SUSPECT IN OLD POT WARRANT ARRESTED

An Inman woman accused of being involved in growing nine marijuana plants
near her home six years ago was arrested Sunday.

Diane Sandra Dalton, 57, of 271 River Oak Drive was charged with
manufacturing marijuana, according to a warrant.

The warrant is old, but it is not the oldest waiting to be served by the 15
officers who serve warrants, said Lt. Ron Gahagan of the Spartanburg County
Sheriff's Office.

Gahagan said some of the 11,166 active cases as of Monday afternoon date
back to the late 1980s.

Two years ago, the Sheriff's Office doubled the number of deputies
dedicated to serving warrants. They made serious headway in reducing a
backlog of more than 20,000 from the 1970s.

They are charged with serving a warrant until a magistrate judge or another
authority recalls it.

The warrant for Dalton was not served until now because of different
addresses for her, Gahagan said.

On July 8, 1995, deputies spotted from a helicopter what appeared to be
marijuana plants. Two days later, deputies went through the woods and found
nine marijuana plants.

A well-beaten path led from the plants to a house at 271 River Oak Ave.,
according to an incident report filed at the Sheriff's Office.

Two residents were arrested. Jeff Dalton had marijuana seeds and trace
amounts of what appeared to be marijuana, the report said.

Deputies also seized High Times magazine and drug paraphernalia.

In a magistrate court trial in 1995, Dalton was found guilty of simple
possession of marijuana and paid a $376 fine.