MARIJUANA ACTIVIST TAKES FIGHT TO COURT

HARRISBURG - The doors to Conde's Redwood Lumber may be closing soon,
but marijuana activist Bill Conde isn't giving up his fight.

Conde filed a lawsuit against Linn County, the Linn County Sheriff's
Department, Sheriff Dave Burright and officer Dennis Carson in Linn
County Circuit Court on Friday and is seeking more than $3.5 million
for lost revenue this year and in the future.

Conde contends that his business declined more than 40 percent since a
search of his home and business last year, and he has decided to shut
down his nearly 30-year-old lumber company Oct. 14.

He plans to then sell off his property and move his family to Belize
in Central America, where Conde and his wife have built a new home for
themselves and their three children, he said.

"The best thing we can do is put a bandage or a tourniquet on the
bleeding and close up and sell the business," Conde said. "I have to
get my family out of here, and its been just heartbreaking."

Conde also charges that the county and the sheriff violated his First
Amendment rights, intentionally interfered with his business
relations, inflicted emotional distress and falsely arrested and
imprisoned him.

"I can't conduct business anymore, but I'm not ruined," Conde said. "I
have no reason to believe I will not prevail in that lawsuit."

Conde's complaints stem from what he calls heavy-handed police tactics
used at two Labor Day events staged on his property in 1998 and 1999,
and a third event in July of last year - each promoting the
legalization of marijuana.

The lawsuit outlines his belief that he and his events were the target
of intense police presence and scrutiny because of his politics.

He says he was the victim of an illegal search in which the warrant
affidavit issued to the sheriff's department contained false
statements and did not include examining his financial records for his
business.

"It's spoiled my family's dreams and made me very fearful of my own
government," he said.

Conde also alleges that he lost customers because Burright publicly
threatened everyone doing business with him to "better be looking over
their shoulder because his department would be investigating them."

Burright denies the charges.

"We were there under a valid search warrant. He's had multiple motions
to suppress evidence and he's lost each time."

Burright said he never threatened those doing business with Conde and
that that's not the issue at all, but rather the illegal activity and
drugs he says were present at Conde's events.

"He's free to believe anything he wants and work toward changing the
laws," Burright said. "That's completely his right, but I do not and
will not allow him to conduct illegal activity."

Burright has said in the past that undercover officers saw countless
violations of drug laws and open drug use, and confiscated small
amounts of marijuana at Conde's events.

Burright said he's not worried about the lawsuit against
himself.

"It's all an attempt to keep me from doing my job," Burright said. "I
will not bow to persons who want to break the law just because they
want to intimidate me. That's not what I'm elected to do."

There are several cases still pending against Conde. Those cases
include hindering prosecution, endangering the welfare of a minor and
possession of marijuana.