REMOVING POT BILLBOARD WON'T REMOVE POT PROBLEM

Gene Linehan defends criminals.

That's what he does. He represents those accused of crimes - many of them
guilty, some of them innocent. Linehan has defended killers, robbers,
thieves and drug dealers and users.

Lots of drug users.

Representing people who have been caught with pot has become something of a
specialty for Linehan. And while not everyone values that work - or even
believes that criminals deserve defending - the Constitution says otherwise.

Those accused of crimes are entitled to the best representation possible.
The Sixth Amendment guarantees everyone facing charges the right to an
attorney.

What prompts this review of law is the method Linehan chose to communicate
with potential clients - and the hysterical reaction it provoked.

The Wausau lawyer leased big billboards in Weston and plastered giant
marijuana leaves on them. He superimposed over the leaf a number that's
something of a code with dope smokers - 420 - and offered free
consultations to clients.

The billboards, which went up a couple of weeks ago, listed Linehan's phone
number and said, "Use of a controlled substance can restrict your
liberties." Not one word on the billboards was obscene. Linehan didn't
encourage anyone to buy, sell or smoke pot. He didn't offer to hook anyone
up with a dealer.

All he did was reach out to clients. He used language protected by the
Constitution to offer a service guaranteed by the Constitution.

And that provoked an epidemic of reefer madness in Weston.

Administrator Dean Zuleger said 10 to 15 people called the Village Hall to
complain about the ads. "The public opinion in Weston is that the billboard
glorifies the use of marijuana," Zuleger said. "Police officers are trying
to combat drug use and feel it's counterproductive." It's hard to see how
Linehan glorifies drug use by telling people they can end up with
restricted liberties - in jail - if they try it. It's not as hard to
understand why police would believe that defense attorneys are
"counterproductive." Everest Metro Police Chief Dan Vergin went so far as
to accuse Linehan of "promoting the use of drugs." When the madness made it
back to Lamar Advertising in Marshfield, the company that leased the
billboards to Linehan, managers reacted swiftly to protect public
sensibilities.

Last week, they ordered the signs taken down.

We doubt that Weston suddenly has become drug free. We also doubt that any
kids saw Linehan's billboard and said, "Hey, look. Marijuana. Never thought
about that before. Maybe I should give it a try." And we're left wondering
what the village thought police might go after next.

If the image of a pot leaf bothers so many people so deeply, we only can
imagine what offenses daily life must hold for them.

As Linehan aptly said when he lost his signs, "It's hard to fight ignorance."

A real drug solution If adults really want to do something about drug use,
there are more effective ways than pretending that banishing billboards
will eliminate the problem.

One of the best is simple: Talk about it.

That's not as easy as it sounds for some parents, who don't know what
ecstasy is and never heard of crank or special K or roofies.

And that's where "Drugs in Our Community," a series of discussions at three
local high schools, can help all parents. The sessions feature teens,
users, dealers, cops and other experts in the field who teach adults how
best to talk to kids about drug use.

The discussions will be held during evenings over the course of four weeks
at Wausau East, Wausau West and D.C. Everest Senior high schools.

For more information, call organizers Sue Nowak, 848-4545, Shannon Young,
261-0896, or Alice Covey, 845-2947.