Pubdate: Fri, 27 Mar 2009
Source: Port Orchard Independent (WA)
Copyright: 2009 Port Orchard Independent
Contact:  http://www.portorchardindependent.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2607
Author: Barrett Kamille

MEDICAL MARIJUANA TRIAL NOTHING BUT A WITCH HUNT

I wanted to thank you for reporting on the Olson v. State of 
Washington medical marijuana case.

It's truly sickening that during one of the worst economic crises to 
ever hit Washington and the country as a whole, law enforcement 
officials and the county prosecutor's office are flagrantly wasting 
money to prosecute people that are sick and/or dying.

The coldheartedness of Kitsap County Prosecutor Russ Hauge and Deputy 
Prosecutor Alexis Foster are particularly disgusting, threatening 
witnesses and using the lowest tactics imaginable to win their 
respective cases.

The "evidence" they have to convict Mr. Olson lies primarily on the 
testimony of a paid informant, a man who admittedly has damaged his 
brain due to 20 years of heavy cocaine and alcohol abuse.

He could not even remember the exact year in which he supposedly 
purchased marijuana from Mr. Olson.

The Prosecutor's Office works for the public and is supposed to act 
in the interests of the public. The fact that the prosecutor is 
unable or, more likely, unwilling to cooperate with a Freedom of 
Information Act request is appalling, and to say that they "don't 
track" how many hours and dollars are spent on each case is 
completely false, since they are required to track these things.

It is my opinion that this is an attempt to cover up what is probably 
a deeper problem of severe waste within the Kistsap County Prosecutor's Office.

Please continue to report on this and other medical marijuana cases, 
as they are a huge drain on our already overburdened system.

Perhaps the problem is that they've gotten so used to doing whatever 
they want that they've forgotten that they are our servants, not our masters.

Barrett Kamille
Pierce County 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart