MEDICAL POT BACKER ADMITS TO GROW OP

Pleads Guilty After Judge Allows Drug Evidence

A medical marijuana crusader pleaded guilty yesterday to running a
grow operation after a judge rejected his claim that Winnipeg police
violated his rights by searching his home. Chris Buors, 46, lost his
only chance at victory when Queen's Bench Justice Alan MacInnes ruled
the drug evidence could be submitted at his trial. Defence lawyer
Bonnie MacDonald had argued this week police conducted an illegal,
warrantless search that began when Buors was the victim of a home invasion.

Three crowbar-wielding masked men broke into his North End home and
stole electronics. The break-in was reported to police by a neighbour
who heard glass breaking.

Buors told the attending officers, "I don't think I want you to come
in here." But Sgt. Frank May testified this week he had no choice
other than to enter the home.

May said he was worried the suspects might still be inside, there
could be other victims or even that Buors may have been involved.
Buors was not injured in the break-in.

"He was trying to make sure Mr. Buors was safe and evidence was
preserved," said Crown attorney Ian Mahon.

MacDonald said a citizen's expectation of privacy is extremely high
and "a person's home should be their castle." She argued May didn't do
enough investigative work before entering her client's home. "He
didn't just have one set of people in his home that he didn't want
(the home invaders), he had two (the police)," she said.

While inside, May discovered 26 marijuana plants and hydroponic
equipment valued at $2,500.

Police charged Buors with cultivation and possession of marijuana for
the purpose of trafficking.

MacInnes defended the police actions and said his written reasons for
backing them will come next week.

"You're trying to dissect with a fine-tooth comb decisions which get
made by police in a split second. It's always easy to do that in the
safety of a courtroom," he said.

Buors changed his plea to guilty once the drug evidence was allowed
in. He remains free on bail and will be sentenced Oct. 29. The trial
was delayed earlier this week because one of the police officers
involved in the August 2002 investigation couldn't find his notes.

Mahon said extensive efforts to locate the missing documents have
failed, which resulted in Buors filing a motion for a stay of
proceedings. MacInnes rejected the motion yesterday.