COURT ORDERS MOUNTIES TO RETURN CASH, COMPUTER TO POT-PROMOTING 'BROTHERS'

A Superior Court judge has ordered the RCMP to return $3,000 and a computer
seized from two pot-promoting Hamilton clergy.

Rev. Brother Walter Tucker, 67, and Rev. Brother Michael Baldasaro, 50,
were charged last May with drug trafficking after they allegedly mailed
envelopes of marijuana to federal Health Minister Allan Rock.

Tucker and Baldasaro belong to the Church of the Universe, which considers
marijuana a sacrament. When the RCMP searched the Barton Street premises,
they seized items including the church computer. While searching Tucker at
the jail, they took $3,000 from his socks.

Tucker and Baldasaro went before Justice Nick Borkovich last Friday, to
seek the return of the cash and the computer. Borkovich made the order,
with consent from federal prosecutor Jeffrey Levy The RCMP has 30 days in
which to return the property.

Baldasaro said yesterday that the money had nothing to do with the RCMP
investigation. "It was the savings of the Church of the Universe credit union."

Tucker said the RCMP had promised to return the computer earlier. "Then
they offered the computer back to us if we would sign a piece of paper
saying that they could legally use it. Our people are on that computer and
it's private."

Baldasaro and Tucker say they're distributing medicinal marijuana. "It's
one step from there to recognizing that medicinal is sometimes spiritual."

Last Friday's court hearing took only a few minutes, and the self-styled
clerics were delighted with the outcome.

"I believe that the justice system is finally recognizing the fact that we
are a viable entity within the community, and that we should not be misused
or mistreated," Tucker said.

The pair make their next court appearance Sept. 28, when they hope to get
more disclosure of the Crown's evidence. They want the RCMP videotape of
the raid on the mission.