-------------------------------------------------------------------

Pot Club Director Quitting ('San Jose Mercury News' Notes Peter Baez,
Co-Founder Of The Santa Clara County Medical Cannabis Center,
Was Charged Monday With Five New Felony Counts
Of Illegally Selling Marijuana After An Inspection By Police
Of Medical Records They Seized Previously)

Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 18:53:14 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)
Subject: MN: US CA: Pot Club Director Quitting
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: Joel W. Johnson (jwjohnson@netmagic.net)
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Contact: letters@sjmercury.com
Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/
Pubdate: Tue, 07 Apr 1998
Author: Sandra Gonzales

POT CLUB DIRECTOR QUITTING

Facing five new felony counts, Baez says he's leaving center

Peter Baez, co-founder of the Santa Clara County Medical Cannabis Center,
faced more legal trouble Monday with the addition of five new felony counts
charging him with illegally selling marijuana.

With the possibility of nine years in prison looming, Baez said he is
stepping down as executive director of the cannabis center.

"Whether there is one charge or 100 charges, my mind is made up: I'm
getting out of this," he said. "What's the point in being involved with
these people? I don't need this. . . "

Prosecutors added the new charges at Baez's arraignment Monday in Municipal
Court. He had originally been scheduled to be arraigned on a single felony
charge of illegally selling marijuana that had been filed March 23.

"Our action is not against the cannabis center," said Deputy District
Attorney Denise Raabe. "It's against Peter Baez for furnishing marijuana
without having the appropriate medical recommendation and not calling to
verify it."

Raabe said 34-year-old Baez illegally sold marijuana several times to six
people between May 1997 and March. None of the buyers, she said, had
life-threatening illnesses such as cancer or AIDS.

And none of the buyers had the verbal or written recommendations required
under Proposition 215 - the 1996 voter-approved measure that legalized use
of the drug for medical reasons.

In each of the cases, Raabe said, authorities checked with the buyers'
doctors, who denied giving a recommendation for the use of pot.

Baez said he was shocked by the latest charges, and insisted that he had
done nothing wrong. He said he kept meticulous files, which were seized by
police when he was arrested March 23, and that prosecutors are now using
those records against him. Authorities also froze nearly $30,000 in assets
and seized about one-half to three-quarters of a pound of marijuana. Two
pounds were left for clients.

Raabe denied that Baez was a target and said that he simply failed to
comply with the law. She added that authorities are continuing their
investigation, and that she did not know whether more charges would be
filed.

Baez, who said he will step down by the end of the month, also said he
would announce soon whether the center will stay open. The charges against
Baez came as a surprise, particularly since the center has been propelled
into that national spotlight as a model on how to follow Proposition 215.

One of his attorneys, B.J. Fadem, noted that out of 270 of the center's
clients, authorities have found only six potential violations. "That's not
sloppy," Fadem said.

Baez's legal troubles were sparked by the case of Enrique Robles, who
claimed he needed the drug for medicinal purposes. Baez maintains that he
got a verbal approval from a doctor to sell the drug. But authorities said
that three doctors, whose names were provided by the center, denied
approving pot for Robles.

According to the police reports, one doctor stated that he did not
recommend marijuana because he did not want to risk his medical license.
Another said she was aware her patients was using it, but she did not
recommend it.

Both Jesse Garcia, the co-founder of the center, and Darlene Lutz, a worker
at the center, told police that an acknowledgement from the doctor that a
patient was using marijuana was sufficient to purchase the drug.

"I'm shocked that they would use that as a basis," Raabe said. " I do not
believe that's the law."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Pot Club's Future In Jeopardy ('San Francisco Chronicle' Version
Notes Police Are Continuing To Search Santa Clara County
Medical Cannabis Center Files For More Alleged Violations,
And Prosecutors Are Trying To Seize The Dispensary's $29,000 Checking Account
Under Asset Forfeiture Laws - Next Court Hearing For Baez May 6)

Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 20:05:30 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)
Subject: MN: US CA: Pot Club's Future in Jeopardy
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: "Frank S. World" 
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Contact: chronletters@sfgate.com
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Pubdate: Tue, 07 Apr 1998
Author: Maria Alicia Gaura, Chronicle Staff Writer

POT CLUB'S FUTURE IN JEOPARDY

San Jose police searching center's files

A flurry of new criminal charges were leveled yesterday against the
director of the Santa Clara County Medical Cannabis Center and could force
the organization to fold by the end of the month.

Center Director Peter Baez pleaded innocent yesterday in a San Jose
courtroom to six counts of selling marijuana without a doctor's
recommendation, charges that carry a possible punishment of nine years in
prison.

Baez was first arrested on March 23 and charged with selling pot to one
patient without a valid medical recommendation. Five more counts were added
yesterday based on a review of patient files seized from the center by San
Jose police.

Investigators are continuing to search the files for more alleged
violations. In addition, prosecutors are trying to seize the center's
$29,000 checking account under asset forfeiture laws that allow them to
confiscate drug dealers' profits.

Baez, 34, remained free on $5,000 bail yesterday and faces addition court
proceedings on May 6.

``I've made up my mind that I have to get out of (running the center),''
said Baez, who suffers from colon cancer. ``My health can't take it. I just
want to enjoy what time I have left in this world.''

Baez said he and center co-founder Jesse Garcia will leave the center by
the end of the month which, along with the loss of their bank account, will
likely result in the center's closure. The San Jose center was the only
medical marijuana dispensary in Santa Clara County.

With the cannabis clubs in San Francisco, Oakland and Marin threatened with
closure by federal officials and the Santa Cruz club out of business,
medical marijuana users in the Bay Area may soon be limited to buying pot
from two small clubs in San Francisco and one in Hayward. Of course,
marijuana is freely available on the black market.

``I think we're really in danger of thwarting the will of the population''
that voted for Proposition 215, the voter initiative that legalized medical
marijuana in California, said Ben Schatz, executive director of the San
Francisco-based Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.

Medical and civil rights groups as varied as the ACLU and the California
Medical Association have expressed concern about the prosecution of Baez
because it is based on a police seizure that some think violated patients'
confidential.

Santa Clara County prosecutors and San Jose Police say they never intended
to close the San Jose center, and do not want marijuana denied to
legitimate patients. They said they targeted Baez with criminal charges
because he handled almost all of the center's direct sales.

``We didn't shut them down, we left most of their marijuana and a
significant amount of working cash,'' said Deputy District Attorney Denise
Raabe. ``If they decide to close, that's a business decision they can make.
But it wasn't what . . . police were trying to do.''

Baez said he feels betrayed and entrapped by police, who he worked with
closely to set up the center and write workable regulations after
Proposition 215 was passed. He said that the prosecution's case is based on
notes and documentation he scrupulously compiled in an attempt to keep his
operation in line with the law.

Baez and his attorneys claim that center workers received either a verbal
or written recommendation for marijuana use from the physician of every
client, but noted that many doctors fear losing their license if they admit
to police that they have recommended pot use to patients.

``I put my heart in this place from the very beginning,'' Baez said.
``Through surgeries and chemotherapy and other battles with my health, I
put 100 percent into (the center). I got blacklisted at the other
(cannabis) centers for (cooperating with the San Jose police). When I look
back at what has happened, I'm heartbroken, just heartbroken.''

1998 San Francisco Chronicle

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Senator Kohl Among Speakers At 'Hemp For Victory' Forum
('Hemp.Net' News Says Washington State Senator Jeanne Kohl,
Co-Sponsor Of Failed Medical Marijuana Senate Bill 6271,
And Others Will Speak At Forum At The Seattle Unity Church On April 21st)

talk@hemp.net using -f
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 09:17:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ben 
To: hemp-talk@hemp.net
Subject: HT: Senator Kohl Among Speakers at "Hemp for Victory" Forum
Sender: owner-hemp-talk@hemp.net

This is one of the featured hemp news stories, linked directly from the
Hemp.Net main page.

Source: Hemp.Net News
Contact: news@hemp.net

SENATOR KOHL AMONG SPEAKERS AT "HEMP FOR VICTORY" FORUM

Seattle, WA - Washington State Senator Jeanne Kohl (D, 36) is one of
several people scheduled to speak at the "Hemp for Victory" Forum to be
held at the Seattle Unity Church on April 21st. Senator Kohl co-sponsored
Senate Bill 6271, a bill that would have allowed for physician recommended
marijuana use.

Among the other speakers are Dr. David Edwards, Medical Director for the
Washington Hemp Education Network, who will discuss the health benefits
and risks associated with marijuana; Ken Friedman, Esq., President of the
Hemp Industries Association, who will speak about the uses of industrial
hemp; and Nora Callahan, Director of the November Coalition, who will
speak about drug crimes and the penal system.

"This forum will provide history of hemp as a valuable crop, explain some
of its medicinal uses, and industrial uses, create awareness of how its
prohibition has contributed to the burgeoning non violent prison
incarceration of our youth," says Magic Black-Ferguson, organizer of the
forum.

The "Hemp for Victory" Forum is scheduled for April 21, from 7:00 to 9:30
PM at the Seattle Unity Church, 200 Eighth Ave. North.

***

Ben Livingston - Hemp.Net Number 2 Geek
ben@hemp.net - http://www.hemp.net/~ben
Paging: (206) 405-5862 - (360) 971-5233
P.O. Box 95227 - Seattle, WA 98145-2227
"Who needs sleep? We've got computers."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Judge Quits After Charge He Drank Beer With Jurors ('Reuters' Says Lakewood,
Washington, Municipal Judge Ralph Baldwin Resigned Tuesday
After State Authorities Charged He Drank Beer While A Jury Was Finding
A Drunken Driver Guilty, Then Afterwards Asked Jurors To Stay And Join Him
For A 'Cold One')

Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 10:59:03 -0400
From: Scott Dykstra 
Reply-To: rumba2@earthlink.net
To: cannabis-patriots-l@teleport.com
Subject: CanPat - Judge gets snagged.
Sender: owner-cannabis-patriots-l@teleport.com

08:20 PM ET 04/07/98

Judge quits after charge he drank beer with jurors

SEATTLE (Reuters) - A municipal judge resigned Tuesday after
state authorities charged he drank beer while a jury was
deliberating a drunken-driving case and then asked jurors to
stay and join him for a ``cold one.''

In his resignation letter, Lakewood Municipal Judge Ralph
Baldwin apologized for his conduct, which he said stemmed from
a ``misguided sense of congeniality and extremely poor
judgment.'' Baldwin had been appointed late last year as the
only judge in the newly incorporated suburb of 63,000 residents
south of Tacoma.

According to a complaint filed by the state Commission on
Judicial Conduct, Baldwin was presiding over the second day of a
two-day trial in February when he left court during
deliberations and returned with a 12-pack of beer.

Baldwin allegedly then offered beers to attorneys for both
sides and the court administrator, calling her a ``wimp'' when
she refused.

The lawyers and the judge, however, each had at least one
beer while waiting in court.

After the jury returned a verdict of guilty in the
drunken-driving case, Baldwin invited the jurors to join him in
the jury room to drink beer and discuss the case, according to
the complaint.

``Stay for a cold one,'' Baldwin allegedly said, adding:
''I'm not responsible for any drinking and driving.''

The complaint charges that three jurors and the prosecutor
in the case took up Baldwin on his offer.

Afterward, Baldwin allegedly drove off with an open can of
beer, saying, ``I might as well drink and drive, I do it all the
time anyway.''

The prosecutor, assistant city attorney Mike McKenzie,
disclosed the incident to his supervisors the following day.

REUTERS

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Senate OKs Bill That Targets Drivers Using Illegal Drugs
('Des Moines Register' Says The Bill Passed The Iowa Senate 44-2
With No Debate)

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 11:02:30 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)
Subject: MN: US IA: Senate OKs Bill That Targets Drivers Using Illegal Drugs
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: Carl Olsen
Source: Des Moines Register (IA)
Contact: letters@news.dmreg.com
Website: http://www.dmregister.com/
Pubdate: Tue, 07 Apr 1998
Author: Thomas Fogarty

SENATE OK'S BILL THAT TARGETS DRIVERS USING ILLEGAL DRUGS

With no debate, the Iowa Senate on Monday endorsed a plan to impose the
same punishments in Iowa's drunken-driving laws on motorists proven to be
under the influence of illegal drugs.

The provision is part of a broader plan to toughen penalties on drug
dealers and users, particularly those involved with methamphetamines.

The Senate voted 44-2 to approve the bill, and return it to the House,
where lawmakers must consider some minor changes. Just a week ago the
House voted 96-3 to approve essentially the same bill.

"This is probably the most significant criminal law bill of the session,"
said Judiciary Committee Chairman Andy McKean, R-Anamosa.

Under terms of the bill, drivers shown to have detectable levels of a long
list of hard drugs would be subject to prosecution under the laws that
cover drunken driving.

They say prosecutions of so-called drugged drivers are possible under the
law now, but rare. By explicitly addressing hard drugs as an intoxicant in
Iowa law, prosecutors say they expect prosecutions of drugged drivers to
become easier and more common.

Other provisions include:

Making third-offense drug possession a felony.

Eliminating a judge's discretion to suspend a mandatory minimum sentence
for methamphetamine dealers.

Denying appeal bonds for convicted dealers.

Allowing judges to deny state and federal benefits, such as college student
aid, to convicted users and dealers until they complete a rehabilitation
program.

Reporter Thomas A. Fogarty can be reached at fogartyt@news.dmreg.com or
(515) 286-2533.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

DA Seeks To Restrict 'Cocaine Mother' ('Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'
Says Waukesha County's Chief Prosecutor, Paul Bucher, Filed A Request Monday
To Jail Or Electronically Monitor Wisconsin's So-Called 'Cocaine Mom')

Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1998 08:39:43 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)
Subject: MN: US WI: DA Seeks to Restrict 'Cocaine Mother'
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: "Frank S. World" 
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI)
Contact: jsedit@onwis.com
Fax: (414) 224-8280
Website: http://www.jsonline.com/
Pubdate: Tue, 07 Apr 1998

DA SEEKS TO RESTRICT 'COCAINE MOTHER'

Request for monitoring or jail is related to her bail but could protect her
fetus

By Lisa Sink
of the Journal Sentinel staff
April 07, 1998

Waukesha - Waukesha County's chief prosecutor sought Monday to
clamp down on the so-called cocaine mom, a move that could result
in the protection of the pregnant woman's fetus.

District Attorney Paul Bucher filed a request to jail or electronically
monitor the woman. He alleged that she violated her bail on a drug-related
charge by abusing cocaine.

"I want to get this in as quick as we can," Bucher said.

The woman, who is being identified by the Journal Sentinel only as Angela
to protect the identity of her children, is due to deliver her fourth son
in about four weeks.

When she was about eight months pregnant with her third son in 1995,
Waukesha County officials made national headlines by detaining her to
protect her fetus. She was forced into drug-abuse treatment until she
delivered her son, who is now 2 1/2, healthy and living in a foster home.

The move was later declared illegal by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which
said a fetus isn't a person under state law and therefore couldn't be
protected in such a fashion.

While Bucher's move Monday was not specifically aimed at protecting
Angela's fetus, it would have that effect if a judge agrees with his
request. Bucher asked that the 26-year-old Angela:

- Be required to report to the county's work-release jail every evening or
be electronically monitored, or both. -Submit to weekly drug tests.

- Undergo a drug assessment with the Waukesha County Council on Alcoholism
and Other Drug Abuse and comply with any treatment recommendations by the
council. A hearing on Bucher's requests was not immediately scheduled.

Bucher, who is considering a bid for state attorney general, said his
requests were not a veiled attempt to protect Angela's fetus but were a
reaction to the accusation that she flouted her bail conditions on a drug
paraphernalia charge.

"Her pregnancy has nothing to do with this," Bucher said. "We want to make
sure that she doesn't violate her (bail) conditions by ingesting cocaine."

As for the pregnancy, Bucher said:

"It concerns me, as it would anyone, regarding the health of the fetus, of
the child. And the fact that she's not getting the message. This is her
second time around."

Angela was arrested in December, accused of possessing two pipes for
smoking crack cocaine. She was released on several conditions, including
one that she not take illegal drugs.

In an unrelated Juvenile Court case involving one of her older sons, Angela
recently was ordered to submit to biweekly drug screens.

Her first test was the first week of March. She told a reporter that she
tested positive.

Bucher obtained the results of a subsequent test on March 23 that, he said,
also showed the presence of cocaine.

Angela appeared in court on March 23 for a hearing on whether the results
should be released to prosecutors. She would not talk to a reporter.

Bucher, in court affidavits filed Monday, said that laboratory analysts had
informed him that the cocaine found in the March 23 test would have been
ingested within the prior 48 hours.

There has been a veil of secrecy imposed on the case recently.

A Juvenile Court judge released the drug test result to Bucher's office on
March 30 after holding two closed-door hearings March 23 and 30.

At the first hearing, Circuit Judge J. Mac Davis kept his ruling secret and
asked that all parties involved remain silent about any test results. At
the March 30 hearing, however, Davis gave Bucher the test results.

Assistant State Public Defender Craig Mastantuono, who is representing
Angela on the drug paraphernalia case, argued Monday that Bucher was
treating his client more harshly than similar offenders.

"The DA's motion asking for all of those conditions in a drug paraphernalia
case is highly unusual. In fact, I've never seen one," said Mastantuono,
who for more than a year has been specializing in drug cases.

He also argued that the March 23 positive test result on which Bucher was
relying was inconclusive.

He cited a notation on a lab report that states: "No name on specimen. Lab
not responsible for positive ID. Specimen identified by requisition
number."

"That seems to be a pretty strong disclaimer to me," Mastantuono said.

Bucher said he had no doubt the specimen was Angela's. He agreed his
request was unusual but said it was not unprecedented.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Ex-SDC Employees Held In Robbery ('Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'
Says Two Recently-Fired Social Development Commission Employees,
Including One Who Was Responsible For Steering Young People Away From Crime
And Gangs, Have Been Arrested And Charged With Robbing A Bank
In Brown Deer To Sustain Their Heroin Habits)

Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1998 08:43:17 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)
Subject: MN: US WI: Ex-SDC Employees Held in Robbery
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: "Frank S. World" 
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI)
Contact: jsedit@onwis.com
Fax: (414) 224-8280
Website: http://www.jsonline.com/
Pubdate: Tue, 07 Apr 1998
Author: Dave Daley of the Journal Sentinel staff

EX-SDC EMPLOYEES HELD IN ROBBERY

Two recently-fired Social Development Commission employees, including one
who was responsible for steering young people away from crime and gangs,
have been arrested and charged with robbing a Brown Deer bank.

Henry L. Martin and Lisa A. McElwee, both fired from the SDC last July, are
charged in federal court with robbing a branch of the Tri City National
Bank, in Brown Deer, of approximately $1,212 on March 19.

Martin, director of the SDC's youth diversion program when he was fired,
was released on bond from federal custody Monday but is required to wear an
electronic bracelet that monitors his whereabouts.

The FBI had listed Martin, 55, of the 4500 block of W. Deer Run Drive in
Brown Deer, as a suspect in two other bank robberies. But his attorney,
Patrick Cafferty, said Monday that Martin could not be identified in
lineups that Milwaukee police conducted last week. Martin's next appearance
in federal court is April 27, where he plans to plead not guilty to the
bank robbery charge, Cafferty said.

McElwee, 36, remains in the Waukesha County Jail but is expected to be
released today to a drug treatment program.

The criminal complaint against Martin and McElwee says that after her
arrest, McElwee told the FBI and Milwaukee police that she met Martin
six-and-a-half years ago when both worked together at the SDC. Authorities
quoted McElwee as saying that she and Martin are both "regular users of
heroin."

The complaint quotes McElwee as saying that she and Martin planned the Tri
City Bank robbery, with Martin giving her a lighter that looked like a
small handgun to use if needed.

McElwee walked into the bank - inside a Pick 'N Save grocery store -
around 6:53 p.m. on March 19, the complaint says, and handed a teller a
note that said: "This is a robbery, give me all your money . . ."

The complaint says McElwee, carrying the stolen money, fled the bank while
being chased by Pick 'N Save stock boys and jumped into a car driven by
Martin. After their getaway, the two split the money, the complaint says.

McElwee was quoted as telling police that Martin, fearful that the stock
boys might have gotten his license number, called police two hours after
the robbery to report that he had been "carjacked" by a woman running from
the bank, the complaint says. Martin said he did not know the woman.

However, the FBI says that three relatives, along with McElwee's former
supervisor at SDC, identified her as the robber, based on bank surveillance
photos. The complaint says that SDC personnel told the FBI that McElwee
started working at the SDC in 1994, and that she and Martin had worked
together.

Martin, arrested on March 27, had four court hearings before his release
Monday. At those hearings, the government disclosed a long criminal history
that included prison sentences for robbery, forgery and burglary.

Federal prosecutors had argued that Martin should not be released.
Cafferty, Martin's attorney, said Monday that Martin's release on bond
requires him to undergo any drug treatment ordered by the court's pretrial
services office.

"He's acknowledged his heroin use," Cafferty said.

Cafferty acknowledged that Martin's criminal record was introduced in
court, but noted that his last conviction dates back to 1977. That
conviction, on seven counts of interstate transportation of forged
securities, led to a 10 year prison sentence in federal court in Portland,
Ore. Martin was released after serving five years.

Martin was hired by the SDC in 1989. As director of the SDC's youth
diversion program, Martin worked with at-risk and gang-affiliated youths.

Last July, when the SDC fired both Martin and McElwee, SDC executive
director Deborah Blanks declined to identify the reasons for dismissal. On
Monday, SDC spokeswoman Crystal Williams said the SDC does not release
personnel information.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Drug Dealer's Jewels Net $2 Million At Auction ('Reuters' Notes Sale
In New York Of Wealth Taken From Florida Marijuana Smuggler -
Raymond Kelly, US Under Secretary Of The Treasury For Enforcement,
A Former New York City Police Commissioner Who Is Soon To Be Nominated
As US Customs Commissioner, Said The Proceeds Would Be Used
To Fight Drug-Related Crimes)

From: creator@islandnet.com (Matt Elrod)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US NY: Drug dealer's jewels net $2 million at auction
Date: Thu, 09 Apr 1998 15:46:43 -0700
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: David.Hadorn@vuw.ac.nz (David Hadorn)
Source: Reuters
Pubdate: 7 Apr 1998

DRUG DEALER'S JEWELS NET $2 MILLION AT AUCTION

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- A sale of diamonds confiscated from an admitted
multimillionaire marijuana smuggler fetched a total of $1.9 million at a
two-day auction at Christie's, nearly four times the pre-sale estimate.

``The outstanding combination of elements in today's sale was responsible
for this extremely successful auction,'' said Simon Teake, senior vice
president and head of Christie's jewelry department for North and South
America.

``With a market such as this, the market shows itself to be buoyant, with
encouraging depth,'' he said.

Among highlights of the auction's three sessions were a rectangular-cut
9.12 carat yellow diamond and a pear-shaped 51.04 carat one, each of which
sold for $1,652,500, falling within the expected price of $1.5 to $2
million.

The yellow diamond was bought by London jeweler Laurence Graff, who also
paid $475,500 for a rectangular-cut 18.97 single stone diamond ring.

Christie's had estimated the collection would fetch between $400,000 and
$500,000, but the total for the sale which concluded on Tuesday evening was
$1.9 million.

The gems ranged in size from a 1/4 carat to three carats and their cuts
included rectangular, oval, marquis, circular and heart-shaped. Some were
nearly colorless but there was a rare blue diamond which sold for $684,500.

In 1995 the United States Customs Service confiscated 33 dazzling diamonds
from a marijuana smuggler who lived a life of luxury before agents arrested
him in the ungracious confines of a Florida trailer home park.

``This is a story that reads like a James Bond novel,'' Raymond Kelly, U.S.
Under Secretary of the Treasury for Enforcement said last week.

``It involved drug-trafficking, secret bank accounts in Switzerland,
multiple false passports, international communications and a `never say
never' investigative attitude.''

Kelly, a former New York City police commissioner who is soon to be
nominated as U.S. Customs Commissioner, said the proceeds would be used to
fight drug-related crimes.

``Purchasers of these gems will not only be owning exquisite jewels but
they'll be active participants in our war against drugs on the streets of
America,'' Kelly said.

The former owner of the diamond collection was Stephen Jenks, who was
arrested in 1994 and pleaded guilty to running a marijuana smuggling ring
primarily from Colombia to his waterside home south of St. Petersburg,
Florida. Jenks was sentenced to three years in prison and had to forfeit
the gains from his smuggling.

Star power was also much in evidence, as a brooch commissioned for Eva
Peron, the powerful and popular wife of Juan Peron during his presidency of
Argentina from 1946 to 1955, sold for $992,500 on Monday, far exceeding the
$80,000-$120,000 estimate.

Modeled on the flag of Argentina, the platinum-set piece contained seven
baguette-cut diamonds and hundreds of square-cut sapphires and circular-cut
diamonds, with yellow diamonds in the flag's central sun motif.

Christie's said the Van Cleef & Arpels brooch was bought by an unidentified
telephone bidder.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Workplace Drug Rate Lower In Cities ('Associated Press'
Says A Drug Testing Study Released Tuesday By SmithKline Beecham,
The United States' Leading Manufacturer Of Such Tests, With 20 Percent
Of The Market, Was Based On Five Million Workplace Drug Tests Taken
Last Year, And Showed That 'Drug' Use Among Working People In Major Cities
Isn't More Prevalent Than Among Those In Suburban And Rural Communities)

Associated Press
found at:
http://wire.ap.org/
feedback (letters to the editor):
feedback@thewire.ap.org

APRIL. 07, 14:49 EST

Workplace Drug Rate Lower in Cities

By JOHN HENDREN
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Name three regions with high rates of workers on drugs.

New York, Chicago and Los Angeles -- right?

Nope. Try southwestern Tennessee, western Indiana and northwestern Florida,
where 8 percent to 14 percent of workers' tests came back positive. That
compares with 4 percent to 6 percent of those tested in the big three cities
and 2 percent to 4 percent in Miami, according to a SmithKline Beecham drug
testing study released Tuesday.

The results surprised even some of those who ran the study.

``I would've expected the large metropolitan areas around New York, around
Philadelphia, around Miami, around Los Angeles to show a high percentage of
positives,'' said Tom Johnson, spokesman for the British drug and laboratory
testing company.

Johnson, who couldn't account for the high rates in some rural regions, said
the results show drug use among working people in major cities isn't more
prevalent than among those in suburban and rural communities.

SmithKline Beecham based its results on the nearly 5 million workplace drug
tests the company performed for U.S. employers last year. With 20 percent of
the market, SmithKline is the nation's largest drug tester.

Nationwide, fewer of the American workers undergoing tests are testing
positive for illicit drugs, and those who do have turned more to marijuana
and less to cocaine, the study found.

About 5 percent of workers tested positive for illegal substances in 1997,
down from 5.8 percent in 1996. The rate of positive tests has declined or
remained the same each year since 1987, when it was 18.1 percent.

As workers were found to have taken drugs, those who did increasingly chose
marijuana over cocaine, the study found.

``We're doing more testing but finding that the rate continues to decline,''
Johnson said. ``Marijuana continues to be the drug of choice.''

Tests detected marijuana in 60 percent of those who tested positive last
year, up from 54 percent in 1996. Cocaine use, however, declined from nearly
23 percent to less than 17 percent during the same period.

Johnson said there's no way to know if the results are representative of the
U.S. work force. The company's results covered areas that account for about
three-quarters of the nation's population.

Fewer positive tests doesn't necessarily mean fewer workers taking drugs.

The rise of workplace drug testing has spawned a cottage industry in ways to
beat the tests. Richard Haddad, whose Health Tech company in Georgia gets
500 calls a day from people asking about herbal detoxification teas, urine
sample additives and other products, calls the business a
``multimillion-dollar industry.''

However, officials from the drug-testing industry say they can detect many
typical ruses -- such as workers who flush their body with water and herbal
teas -- by analyzing the content of workers' urine.

Despite the rise of the test-beating industry, workplace drug testing
appears to be more popular among employers. Last month the Supreme Court
allowed random drug tests for some people with access to the White House
complex, despite arguments that government is trampling privacy rights in
pursuit of a drug-free work force.

As many as 10 million adults use illicit drugs per month and more than 70
percent of them are employed, according to federal statistics.

Workers in jobs SmithKline classifies as ``safety-sensitive'' tested
positive less often, at 3.5 percent of all those tested. That compares with
5.2 percent among those in the general work force.

When employers tested workers ``for cause,'' meaning they believed there was
reason to suspect drug use, more than one in four workers tested positive.

Copyright 1998 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Send comments and questions about The WIRE to feedback@thewire.ap.org.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Fewer Workers Test Positive For Drugs, Study Finds
(Different 'Associated Press' Version)

From: creator@islandnet.com (Matt Elrod)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US NY: Fewer workers test positive for drugs, study finds
Date: Thu, 09 Apr 1998 15:34:16 -0700
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: David.Hadorn@vuw.ac.nz (David Hadorn)
Source: Associated Press
Pubdate: 7 Apr 1998

FEW WORKERS TEST POSITIVE FOR DRUGS, STUDY FINDS

NEW YORK (AP) -- Fewer American workers are testing positive for illicit
drugs, and those who are have turned more to marijuana and less to cocaine,
according to an industry report released today.

About 5 percent of workers tested positive for illegal substances in 1997,
down from 5.8 percent in 1996, according to SmithKline Beecham's drug
testing index. As workers were found to have taken drugs, those who did
increasingly kept away from the hard stuff, said Tom Johnson, spokesman for
the British drug maker.

``We're doing more testing but finding that the rate continues to
decline,'' Johnson said. ``Marijuana continues to be the drug of choice.''

Tests detected marijuana in 60 percent of those who tested positive last
year, up from 54 percent in 1996. Cocaine use, however, declined from
nearly 23 percent to less than 17 percent during the same period.

SmithKline Beecham based its results on the nearly 5 million workplace drug
tests the company's clinical laboratories performed last year.

Workers in jobs SmithKline classifies as ``safety-sensitive'' tested
positive less often, at 3.5 percent of all those tested. That compares with
5.2 percent among those in the general work force.

When employers tested workers ``for cause,'' meaning they believed there
was reason to suspect drug use, more than one in four workers tested
positive.

The rise of workplace drug testing has spawned a cottage industry in ways
to beat the tests. Richard Haddad, whose Health Tech company in Georgia
gets 500 calls a day from people asking about herbal detoxification teas,
urine sample additives and other products, calls the business a
``multimillion-dollar industry.''

Despite the rise of the test-beating industry, workplace drug testing
appears to be more popular among employers. Last month the Supreme Court
allowed random drug tests for some people with access to the White House
complex, despite arguments that government is trampling privacy rights in
pursuit of a drug-free workforce.

Regionally, the highest positive rates came not from New York, Chicago or
Los Angeles -- where 4 to 6 percent of workers tested positive -- but from
such regions as southwestern Tennessee, western Indiana and northwestern
Florida. In those regions, 8 percent to 14 percent of workers' tests came
back positive.

The results surprised even some of those who ran the study.

``I would've expected the large metropolitan areas around New York, around
Philadelphia, around Miami, around Los Angeles to show a high percentage of
positives,'' Johnson said.

As many as 10 million adults use illicit drugs per month and more than 70
percent of them are employed, according to the government's National
Household Surveys.

Fewer positive tests don't necessarily mean fewer workers on drugs.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Rural Areas Deadlier For Police Than Cities ('Orange County Register'
Summarizes FBI Statistics)

Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1998 23:43:23 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)
Subject: MN: US: Rural Areas Deadlier for Police Than Cities
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: John W.Black
Source: Orange County Register (CA)
Contact: letters@link.freedom.com
Website: http://www.ocregister.com/
Pubdate: Tue, 7 Apr 1998

RURAL AREAS DEADLIER FOR POLICE THAN CITIES

While the mean streets of big cities may be dangerous for civilians, it's
the rural areas that appear the most deadly for police officers, according
to FBI statistics.

In a study of American police officers killed in the line of duty between
1988 and 1995, the fatality rate for rural officers was 12 per 100,000
officers. According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, the comparable death
rate for officers in cities with populations of 250,000 or more was 6.5 per
100,000.

"These numbers not only refute conventional wisdom and perception but are
particularly striking when the overall crime rate in general is much lower
in rural areas than in cities," said Ralph A. Weisheit, a professor of
criminal justice at Illinois State University.

The shock of an officer's slaying is that much more difficult for rural
residents to grasp in part because many moved away from cities to escape
such big-city type crime.

Weisheit, who has co-written a book called "Crime and Policing in Rural and
Small-Town America," suggested that officers in smaller police departments
may be lulled into a casual attitude when investigating calls because of
the familiar routine and feeling at home in their patrol areas.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Troubled Teens Found Prone To Pot Addiction
(Brief 'Orange County Register' Version)

Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1998 23:41:13 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)
Subject: MN: US: Troubled Teens Found Prone to Pot Addiction
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: John W.Black
Source: Orange County Register (CA)
Contact: letters@link.freedom.com
Website: http://www.ocregister.com/
Pubdate: Tue, 7 Apr 1998

TROUBLED TEENS FOUND PRONE TO POT ADDICTION

Researchers have identified a group of teen-agers - those with serious prior
behavioral problems - who are likely to develop rapid dependence on marijuana
once they start using the drug.

It took only a year, on average, for troubled teen-agers to progress from
first use of marijuana to monthly use - almost as quickly as they
progressed to regular cigarette smoking, according to a study published in
the current issue of Addiction Research and Treatment, a scientific
journal.

By contrast, it took more than two years for this group, who were 13 to 19
years old, to get to the same point with alcohol after they first tried it,
the study found.

The finding may help target prevention messages and treatment for teens
most susceptible to marijuana dependency.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

US, Mexico Moving Away From Drug Certification ('Reuters' Says Mexico
And The United States Announced Tuesday They Were Hammering Out New Ways
To Measure Progress In The Drug War That Would Throw
The Controversial US Policy Of Certification On The Scrapheap -
Although Congress Is Constitutionally In Charge Of Foreign Policy,
And Responsible For Establishing The Certification Process
In The First Place)

Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 11:02:37 -0400
From: Scott Dykstra 
Reply-To: rumba2@earthlink.net
To: november-l@november.org
Subject: CanPat> certification US/Mexico
Sender: owner-cannabis-patriots-l@teleport.com

11:26 PM ET 04/07/98

U.S., Mexico moving away from drug certification

By Rene Villegas

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico and the United States
announced Tuesday they were hammering out new ways to measure
progress in the drug war that would throw the controversial U.S.
policy of certification on the scrapheap.

Officials of both nations said they wanted to move away from
the U.S. policy of annually passing judgment on other countries'
anti-drug efforts, a process that has angered U.S. allies in
Latin America and clouded other issues, such as trade and
immigration.

White House anti-drug chief Gen. Barry McCaffrey ended two
days of work with top Mexican officials developing concrete ways
to evaluate performance in stopping the multibillion-dollar flow
of drugs from South America to the United States.

``We do believe, many of us, that the evidence, the reality
of genuine progress over time will make irrelevant the U.S.
process of certification,'' McCaffrey told a news conference at
the end of his visit.

Mexico and other Latin American nations bristle each year
when the White House decides which countries did enough to stop
the flow of illegal narcotics, mostly cocaine, from South
America to the United States.

Latin American countries point to the nearly insatiable
demand of U.S. drug consumers. McCaffrey estimated the U.S.
illegal drug market at $50 billion a year.

Those who are not certified, such as Colombia in 1995 and
1996, are subject to curbs on U.S. aid and sanctions.

But McCaffrey, who is Clinton's top drug policy official,
said the certification policy was likely to continue for a few
years.

``I don't think certification will disappear in the near
future,'' McCaffrey said. ``We shouldn't be worried about the
evaluation but rather cooperation. The important thing is to
make advances together.''

McCaffrey has said before he would rather see certification
- which is mandatory under U.S. law - dumped and replaced by a
multilateral system that would probably be run by the
Organization of American States.

Mexican Attorney General Jorge Madrazo publicly supported
the proposal Monday.

Mexican Foreign Minister Rosario Green told the news
conference that drug trafficking would be a major topic of
discussion among 34 heads of state scheduled to meet in
Santiago, Chile, next week in the second Summit of the Americas.

``We're going to Chile with a lot of expectations,'' Green
said. ``We're looking to establish an American continent free of
drugs.''

REUTERS

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Addicts Commit Half City Crime (Britain's 'Evening News' Quotes Police
In Norwich, England, Saying Half Of All Crimes There
Are Committed By 'Drug' Addicts Stealing To Feed Their Habits -
The Newspaper Says Norwich's Plight Mirrors The Country Wide Trend
In Which Half Of Those Arrested By Police Were On 'Drugs')

Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1998 08:49:36 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)
Subject: MN: UK: Addicts Commit Half City Crime
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: Derek Williams
Source: Evening News (Norwich UK)
Contact: EveningNewsLetters@ecn.co.uk
Fax: 01603 219060
Website: http://www.ecn.co.uk
Pubdate: Tue, 7 Apr 1998

ADDICTS COMMIT HALF CITY CRIME

Half of all the crimes in Norwich are committed by drug addicts stealing to
feed their habits, city police said today.

Although detectives have already caught 25 significant dealers this year,
Insp Jim Smerdon, head of the Pro-active Unit, said "The force could never
get on top of the problem".

The news came as officers revealed 10 people had been arrested for drugs
offences in operation Hornet.

Thousands of pounds worth of heroin, amphetamines, ecstasy and cannabis were
seized.

Norwich's plight mirrors the country wide trend in which half of those
arrested by police were on drugs. In London, 25 per cent of those arrested
had traces of heroin in their urine.

According to a new national survey, addicts may be stealing up to 2 billion
pounds of property a year to feed their habits.

"Norwich never used to have a heroin problem until about three years ago,
when a travelling dealer in Mile Cross effectively created one. Once you
open up a market for this sort of habit it has to be fed" said Insp.
Smerdon.

"We have taken out about 25 dealers already this year, as well as 30 or so
smaller ones, but there are always others below the surface ready to take
their place. You are never on top of it".

As the battle against drugs intensifies, one of the proposals currently
under consideration by the Home Office is to put electronic tags on drug
addicts who have committed crimes and force them to undergo treatment.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Garda Arrested On Drug Dealing Suspicion ('Irish Times'
Says The Arrest Of The Police Officer In Limerick For Selling Ecstasy
At A Night-Club Occurs Just As Another Garda Was Sentenced
To More Than Four Years For Taking Bribes From Dublin Drug Dealers,
Including Members Of The Gang Suspected Of Having Murdered
Journalist Veronica Guerin)

Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 00:05:54 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)
Subject: MN: Ireland: Garda Arrested on Drug Dealing Suspicion
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: "(Zosimos) Martin Cooke" 
Source: Irish Times (Ireland)
Contact: lettersed@irish-times.ie
Fax: ++ 353 1 671 9407
Pubdate: Mon, 06 Apr 1998
Author: Jim Cusack

GARDA ARRESTED ON DRUG DEALING SUSPICION

A Dublin garda aged 26 has been arrested on suspicion of selling the drug
ecstasy in a Limerick night-club. The officer, attached to Sundrive Garda
station in Crumlin, Dublin, was taken to Henry Street Garda station in
Limerick late on Thursday night.

He had earlier been arrested by two gardai investigating claims of
drug-dealing in a city-centre disco. He was questioned and released later
on Friday, and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public
Prosecutions.

It is understood the officer has been off work for almost six months,
saying he is receiving treatment for alcohol addiction. He is originally
from Tipperary but had served in Dublin since leaving the Garda College.
Other officers who know him say they are shocked, but said he did appear to
have personal problems.

The arrest occurs just as another garda, John O'Neill, received 41/2 years
for taking bribes from Dublin drug-dealers including members of the Dublin
criminal gang which is suspected of having murdered the journalist Veronica
Guerin.

Officers in the city said O'Neill, too, had personal problems and was
addicted to gambling which led him into debt and, finally, to taking
bribes. He was given the money by criminals in return for information about
investigations into their activities. O'Neill attempted to compromise
investigations and drugs searches by alerting the gang members.

He had attempted to undermine the Veronica Guerin investigation but was
unable to intercept radio messages as the investigating officers used their
own mobile telephones for communicating with each other and O'Neill was
unable to alert the criminals when they were about to be raided.

The investigating officers succeeded in making major drugs and arms
seizures by the accidental expedient of using their own telephones.

There are concerns that other officers, particularly in Dublin where living
costs are significantly higher than in the rest of the country, might
resort to crime to clear debt.

Dublin gardai say young officers beginning a career in the city have major
financial difficulties in trying to establish a home and family in the face
of rising property costs.

One said that the relative decline in wages for gardai, who had missed out
on pay rises given to other public-sector groups such as nurses and
teachers, had most seriously affected gardai in Dublin.

In the past week when it emerged that the Government had offered gardai
significantly less than the other public sectors, one officer with many
years of service in the city predicted that more young gardai would resort
to part-time work or crime to supplement their incomes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Drug Law Veto In Czech Republic ('Reuters' Item In Wellington, New Zealand,
'Evening Post,' Says President Vaclav Havel
Has Vetoed A Law Banning Possession Of Drugs For Personal Use,
Citing Human Rights Concerns)

Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1998 10:00:15 +1200 (NZST)
To: drctalk@drcnet.org, mattalk@islandnet.com, update@adca.org.au
From: David.Hadorn@vuw.ac.nz (David Hadorn)
Subject: Drug law veto in Czech Republic

Published in The Evening Post (Wellington) on 7 April 1998

Czech Republic - President Vaclav Havel has vetoed a law banning possession
of drugs for personal use and sent it back to Parliament, citing human
rights concerns. "The President reached the opinion that the law would lead
to the prosecution of victims rather than culprits," said spokesman Ladislav
Spacek. Drug experts have warned that the legislation could lead to an
increase in crime and drug prices and a decline in the willingness of
addicts to be cured. - Reuter

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Havel Vetoes Czech Law Banning Drug Possession (Lengthier 'Reuters' Account
From 'Central Europe Online' Notes Current Czech Laws Ban Drug Production
And Distribution, But Do Not Punish Possession And Use)

Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 09:32:34 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)
Subject: MN: Czech Rep: Havel Vetoes Czech Law Banning Drug Possession
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: creator@mapinc.org
Source: Central Europe Online
Contact: ceo-feedback@ein.cz
Pubdate: Tue, 07 Apr 1998

HAVEL VETOES CZECH LAW BANNING DRUG POSSESSION

PRAGUE -- (Reuters) Czech President Vaclav Havel vetoed a controversial law
banning possession of drugs for personal use and sent it back to
parliament, citing human rights concerns, his spokesman said on Monday.

"The President reached the opinion that the law would lead to the
prosecution of victims rather than culprits," spokesman Ladislav Spacek
said in a statement.

The law, approved by both the lower and upper houses of parliament earlier
this year, would make possession of a "larger than small" amount of drugs
illegal. It did not specify the amount or types of drugs.

Drug experts have warned that the legislation could lead to an increase in
crime and drug prices and a decline in the willingness of addicts to be
cured.

"It (the law) means an overly sharp invasion of the established system of
human rights and freedoms," the statement said.

It added that the shortcomings of the legislation and dangers associated
with its application could outweigh any positive effects.

The lower house of parliament can override Havel's veto with a simple
majority in the 200-seat lower house.

Protesters rejecting the law organized petitions, sent letters to
parliament and to Havel, and staged a demonstration outside the Senate
during the debate on the law.

Police called for the law saying it would help it fight a burgeoning drug trade.

Current Czech law bans drug production and distribution, but does not
punish possession and use.

(c) 1998 Reuters

-------------------------------------------------------------------

[End]