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All 12 Doobie Dozen now free of criminal charges

November 26, 2014

med potThe San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office has dropped charges against all members of the so-call “Doobie Dozen” who were swept up by local law enforcement during a 2010 medical marijuana sting. [Tribune]

In Dec. 2010, the SLO County Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force arrested 12 members of mobile medical marijuana collectives, six of whom faced prosecution until this week. Prosecutors dropped charges against the remaining six on Tuesday, citing ambiguity in medical marijuana law and claiming they lacked evidence that the defendants had sold pot for profit.

The district attorney’s office previously dropped charges or declined to file charges against the other six suspects who were arrested.

In Jan. 2011, the case was ready to go to a jury, but prosecutors decided that they did not receive favorable jury instructions from a local judge. They then dropped the charges and appealed the jury instructions, which resulted in an appellate court sending the case back to San Luis Obispo.

The appellate court explained that, in order for convictions to occur, the defendants must have sold marijuana for profit.

Amid the multi-year case, five members of the Doobie Dozen filed a civil lawsuit against the California Department of Justice. The suit described the behavior of the arresting agents as “willful, wanton, malicious and oppressive.”

The lawsuit also named former NTF commander Rodney John and San Luis Obispo police officers Jason Dickel and Amy Chastain as defendants. Plaintiffs in the suit include children of the medical marijuana workers, some of whom were placed in protective custody.


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This has been one three plus years nightmare. Hopefully now we get to return the favor to John and company. Let’s see, one officer that was one of the main investigators is in federal prison for bribery and stealing from the evidence room under the watchful eye of the sheriff. Another is currently on administrative leave for lying to a judge. Another told us in our home, “what the attorney general says doesn’t mean shit, the attorney general is not the law, WE are the law” when we showed them we were following the attorney general’s guidlines for medical marijuana perfectly. Now we get the chance to educate them.


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It is more profitable for the entire LE, Justice System to Corrections & Probation to keep pot illegal.


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same as slavery


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Some things to consider:


This investigation was initially conducted by the San Luis Obispo Police in conjunction with the Narcotic Task Force. It began while Ian Parkinson was a Captain at SLOPD and the arrests occurred after he became the Sheriff, thus he is intrinsically woven into the travesty that occurred.


The investigation was flawed from its inception and for the arrests to have occurred involving dynamic SWAT team entries into people’s homes was ridiculous. To abuse the arrestees was unconscionable. This was a clear cut trampling of the Constitution as well as common sense.


I cannot understand why former DA Jerry Shea pursued this case, unless it was an effort (after the fact) to minimize the probable liability of the law enforcement agencies that were involved.


All this said, I applaud Dan Dow in dismissing this case and not pouring even more tax payers money into a lost cause.


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Not too sure Dan Dow needs to be applauded. Like all DA’s, he’s in it to win it. Granted he was handed a big steaming bag of poo with these cases, but he could have dropped them months ago. When it finally became perfectly clear that they had no chance of winning and bailing out his LEO buddies, he threw in the towel. It’s been almost 4 years. He didn’t save any tax money because now the lawsuits and claims go into high gear. An apology would have been nice instead of that, Unable to proceed crap. Like Rachel said “How do you get a clean name back?” Try telling a prospective employer, “Yeah I was charged with 4 felonies, But all charges were dropped!” It doesn’t work. Cory, don’t drop the soap.


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He was NOT DA “months ago”. He became DA about 3 weeks ago. Therefore he DID move swiftly to dismiss the case. Facts are a real pain, aren’t they?


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Now how do they get back everything they lost?


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How do you get back a clean name on the Internet, or your DNA they stole. Try getting work with all the crap out there they caused, I have actually had people turn me down after offering me a job because they googled my name. I was never even charged, but will always be guilty on the Internet. It’s just wrong and no way for it to just go away or be given back.


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You job applications will not be put into the bottom of the pile, instead it will be dumped into the round file.

This is worst than discrimination.

You are denied the pursuit to obtain a normal gainful employment.

You might as well seek a path into the social welfare system.

Tax payers will have to support you whether prosecuted or not.

It is a crime to be poor (no job) and be given no choice except to commit crimes to sustain oneself and family!

Even if you were successful in winning a law suit against the city, county or state, the bill still goes to the taxpayers!


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It’s about time!


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Smoke ’em if you got ’em!


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Thank you, Dan Dow.


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It seems like an horrendous waste of our public resources and tax mony to play these games with peoples’ lives. Why not just completely legalize the use of this natural herb. Efforts could then be concentrated on misuse, such as driving under the influence, etc., of thse who do not make responsible choices. Let people grow and share as they please. If they sell it, a sales tax woulod be applied, like any other business. Save all this busting down doors crap for the meth labs, heroin pushers, sex trafficers and illegal weapons dealers that are a genuine threat to the community.


Then we could possibly be paying a bit more attention to the rampant corruption in local government, lack of proper infrastructure, protection of our irreplaceable environment, fire protection and education. Sound like a plan?


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If only it were that simple.


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It may not be that simple but it can and should be done.


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