FALSE-ARREST LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST OAKLAND

A hepatitis C patient and his girlfriend who were arrested for growing
marijuana in their Rockridge home have filed a lawsuit against the Oakland
police for false arrest and imprisonment.

Daniel R. Hagen and Lynda O'Neil were out of town when a burglar alarm went
off at their home, and police officers Kwang Lee and Alexander Conroy,
responding to the call, found more than 20 cannabis plants in their attic,
the couple's lawyer, William Panzer, said last week.

Hagen and O'Neil were arrested and charged with three felony counts, which
were later dismissed by prosecutors, according to the civil suit filed in
Alameda County Superior Court. [The couple were determined to be legally
cultivating medical marijuana.]