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  Sins of the Few
Posted by FoM on March 31, 2002 at 09:51:46 PT
Editorial 
Source: Toledo Blade 

justice The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to permit the eviction of families from public housing, even if only one member, unknown to others, commits a criminal drug offense, is draconian and unfair. Local public housing officials say they won’t use the law to just toss innocent people from their homes, and we hope that’s truly the case.

As the nation wages its so-called "war on drugs," the Supreme Court opinion only further victimizes innocent public housing residents. The decision means that a tenant can be tossed out even if he or she knew nothing of a family member’s involvement in drugs on or off public housing property. That’s far too sweeping.

The court overturned a decision from a federal district court in San Francisco that said the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 doesn’t apply to offenses committed outside an apartment without the tenant’s knowledge. That finding was upheld by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but the Supreme Court overturned it, 8-0. Justice Stephen Breyer didn’t vote because his brother, Judge Charles Breyer of the district court, granted the injunction four years ago to keep the Oakland Housing Authority from evicting tenants who took exception to the federal law. One was a 63-year-old woman who lived with younger family members and who tried to be vigilant about keeping the home drug free.

Illegal drug use should not be tolerated, and people who commit drug crimes must be punished. There’s been some progress toward making life for public housing residents more livable, and that includes the 1994 one-strike-and-you’re-out policy designed to evict only the drug dealers and gang members from public housing.

Yet it’s hard to understand how basic justice is served when entire families can be unceremoniously evicted because of the sins of one member. Yes, families should be aware of members’ behavior and deal with criminal activity. But Congress’ 1988 law in effect expects families in public housing to do a better job of self-policing than families in other neighborhoods.

In his opinion, Chief Justice William Rehnquist quoted from regulations that made the anti-drug abuse law effective. He wrote, "Regardless of knowledge, a tenant who ‘cannot control drug crime, or other criminal activities by a household member which threaten health or safety of other residents is a threat to other residents and the project.’" How would middle- and upper-income families respond if such a law applied to them? Should we evict upscale renters whose teenagers abuse alcohol? After all, it is the most commonly abused drug.

The Lucas County Metropolitan Housing Authority says it will use common sense when such cases arise. That’s encouraging, but the high court has given such agencies a dangerously powerful weapon.

Source: Blade, The (OH)
Published: March 31, 2002
Copyright: 2002 The Blade
Contact: letters@theblade.com
Website: http://www.toledoblade.com/

Related Articles:

High Court Rules It's OK to Evict Granny
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12394.shtml

Justices Rule Drug-Eviction Law Is Fair
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12370.shtml

Supreme Court Backs Public Housing Drug Ban
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12368.shtml


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Comment #3 posted by p4me on March 31, 2002 at 21:06:53 PT
DE messageboard link
http://212.129.240.114/upload/index.php?s=

This is the same software that is used at marijuana.com. All you have to do to see the new comments is (register?) and hit the button in the upper right hand corner saying to check new post. It is 4AM now in Bournemouth and the events of the day will be covered somehow at this website.

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Comment #2 posted by el_toonces on March 31, 2002 at 11:23:58 PT:

Fascinating, p4me.....
.....that the UK mood is so hard to sense. But really caught my eye in your post was your mention of the "DEfender" board/website. What is it and what is the URL?

BTW, I like your idea and tend to think it could even be modified to work here in DARE-ville.

I wanted to e-mail ya privately because my being unaware of the "DEfenders" site makes me feel stupid, esp. posting it here, but then I realized I appear that way all the time:).

Thanks.

El

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #1 posted by p4me on March 31, 2002 at 10:26:29 PT
where is freedom
Look, these people have parents or guardians and they should be looking after their kids welfare. The supreme court should just say we need parents and not more stupid laws aimed mostly at MJ.

I hate to ask this. But with all the lies and bull$hit coming from the government, what is the main message the government is trying to send to the children. Really. Is it still "Don't do drugs." or is it here is an estcasy pill- keep it between your knees girls. I am still stuck on how the media lets the government get away with the Schedule One Lie.

I believe that Jimmy Ward is still planning on opening the DE2 in Bournemouth Monday. I responded to a thread at the DE website started by a user labeled, jimmysdad. My purpose was to float an idea about medicine bottles. Let me cut and paste here.

MY DE message: just checking in

Thanks for making all the news regarding the 2nd DE grand opening. You are the media and I am one of your many observers that are grateful for the honesty of your messages. We all have something to look foward to on April Fools Day and I hope you have some good clown outfits to put up for us.

I think you were trying to advise the DEfenders as to how to escape the people that would arrest them. It may be the DEfenders may find them and give them a visit over their afternoon break. They may even give them doughnuts. The brownies are for patients only.

I do not want start a new thread although this is a seperate idea. I just feel that the dedicated reader reads most post and that if the idea has any merit someone will advance the idea.

I have an ignorance about the exact situation of MMJ in the UK. I thought this spring that there was going to be some kind of MMJ program along with the downgrade to Class C. This idea is about medicine bottles. Everyone has one or can get one. For that matter how much could a hundred cost. For that matter why don't the Dutch Coffeeshops that Nol owns, or those in sympathy for change put their marijuana in medicine bottles.

I inquired as to what the DE faithful thought might be some funny warning labels. Nol said "Do not smoke this pill" which I thought was funny and I included it in a comment at Cnews and I am sure everyone enjoyed that. So I present the idea that you carry your MJ in medicine bottles and the warning labels should be custom made and address the stupid laws that are the real danger of MJ. WARNING: This medicine can get you arrested and put on trial and judged by unjust laws with corrupted interest plotting for your conviction.

The medicine bottle also may have some value on Ebay when they are first introduced by GW Pharma. There are people that give speeches and the advent of the medical marijuana informational retreat will be blossoming. The bottles will be props for them and like if the DE collected these bottles and offered them on Ebay I think that you could sell a million of them. Americans collect things like Pet Rocks. The first bottles will be historic and bottles issued on the first day of legalization belong in museums.

The medicine bottle as a tool for freedom is a big idea and maybe someone can mine something out of it.

Good luck to all the DEfenders.

In response to this a moderator said that the government had taken control of all of GW Pharmacueticals and have everything under study and that the mood had taken a turn towards resistance to all this new cannabis talk. I will not dwell on it, as tomorrows news will tell us the current tales. I just think of George Washington Pills as the company manufacturing the medicine on the hypothetical legal warning label. I doubt the Brits would have the same connection to Washington. I waonder who there GW is?

VAAI

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