cannabisnews.com: Students: Posting Photos Violated Rights










 Students: Posting Photos Violated Rights

Posted by CN Staff on May 11, 2006 at 07:00:03 PT
By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News 
Source: Rocky Mountain News 

Boulder, CO -- The University of Colorado's use of an electronic dragnet to collar participants in a pro-marijuana rally could be tested in court. Three of the students whose photographs taken at the rally were posted online along with the offer of a reward for identifying them to CU police plan to sue the university in federal court for violating their civil rights, their attorneys said Wednesday.
"It's not OK to brand them as criminals, to put a $50 price on their head, to treat them like Jesse James and Jill James," attorney Perry Sanders said at a news conference at CU's Farrand Field, site of the annual "4/20" pro-marijuana rally. Sanders is representing sophomores Makenna Salaverry, Megan Malone and Somerset Tullius. He said the three told him they were at the rally, but not smoking marijuana. When asked if they knew that CU had posted no-trespassing signs on the field that day, he declined to answer, saying, "That's attorney client privilege." For several years CU students have gathered on campus each April 20, to smoke marijuana and rally for changes in marijuana law. "Anybody can sue for anything, and apparently this is a classic example of that. This case is so crazy that even I, who am not a lawyer, could win this one," said CU spokesman Barrie Hartman. Sanders said CU and its police department went too far when it took photos of 150 participants, posted a link to them on the popular college Web site facebook.com, and offered $50 rewards for identifying the students. Hartman said CU posted no-trespassing signs, took photos and offered rewards because "we were looking for a responsible and restrained way to deter students from participating in an illegal event." The signs also warned that the field was under surveillance and there were uniformed officers taking photos, some of which rally participants posed for, Hartman said. Smoking pot is considered a petty offense, punishable by a fine up to $100. However, attendees also could face other charges such as trespassing. CU has tried various measures to discourage the gathering, including turning on the field's sprinkler system. This year, it announced the field would be closed from noon to 5 pm. Some 3,000 people, mostly students, showed up anyway. But Sanders said CU should have dropped the whole thing, or made sure they were only pursuing those they knew were smoking marijuana. To actively pursue trespassing charges against thousands of students who simply were on the field, is tantamount to harassment, he said. "They knew there were innocent people being photographed," he said. The university's actions damaged some students' reputations, said Sanders, who noted Tullius begins an internship at the Vatican next week. Note: Women plan to sue CU after police put rally pictures on Web.Source: Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)Author:  Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain NewsPublished: May 11, 2006Copyright: 2006, Denver Publishing Co.Contact: letters rockymountainnews.comWebsite: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/Related Articles: CU Unlikely To Repeat 4/20 Photoshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21840.shtml4/20 Crackdown - Colorado Dailyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21799.shtmlPreparing for Pot Smokinghttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21755.shtml 

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Comment #6 posted by ekim on May 11, 2006 at 17:59:02 PT

watch dem fotos

US GA: Pot Plant Photos Lead To ArrestURL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06.n603.a09.html
Newshawk: Beth
 Votes: 0
Pubdate: Thu, 11 May 2006
Source: Statesboro Herald (GA)
Contact: eledbetter statesboroherald.net
Website: http://www.statesboroherald.net
Address: One Herald Square, Statesboro, GA 30458
Fax: 912-489-8181
Copyright: 2006 Statesboro Publishing Company
Author: Holli Deal Bragg
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)POT PLANT PHOTOS LEAD TO ARREST Eckerd Employee Summons Police After Developing Pictures A Statesboro man was so proud of his crop, he photographed it and went to a local drug store to have the pictures developed. Unfortunately, his bumper crop was marijuana, and police arrested him Tuesday as he went to pick the photos up. Statesboro Police Capt. L. C. Williams said [name redacted], 21, Acorn Lane, photographed his healthy marijuana plants - 42 in all - and took the pictures to Eckerd to be developed. When the photo lab technician saw what the subject of the photos was, she called police. Officers Ken Scott and Antoinette Harris responded to the store and confirmed the plants in the pictures were marijuana, he said. When [name redacted] arrived to pick up his photos, Scott and Harris questioned him and determined the pictures had been taken at his home, Williams said. The officers contacted Det. Kaleb Moore, who began investigating and secured a search warrant for the Acorn Lane address, he said. "As a result of executing the search warrant, approximately 42 suspected marijuana plants were discovered growing in and around the residence," he said. "Also recovered were tools and literature ( with information on how ) to grow marijuana." Devices used to smoke marijuana were also recovered, he said. [name redacted] was charged with manufacturing marijuana, manufacturing marijuana within 1,000 feet of a housing project, and possession of drug related objects. He was taken to the Bulloch County Jail and issued an $8,000 property bond. Williams said the estimated street value of the marijuana could be up to $42,000, if each plant produced a pound of the drug and a pound of marijuana sells for anywhere between $800 to $1,000 on the street.  

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Comment #5 posted by goneposthole on May 11, 2006 at 09:00:13 PT

it's art
When people act to file a grievance of any kind, it is art more than it is anything else.What kind of stale, sterile environment would it be if there were not a progressive movement to repel the actions of an established few 'controllers' who only have selfish motivations in mind?The one that the US government has created. A 'socially engineered' crop of human chattel that eventually become teeming masses. A sorry sight to see, a sorry lot that has no soul.The heart, not the mind, makes for a life worth living.The unexamined life is not worth living. The unexamined government is not worth serving.That's not America, it's hell on earth.Cannabis is my friend. I don't have good things to say about greedy cannabis growers these days. They're total sellouts. They support prohibition more than prohibitionists.When you take a picture of them, the negative is blank. Their souls are gone. They need to get a life, not a bank account. They're out of the picture.The soul of the cannabis movement belongs to those who foster change, not those who support the status quo, i.e. continued prohibition at the expense of the cannabis user but the so called 'profit' of the greedy cannabis grower is not called into question. I don't like it. Cannabis loses big time with greed as the motivating factor.It's not art, it's pornography. The US gov is probably to blame for it all, but the greedy cannabis grower has endorsed it all along with the government.The unexamined movement is not worth following.Time for a contextual shift. Time to subvert the dominant paradigm.Your life is art, not escapism and misery.The CU administators should endorse what the students are doing, not admonish them or punish them. They speak out, whether for the right reasons or the wrong reasons, it doesn't matter. The want to live a life worth living, not one sanctioned by the lifeless US gov.Cannabis has given them an opportunity to do just that. It cannot be denied. Too bad cannabis is overpriced because of prohibition. It is a serious problem, and it cannot be denied. Who's to bless and who's to blame? What does a man profit if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? Answer: Nothing.
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Comment #4 posted by OverwhelmSam on May 11, 2006 at 08:57:42 PT

Sue For the Slightest Infraction
We've got to keep the prohibitionists in their place. Maybe even teach them to have some respect. It still cost them money, time and productivity during a law suit. More law suits, more prohibitionist and court frustrations. They've got to get tired of it all sooner or later. I'll bet that if we keep up the pressure, somewhere along the line we'll place the last straw on the camel's back and it will be over. We're not going anywhere. Getting rid of Souder in the November election would be a huge win for marijuana consumers. Or even going after Walter's head would be a feather in our cap.
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Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on May 11, 2006 at 08:52:08 PT

very interesting
You knew something like this was about to happen from yesterday's article and rhetoric from administrators. I was wondering why they were like "don't worry, we won't do it again in the future" here in May, when there's no reason to worry about it until next April. They got caught with their hand in the fascist cookie jar, now they're trying to save face. Good luck. Boulder is one of the most progressive communities in the world. Bad times are ahead for these wannabe academic fascists. I hope they get roasted in the media, this action was appalling.
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Comment #2 posted by mayan on May 11, 2006 at 07:45:20 PT

Right To Assemble
Students Sue CU Over Right To Assemble:
http://cbs4denver.com/local/local_story_131082332.htmlFrom the above linked article..."Attorneys for the 3 students said CU violated their First Amendment rights by closing a public field."

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Comment #1 posted by mayan on May 11, 2006 at 07:28:59 PT

Worth A Try!
I don't know if the lawsuit will fly but it's worth the try! Those in the photos are innocent until proven guilty and for the school to put their photos on the web and offer rewards for their identification is basically labeling them criminals. Everyone needs to sue and sue these fascist prohibitionists again until we are no longer harassed.THE WAY OUT...More people are believing that the 'official' Sept. 11 explanation is more fiction than truth:
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Opinion/Content?oid=oid:82090Iranian President's Letter Highlights 9/11 Inside Job:
http://prisonplanet.com/articles/may2006/110506presidentsletter.htmAMERICAN SCHOLARS SYMPOSIUM - June 24-25 - L.A.:
http://www.americanscholarssymposium.org/Veterans for 9/11 Truth:
http://www.v911t.org/
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