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Marijuana Dispensary wins $100,000!
When Sky High Holistic was subject to a police raid, it was hardly the end of the business. In fact, it ironically gave the marijuana dispensary a big boost, $100,000 to be exact.
The money comes from a lawsuit alleging police harassment of the marijuana dispensary, settled by the City of Santa Ana this week. Santa Ana has also agreed to drop charges against a dozen employees accused of illegally operating.
It's a good thing the cameras were on; The dispensary cameras, that is. Apparently, the cops hung around the establishment long after the raid occurred, playing darts and making demeaning comments about the staff. And once they got comfortable, they indulged in Sky High pot-laced edibles.
Article:
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/pot-shop-busts-cops-surveillance-cam-wins-100000
https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.alternet.org/drugs/pot-shop-busts-cops-surveillance-cam-wins-100000
Previously: Police Claim Recording of Marijuana Dispensary Raid is Illegal
(Score: 5, Informative) by sjames on Monday October 31 2016, @05:49PM
The people paying the taxes that fund the settlement will need to demand loudly that the money come out of the cops' pay. They will also need to demand that the cops involved be fired.
And those cops really should be fired. They acted worse than common looters and thugs. At least the gang bangers don't try to frame you up for a crime after they rob you blind and trash your property.
And given that the video is incontrovertable, I would go so far as to say that any cop who doesn't want them jailed should probably go with them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 31 2016, @09:43PM
Have you actually seen the video and can pass judgment? I haven't, but I could be convinced either way.
It could be a mustache-twirling evil like you say, in which case they should be thrown out on the ear (and probably in jail for abuse of power).
Or it could be a benign mistake. For example, they weren't sure if something was actually cannabis, so they broke evidence handling procedure to actually try a small sample at the scene (which would be an issue of bad training and/or bad judgment, not maliciousness). In this case, a departmental slap on the wrist and correcting the mistake would suffice in my opinion.
Of course, if you have actually watched the video and know they were effectively thieves and planting evidence... then yeah, they deserve worse than they'll likely get.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday November 01 2016, @12:59AM
(Score: 2) by sjames on Tuesday November 01 2016, @01:07AM
I have seen the Video [youtube.com].
What they did had nothing to do with their job. They even made fun of people with disabilities ("I wanted to punch her in the nub"). They battered down unlocked doors. Really, just watch the video, there's too much wrong doing to list here.
(Score: 2) by TheRaven on Tuesday November 01 2016, @11:22AM
Have you actually seen the video and can pass judgment?
Yes, it was posted on Soylent a few months ago when the story first broke.
I haven't, but I could be convinced either way.
So you don't really have anything constructive to add. Go and watch the video - the police were behaving in a totally unprofessional way that crossed the line into criminal several times. Even if everything in the shop had been illegal, the police deserve prosecution.
sudo mod me up