A few days ago, the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania put out a Twitter press release with a typical law enforcement estimate of "street value":https://twitter.com/USAO_EDPA/status/1141046851132645376I heard about this because my local neighborhood criminal defense blogger, Matt Haiduk, had a few things to say about the "street value" … [Read more...] about How Much is 16.5 Tons of Cocaine Really Worth?
War On Drugs
The Tyranny of the Well-Meaning
Jack Marshall has proclaimed yesterday “Remember What Drugs Cost Society Day” in honor of actor and comedian John Belushi, who died of a drug overdose in 1982. It's worthwhile to remember the dead, and it's important not to forget that recreational drug use can lead to tragedies. Had Jack left it at that, I wouldn't have any objection, but Jack can't leave it at that. The … [Read more...] about The Tyranny of the Well-Meaning
The Pope On Drugs
A few days ago, over at Crimlaw, Ken Lammers, whom I admire, had a few things to say about the idea of legalizing drugs. Ken starts by quoting Pope Francis, whom I admire somewhat less. (Hey, what can I say? I was raised a Lutheran, and the First Rule of Lutheran Club is the Catholics are wrong.) When it comes to drugs, the Pope is (no surprise) an old-school anti-drug … [Read more...] about The Pope On Drugs
Terrorism In America
Say, did you hear about the new Islamic terrorist cell? So far, they've killed a Christian pastor and they've set a baby on fire. And they're operating right here in the United States!Actually, I lied. It wasn't an Islamic terror cell, it was something called the Mountain Judicial Circuit Narcotics Criminal Investigation and Suppression Team, which is led by Sheriff Joey … [Read more...] about Terrorism In America
Drug Laws Are Not Victimless
Last month at Hercules and the Umpire, federal judge Richard Kopf posted an explanation of why he believes that (at least at the federal level) drug crimes are not victimless. Matt Brown at Tempe Criminal Defense has raised some objections, as has Scott Greenfield at Simple Justice. Given that a federal judge and a couple of experienced criminal defense lawyers have been … [Read more...] about Drug Laws Are Not Victimless