FORMER CANDIDATE FOR STATE SENATE WILL STAND TRIAL ON MARIJUANA CHARGES

A former candidate for the Nevada State Senate will stand trial on
allegations he sold 11.7 ounces of marijuana to an informant working
with police in 2003, a judge ruled Thursday.

Justice of the Peace Dan Ward told John K. O'Connor to appear in
district count on Tuesday to enter a plea to sales of a controlled
substance. Ward found there was enough evidence presented at a
preliminary hearing to send the case to trial.

O'Connor, who unsuccessfully ran against Sen. Mike McGinness,
R-Fallon, last year for a senate seat, is accused of selling the
marijuana for $80 to a woman working with the North Central Narcotics
Task Force in December 2003.

The informant and two task force officers testified about the case.

Jared Jones, a Churchill County Sheriff's Department deputy who was
the lead task force investigator on the case, said the confidential
informant approached authorities with information about O'Connor
selling drugs. The task force set up a "buy" where the woman
purchased marijuana from O'Connor at his McKay Court home.

"We had no interest in Mr. O'Connor until the informant came
forward," Jones testified.

Courtney Morris testified she bought the marijuana after calling
O'Connor at his home on Dec. 5, 2003. She said the defendant had an
ice chest with four baggies of marijuana at his residence, and she
was given the choice of which bag to purchase.

"I chose the one that was the largest," she said.

Morris said she worked for the task force for about two years and was
sometimes paid for her information, but didn't receive money in the
O'Connor case. She also said she had a "purely sexual" relationship
with O'Connor about seven years ago.

Defense attorney Jim Sloan asked investigator Jones why O'Connor was
not charged with any crime until almost six months after the alleged
marijuana buy and was a candidate for state office.

Sloan also questioned why authorities did not serve a search warrant
to recover the rest of the marijuana reportedly in the house and to
recoup the $80 the task force had given to Morris to make the buy.

"We often do not file a case right away because we don't want to burn
the (confidential informant)," Jones said.

Shortly after his arrest, O'Connor said his only affiliation with
marijuana was under a medical marijuana program. He said he became
involved in the medicinal use of marijuana because of his father, who
suffers from severe arthritis and uses the drug to ease his pain.