Posted on 02/12/2009 9:26:50 AM PST by lewisglad
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Authorities in the South Carolina county where Michael Phelps was photographed smoking from a marijuana pipe have been arresting people as they seek to make a case against the superstar swimmer, lawyers for two arrested people said Thursday.
Attorneys Joseph McCulloch and Dick Harpootlian told The Associated Press they each represent a client charged with possession of marijuana who were questioned about the party Phelps attended near the University of South Carolina campus in November.
The lawyers said the two clients were renters at the house where the party apparently took place. Harpootlian said his client was at the party, but didn’t see Phelps smoke marijuana, while McCulloch said his client wasn’t there. The two have since moved and were arrested after police executed a search warrant at their new home and accused them of having a small amount of marijuana there.
“After they arrested him, they didn’t ask him, ’Where did you get the marijuana?’ or ’Who sold it to you?’ Almost all the questions they asked him were about Michael Phelps,” Harpootlian said.
The lawyers would not name their clients, who each face up to 30 days in jail and a $200 fine if convicted on the pending charges.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department would not comment on the lawyers’ remarks.
“As soon as we’re ready to release information on this case we will and we’re still in the middle of this investigation,” said Lt. Chris Cowan.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcsports.msnbc.com ...
More prosecutors with nothing useful to do.
I guess they have to do it, but one can imagine the cops might be more effective if they went after violent criminals.
Go catch a damn criminal, idiots.
I really don't care if this Phelps character lives or dies or smokes pot or eats peyote, but it's truly ridiculous for a prosecutor and cops to pursue this under these circumstances.
Another butthead(s) looking for a name for themselves.
I hate political crap like this.
I feel so much safer now!
Procesutor trying to make a name for himself, no doubt. But hey, it’s only taxpayer money, no biggie. We wanted change and we’re getting it.
I wonder if one of the “perps” is the guy who set Phelps up?
I thought that was an offense where the officers had to SEE the offender with their own eyes...I think they missed that part of the party!
But since when do police go on a huge evidence gathering witch hunt because a photograph of someone offers a hint that they were doing something illegal? How about holding two fingers, pinched togther, up to the lips -- the way Obama has done? Is he holding a joint? Is he? Is he? Let's go do some interviews and see if we can build a case! Yee-Haw!
This is ridiculous. Phelps was holding a bong. That's enought o generate some criticism and public shame -- but not nearly enough to prove evidence of drug use.
The potential Phelps prosecution reminds me of what the IRS does in the month before each April 15th — the grab a few high profile people to put them through the ringer in order to deter the public at-large from taking small liberties on their income taxes.
I don’t see any smoke in the bong either!
Besides, what if he didn't inhale?
As SNL said “Good job US swimming for suspending Phelps for those three months. That’ll keep him from competing in the highly regarded ‘not the olympics’” LOL.
My gawd....don’t they have anything better to spend our tax dollars doing....oh wait, the stimulus bill $$ have not been distributed yet....
Political hacks all!! Headline seeking, they look to strap a big name pelt to their collection.
Disgusting. Jackals.
End the “War on Drugs.” End all taxpayer-funded “Drug Programs.” End government schools, where good children of good parents are raised in huge litters with scumbag children of scumbag parents.
Tell parents: It’s your job to raise your children.
Good parents will protect their children. Bad parents will allow their children to kill themselves.
Trillions of dollars saved. Gene pool improved. Problem solved.
I guess they have to do it, but one can imagine the cops might be more effective if they went after violent criminals.”
Not to mention the illegal aliens.
If they want to become famous - they should go on American Idol and stop wasting taxpayer money to get publicity while ruining people's lives.
Whata crock of crap.
So he took a hit off a bong, imagine the horror, the horror I tell you.
I think it's time to legalize the stuff and get it over with. Scaring a persons life over something like this is just more big brother government.
Besides, I wonder if the prosecutor will go home after a hard day at the office and slam back a couple of stiff drinks.
Damn hypocrites.
Are they sure it wasn’t the same prop-pot they use in Hollywood movies and music videos?
“I DIDNT INHALE”.....that's a tried and true defense...
or maybe peer pressure...low self esteem...trying to fit in....respecting diversity...
or better yet...Read to the press the passages from obimbos book...Explain how hes your hero....how your looking forward to trying coke but needed to break in slowly...
The hypocrisy is even bigger than that, police background checks now permit prior convictions on pot charges for new recruits joining the force and there are corrupt officers within our prisons who smuggle pot to the inmates. ‘
This is a case of Nifongism. The prosecutor is the one trying to make a name for himself.
I’ll bet you they know where at least one crackhouse operates in their town that they don’t shut down.
Phelps takes a hit from a bong and A-Rod used steroids...
Meanwhile, how many elected or appointed government officials,and especially members of the media(I’m talking to you ESPN) would submit to drug testing...???
Someone observed the real lesson here is to never share your weed with someone who has the lung capacity of a blue whale.
The smuggling thing is the true character flaw and crime.
So, another example. In the state of Texas, you must wear your safety belt while in a vehicle or be subject to pretty stiff fines.
Yet, I can climb on my Harley and cruise down the highway with NO helmet.
Our government is so outta hand.
It’s not like Columbia doesn’t have real crimes and criminals that need pursuing. I guess these LEO’s can’t be bothered with protecting the citizens of Richland county from the real criminals. After all, this is the place where a woman was shot to death at an ATM, drive by shootings are commonplace, and the police don’t bother letting residents know about armed robberies taking place in their neighborhoods.
This is what happens when the citizens give an Obsessive-Compulsive a blank checkbook.
I thought it was the Sheriff directing this investigation — not the prosecutor.
Point taken.
The article doesn't mention the prosecutor, but would the sheriff have such a large effort underway without the knowledge and cooperation of the prosecutor? The MSM should provide more info on this.
According to city-data.com, Columbia's overall crime rate is about double the national average. The murder rate is about triple the national average.
Sheriffs are not immune to publicity-seeking.
When they should be trying to catch rapists and murderers.
Course, once they nail Phelp’s balls to the wall for a personal indiscretion, they will all be famous for protecting society from evil people like Phelps. There will be award presentations, limos parades down main street, with confetti and roses adorning them.
Why? They have discretion not to make arrests. They don't make arrests every time someone breaks a law, even on drug crimes. Cops dump pot out on the side of the road all the time.
I have been a prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney. I've been in this business for a long time and have handled at least hundreds of drug cases, thousands of pounds worth of them. I've never seen anything like this. The guy gets his picture taken smoking a bong hit last year. He doesn't even live in that county or that state, and they are trying to make a major case out of this? This case will be a media circus and they will spend way more money than they could possibly ever hope to bring in in fines and court costs. They've probably already done that. This sheriff is a jerk who just wants to be in the limelight, taxpayers be damned. I hope he gets stomped in the next election. I might even send his opponent money.
Phelps did something stupid. He's already paying for it in a big way, losing out on millions of dollars in sponsorships, being suspended from competitive swimming for a while. The consequences he is suffering are far worse than anyone else suffers for this piddly little charge, a $200 fine and a maximum of thirty days in jail that they never actually make anyone serve. If it's about sending a message, what Phelps has gone through so far over this sends a far stronger message than a the couple of hundred bucks fine this rich guy could probably find between his couch cushions. This is just ridiculous.
They hand them out like candy everywhere. It wouldn’t be that hard to get a search warrant in this case. They had the picture and already knew some of the people involved. I’m sure all they did was picked a few people up and leaned on them until they got statements about past and current drug activity going on in the home. It’s just not that hard to get search warrants. A lot of judges will sign them without even looking at them. It depends on the judge but the whole process usually takes only a couple of minutes from the time they go into the judge’s office with the warrant and come out with his signature. They may have been more careful on this one since it will be a high profile case, but I’m sure they had statements or affidavits from one or more people to justify the warrant. They’re going all out in this case. I’m sure they’ve already spent a lot more money than they’ll ever collect in fines when you add up all the man hours spent.
I’m sure Sheriff Lott is just trying to be famous here. I hope it backfires on him. I think it will and I think this case will in some small way help hasten the inevitable legalization and regulation of the marijuana industry. This case just helps illustrate the idiocy and pointlessness in our current marijuana policy.
Here’s an update on at least one of the warrants. They were actually going through these people’s trash and they found evidence that suggests they wer rolling “blunts” in the home.
“Deputies obtained a search warrant for the Wells Point Drive home after observing a large party there Jan. 10 and seizing a bag of marijuana, according to the search warrant affidavit obtained by The State.
On Feb. 6, investigators seized trash set outside the home and found the “tobacco filler portion of four cigars,” according to the affidavit.
Sgt. M.A. Poole in his affidavit said it is “common practice” of marijuana users to strip the tobacco out of cigars and use the binder and outer wrappers for marijuana.”
http://www.thestate.com/crime/story/682695.html
They’ve got nearly double the national murder rate, lots of crime, and they are staking out college kid parties and digging through trash to find evidence of pot smoking. This is just ridiculous.
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