldwell Park. Should our group become too large for the location we have selected we can and will spill over into the park, weather permitting.

Load your cars and trucks up with as many people as you can find and we look forward to seeing you there.

If you have questions or need further information please feel free to email me at lorettanall@gmail.com. You can also contact our Outreach coordinator Christie O'Brien at 205-907-6131 reederchristie@yahoo.com or by contacting our Web Coordinator Penny Vaughan at 256-276-0083 or luvlavender@yahoo.com