TAINTING THE POOL?

Re "A year after the raids, charges are filed" (Newslines, by Meredith
J. Graham, June 30):

In the story, Special Assistant District Attorney Helen Harberts makes
several misleading and fallacious statements that could possibly
poison a potential jury pool and deny the defendants due process. DA
Mike Ramsey's office has been all too willing to try this case in the
court of public opinion first, in its attempt to justify its wasteful
actions.

The DA's Office admits that officers manipulated a "valid" patient
recommendation for cannabis in an effort to gain unlawful access to
the dispensing collectives they were targeting. This effort to entrap
is nothing more than a witch hunt orchestrated by law enforcement
officials who do not believe in medical cannabis and will go to any
length to eradicate it.

Do our law-enforcement agencies really have the time and resources to
put forth such bold efforts to defraud the community? With the large
methamphetamine problem in the county, how many real crimes went
unanswered while highly paid officers conducted these frivolous and
manipulative investigations?

Butte County deserves to have public officials who uphold the will of
the people and use their resources investigating and prosecuting the
real issues the county faces.

Mickey Martin

Oakland