Front Page  »  

Five of SLO County’s “Doobie Dozen” sue the state

January 25, 2013

mariFive of the 12 medical marijuana collective operators arrested in a controversial December 2010 sweep have filed suit against the California Department of Justice. [New Times]

Valerie and David Hosking, Steven Gordon and Rachel and Chip Tamagni allege that the dissolved state Narcotics Task Force engaged in police misconduct, inflicted undue emotional stress, falsely imprisoned and violated constitutional and legal rights when it arrested the twelve collective operators in their San Luis Obispo County homes on December 28. 2010. The lawsuit also alleges that law enforcement denied the arrested, later dubbed the “Doobie Dozen,” food, water and bathroom use during several days of incarceration.

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the charges against each of the five now suing the state in January 2011, but then immediately appealed its own dismissals. A state appellate court is yet to rule on the case, and the collective operators have still not received their confiscated property and bank accounts.

The lawsuit names San Luis Obispo police officers Jason Dickel and Amy Chastain, who helped lead the sweep, as defendants in addition to former NTF commander Rodney John. Plaintiffs in the suit include children of the medical marijuana workers who were present during the raid, some of whom were put in protective custody.

The suit describes the behavior of the arresting agents as “willful, wanton, malicious and oppressive. The plaintiffs are seeking an unspecified amount of damages, recovery of attorney fees, compensation for medical expenses and a declaration that law enforcement officers will not conduct “similar unlawful seizures in the future.”

On Tuesday, the district attorney’s office dropped charges against a medical marijuana deliveryman arrested by a sheriff’s deputy earlier this month in Oceano. Judge John Trice ordered that law enforcement return all marijuana and cash they seized from the deliveryman after searching his vehicle during a traffic stop.

 


Loading...
Subjects:                 
Related:


18 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Isn’t Nunz involved in this case too .


0

Good luck with the suit. If I recall correctly, the Officers were serving search Warrants; Orders from the Court to search. This was Judicially approved prior to executing the searches for contraband. Sorry, but if you want to dabble into the drug world, you will have to take certain risks. People involved in the drug trade (yes, marijuana too), are very well known to use weapons and have connections to organized crime networks. Our police will come to the party prepared for the worst.

I know at least two of these “Doobie Dozen” people. They were known to me as someone who just likes to get high, not medical marijuana patients. They were also in it purely for the profit, thinking they could use this medical guise to sell drugs and keep a tidy untaxed profit. I understand that some people do benefit from MJ use, but not that many. People use and abuse all drugs. How many prescription drugs are abused?

I personally don’t like potheads, drunks, or addicts collectively. The ones I see, or at least the ones that draw my attention, are deadbeat unproductive leaches in our midst. Flame away!


0

Well slowtime, since you seem to be some kind of authority on the matter, I say say bs. What you don’t know is this: People in the drug trade have ties to organized crime? That is a generalization if I ever heard it. I do not recall any “conspiracy” charges to any of the dozen, maybe you can enlighten us? What do you really know about medical marijuana and the different ways it can help different people. Please explain the difference between someone who comes home from work all jacked up and wants to unwind. Some people take a Xanex, some take a drink, and some smoke a bowl. Some people can’t sleep well. Some take sleeping pills and some smoke pot before bed. Do you really know the overall health of these two so-called abusing providers? Have you been with them to a doctor’s appointment? Do you really know that much about their personal lives to make that slanderous statement? You are speculating, nothing more. In other words, you don’t know jack. All the search warrants were canned. That is, they were all basically the same like all those people were just plain old marijuana dealers. Judge Jackie Duffy was never told this was about medical marijuana. Jay Dickel (NTF goon) never went to the point to investigate each of these collectives to see who had incorporated with the state, who had a sellers permit and paid taxes doing it AS STATED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CALIFORNIA. Dickel was mandated by law to look into those items per the Attorney General’s Guidlines also mandated by SB 420. Dickel knew a lot more than he told the judge and he failed to do do so because he knew he never would have got the all warrants. That is actually criminal and cops have been jailed for it which may eventually happen here. This is a 4th amendment violation for an illegal search(s). Rodney John wanted to make this big splash in the news like he had just rid the county of every meth dealer at the expense of these peoples lives. Because as we all know, “What the Attorney General says doesn’t mean shit. The Attorney General is not the law, we are the law” as so eloquently spoken by one of our own NTF members during the raid of one home. Those punks never cared about the civil rights they were violating because they don’t agree with the law. Does their opinion that the law is wrong give them a right to go around messing up people’s lives? Those NTF guys are a bunch of common thugs. It will be interesting if these providers ever get to put some of these cops on the stand. I don’t think the general public will like the NTF members any more than Lisa Solomon after that. Many of them are dishonest liars.


0

slowtimes post reads like he/she is one of the law enforcement people who was involved in this folly. You are trying to defend the indefensible pal. What is wrong is wrong and I suspect that ultimately the people that were involved in this enforcement action are going to be spanked.


0

So what if people “just wants to get high”? So, you have a thing against “potheads”? A prejudiced attitude that likely colors how you treat people and who you show disrespect to, regardless of behavior. If you are a member of law enforcement, you shouldn’t be. You obviously have a bad attitude and are possibly dangerous. If you are in law enforcement, I ask you to resign before more innocent people are hurt. Thank you!


0

B S


0

You people are funny with your speculations and assumptions. No I am not the Police. I reflect my first hand observations and get flamed. I expected that though. It is interesting to see the responses reveal the bias and preconceived notions of the writers. We all have our opinions, and our battles.

No I don’t like potheads. Almost every unproductive loafer I see smokes pot. Not the other way around, I am sure there are functioning drug users. I have seen kids and adults make a mockery of the medical MJ issue, getting cards under false pretenses. And yes I do think MJ is a gateway drug, I have not yet met a meth/heroin/pill addict that doesn’t smoke pot too.

You people don’t know what I know, what I see, or what I do. this is what my opinions are based on. I suppose I will just wait for another “I told you so” when this gets adjudicated, just like I said “I told you so” when Ryan Mason got off. Have a great day!

–Above the Influence


0

hempcity.net/pictures/marihuanaimages/Bigbudsinhandpic.jpg


0

There is a mistake here that I would have to believe came from the original reporter, since I feel confident our attorney would not make a mistake of this magnitude in legal papers.

“The lawsuit also alleges that law enforcement denied the arrested, later dubbed the “Doobie Dozen,” food, water and bathroom use during several days of incarceration.”

My husband and I were never incarcerated, we were held for “several hours” in a van without the services reported above. There were never charges against the two of us as the DA “rejected” all charges in our particular case.


0

I do recall that there was one man that was left sitting in a cold van for hours with only his P.J.’s and was refused bathroom facilities. He wet himself and the goons all laughed at him. Apart from that, I find it doubtful that anyone was refused either water, food or the use of a bathroom for DAYS! I guess someone could be claiming that this occurred but it is highly doubtful unless they were kidnapped and held by the NTF after the raids rather than transported to the jail.


0

It has been know to happen.


0

He did not “pee himself”; he as discreetly as possible unzipped his fly and peed in the corner of the van floor. He was forced to do this after many pleas to be allowed to use the restroom were ignored. We all lost so much dignity through this outrageous ordeal, don’t take more away by such crass statements please.


0

Proud of you, Rachel!


0

There will never be justice in cases like these… no lawsuit in the world can inflict the same kind of subjugation, humiliation, pain, and stress that law enforcement can. Nonetheless, I can’t help but smile a little knowing these people have the tenacity and the means to kick back, and may get at least some compensation.


0

Perhaps Sheriff Parkinson will finally realize that his department has been “one toke over the line” when it comes to medicinal cannabis?


0

Anyone care to wager on whether or not Sheriff Parkinson will try desperately to get this case settled so he won’t have to go through a deposition?


0

I’m not taking this bet as I’m assuming I’d have to bet against you. I don’t place bets where I have absolutely NO CHANCE of winning. I think you’re totally correct in your assumption.


0

Wow this all sounds too familiar for this county. This is exactly how the law enforcement agents acted during the raid at the CCCC in 2007. Agents wore masks, held the employees at gunpoint, and treated the employees completely illegally. Leaving notes for the employees to find..Having a pizza party to celebrate the raid and leaving trash and tools everywhere. The Sherriffs department in this county along with other law enforcement personnel are corrupt. Oh and Amy Chastain is a joke she thinks she has way more power than she really has. People need to back off and worry about what is really bringing this county down!


0