Open Thread

“bullet” Radley notes that Obama and the Dems want to spend a lot of money for Byrne Grants and COPS programs — the very things that push the excesses in drug war policing. Tell your Representatives that you don’t want them, or at least to fix them so that COPS grants aren’t used for SWAT and Byrne Grants are determined by number of arrests.
“bullet” At Grits for Breakfast: Houston judges from both parties say reduce drug possession penalties

Here’s an astonishing development: Sixteen of 22 Harris County felony court judges, including seven Democrats and nine Republicans, say they favor reduction of low-level drug possession in Texas from a state jail felony to a Class A misdemeanor. […] Houston Rep. Harold Dutton has filed HB 287 that would enact the change in the law the judges are requesting.

“bullet” The Drug Czar’s office is leaving us a pile of… Well, a 44 page document claiming success “making the drug problem smaller” in the past 8 years. They hightlight a couple of those “successes” — cherry-picked data on their blog.
And of course, the real answer is: No, they didn’t make the drug problem smaller, but they sure made the drug war problem bigger!
“bullet” A number of people have been writing about Herring v. United States — yet another incursion into the already decimated Fourth Amendment.

• Jeralyn at TalkLeft: More Criticism of the Supreme Court’s Herring Decision
• Fourth Amendment.com: Yes Virginia, there is a Barney Fife exception to the exclusionary rule.
• New York Times Editorial: The Fourth Amendment Diluted (see also this NY times article)

“bullet” An outstanding article by Jacob Sullum in this month’s “Reason:” Bongs Away!
How the crusade against drug paraphernalia punishes controversial speech. Read it.
“bullet” I’m going to have some more to say about this one… Oakland to fire 11 cops in search warrant case [thanks, Tom]
“bullet” Obama’s marijuana prohibition acid test by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman
“bullet” Tony Newman: Five Ways We Can Build a Movement to Stop This Idiotic War on Drugs
“bullet” Going the wrong direction — Oregon: Sentence Rules Have High Costs

Facing grim cutbacks in state programs and services, legislators also will have to pay for a new tough-on-crime sentencing measure approved by Oregon voters.

“bullet” DrugSense Weekly
“bullet” “drcnet”