cannabisnews.com: Lockyer Calls Kamena Recall Abuse of System  





Lockyer Calls Kamena Recall Abuse of System  
Posted by FoM on February 24, 2001 at 18:34:58 PT
By Nancy Isles Nation 
Source: Marin Independent Journal
The state attorney general thinks supporters of a move to oust Marin District Attorney Paula Kamena have legitimate criticisms, but he said the recall effort is an abuse of the system. At a meeting with the Independent Journal editorial board yesterday, Attorney General Bill Lockyer said that even if complaints are justified, recalls should be used to remove officials who have committed misdeeds - not to settle policy disputes. 
"Family law seems to be a legitimate beef," Lockyer said. "Should you recall a DA because of that? Absolutely not." Lockyer said he has heard complaints over the years that justice has not been done in family law courts in Marin. "They were substantive and serious, and it seemed to me they needed to be addressed," Lockyer said. The Marin County Board of Supervisors ordered a special May 22 election to determine whether Kamena should be ousted from office after recall supporters gathered nearly 14,000 valid signatures supporting it. The petition drive targeting Kamena was launched last May amid a surge of community resentment about decisions in the Marin courts in cases involving child custody disputes. These cases included the prosecution by the District Attorney's Office of Carol Mardeusz, a Novato woman who was convicted of attempting to take custody of her own daughter in violation of a court order. Four judges were targeted in the recall effort. But as the campaigns against the judges fizzled, a second wave of opposition focused on Kamena, led by critics of her office's marijuana prosecution policies. Lynette Shaw, founding director of the Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana in Fairfax, played a key role in organizing the recall and in forming the Legal Abuse Task Force, which represents both family-law and medical-marijuana reform advocates. Shaw plans to put information together for Lockyer that she said will convince him that recall is the action to take. "We have been locked out of the process by abusive public policy placed by indifferent and unreachable public officials," Shaw said. "Everyone involved in the recall, even though we come from differing sources of our campaign, have all been abused by the legal system in Marin County." Lockyer said he favors medicinal marijuana use but thinks the law, established by the passage of Proposition 215, needs to be improved. "We desperately need greater clarity and rigor added to the law," Lockyer said. Assistant District Attorney Edward Berberian said Lockyer is right in saying the recall is an abuse of the system. "If you have a difference of opinion as to direction and policies, the general election every four yours is that chance to change it," Berberian said. He added that his office was not aware of complaints about family law courts until the recall issue surfaced. Regarding Kamena, Lockyer said: "I hope she will survive." Source: Marin Independent Journal (CA)Author: Nancy Isles NationPublished: February 24, 2001 Copyright: 2001 Marin Independent Journal Address: 150 Alameda del Prado, Novato, CA 94949 Contact: opinion marinij.com Website: http://www.marinij.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana http://www.cbcmarin.com/Lockyer Pushes To Protect Medical Marijuana Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8746.shtmlUnfair Recall in Marinhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8642.shtmlMarin D.A. Calls Foes Thuggishhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8603.shtml 
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Comment #5 posted by jAHn on February 25, 2001 at 16:11:12 PT
Abuse will continue if no RECALL TAKES ACTION.
"We have been locked out of the process by abusive public policy placed by indifferent and unreachable public officials," Shaw said. "Everyone involved in the recall, even though we come from differing sources of our campaign, have all been abused by the legal system in Marin County." I believe that this kind of oppression would continue if The Citizens of Marin County do not TAKE ACTION. Peoples' lives will be ended faster, and Freedom couldn't seem any further away. This is a Remedy. This is an act of Good Nature. Please don't forget that. No hard feelings, Kamena, but you have to play by rules.
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Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on February 25, 2001 at 06:48:38 PT:
Feeling breath on their necks.
Assistant District Attorney Edward Berberian said Lockyer is right in saying the recall is an abuse of the system. "If you have a difference of opinion as to direction and policies, the general election every four yours is that chance to change it," Berberian said. He added that his office was not aware of complaints about family law courts until the recall issue surfaced. Regarding Kamena, Lockyer said: "I hope she will survive." Very interesting. Notice the very tenuous support afforded Ms. Kamena by Lockyer. "I hope she survives."That sounds more like, "I hope that they get her, and leave me alone." He reminds me of the Farside cartoon of a bear wearing a worried, sh**-eating grin, standing in a hunter's crosshairs, pointing at another bear trying to hide behind a tree.As I had mentioned in an earlier posting here at CNews http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread8746.shtmlit would seem that Lockyer is finally getting the message - namely, that California MMJ supporters are mad as hell, and are not going to take it anymore. He seems to have finally tumbled to the fact that he is a State employee, not a Federal one. And as such, is subject to State law...which is the basis for this recall movement.Oh, yes, the pols in California are worried...as are all those in other States that have similar recall laws on their books. You can bet that there will be moves in the coming months by legislators - and no one else - to quietly excise those laws from the various State statutes and Constitutions.It's time to apply a little more pressure from the boot-toes on the pols' cojones; they are starting to realize that this time, it's for real, their cushy jobs are in danger...and their anti buddies can't save them.
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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on February 24, 2001 at 21:12:57 PT:
Much to be optimistic about!
Ya gotta dump that chump!We need to do every thing we can to help that election pass, in dumping Marin District Attorney Paula Kamena! I have read some of the stories in the past about her actions, and a recall is not out of order.If this wins our cause of legalizing cannabis may well get extra browny points, by making the gigantic statement CANNABIS deserves! Politicians will have to answer to Cannabis!Lets get on it like a SWAT team out of stash. ATTENTION!!!!&!
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Comment #2 posted by dddd on February 24, 2001 at 20:06:26 PT
Job Performance
Well said sm247.People get fired every day for insignificant reasons.Ifthere is no mechanism to recall politicians,then there is no reason tocontinue the game of pretending this is a demockracy....dddd
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Comment #1 posted by sm247 on February 24, 2001 at 19:22:58 PT
TOO bad
Why not common citizens have been FIRED for doing less wrong. I am glad they are doing this to show you the government we mean business when it comes to our rights and for legalization.
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