Hemp March in Moscow
- posted by Michael @ 3:12 PM

As some of you might know, today was the 2007 Global Marijuana March day. Apparently, groups from 232 cities all over the world signed up for it. One such city was Moscow (see a brief and bland English language report here). The initial meeting of the march participants took place near the McDonald's on the touristy Old Arbat in downtown Moscow. Don't know about other cities (there has been remarkably little in the news about this event) but Moscow police did not treat the march participants kindly. A Russian-language news source reported the following events. By the time 20 or so participants gathered near McDonald's, the Moscow finest already awaited them. As soon at the would-be marchers unfolded their "Legalize marijuana" banner the police pounced on them and detained six people. The friends of the detained tried to free them. After a skirmish, the detainees were taken to the nearby police station. Their friends came up to the station too and started calling the detainees on cell phones. Suddenly, the police became really violent knocking down those who stood near the police station, twisting their arms, hitting their heads against nearby cars and walls, and dragging them inside the station, where the beating apparently continued. One of the detained was beaten up severely during the interrogation. Another detainee suffered an asthma attack and after a considerable delay was taken to a hospital. The police, however, does not acknowledge hurting anybody.

In truth, the police actions are not really surprising, given its treatment of other recent events (see, for example, here and here) organized without approval of the authorities. It is unclear, however, why they keep doing that. Without police brutality, few people would probably notice these events, at least not as much, although perhaps this brutality that by now has come to be expected deters many potential participants.

Labels: marijuana, police brutality, Russia

 
Torturing a Drug-Crime Suspect
- posted by Jim Leitzel @ 3:35 PM

Vice Squad frequently talks about the deleterious effect of the War on Drugs on policing, but the officers who engaged in this torture might have been led to such criminality even without the incentive of a drug war.

Labels: drugs, police brutality, Prohibition

 
Misplaced Suspicion
- posted by Jim Leitzel @ 6:47 PM

Here's a story out of Dallas, Texas, of an arrest for solicitation of prostitution that went bad, way bad. On October 10, after 3 in the morning, a Rapid Transit officer sees a woman strike up a conversation with a man; the conversing couple get in the man's car and drive off together. The officer stops the car, and arrests the woman for suspicion of solicitation. Before she is booked at the station, she goes into a restroom, the officer follows, he allegedly offers the woman immunity from the pending arrest in exchange for sex, and they have sex. Yesterday, the officer is arrested and charged with a sex offense. Further, it turns out he does not have the authority to make a solicitation arrest for activity that takes place away from a rapid transit site. Further still, the woman had approached the original man in the convenience store for a ride, not for sex, apparently.

For reams of information on, among other topics, Texas law enforcement shortcomings, be sure to check in with Grits for Breakfast.

Labels: police brutality, policing, prostitution, sex, Texas

 
The Myriad Uses of Vice Crimes
- posted by Jim Leitzel @ 5:03 PM

In particular, their frequently "victimless" status gives them a real advantage in setting up folks who are troubling to the powers that be. Make possession of a plant a crime, and it becomes relatively easy for that troublesome person to suddenly possess the prohibited plant.

In an unrelated story, Hong Kong democracy advocate Ho Wai-to was recently arrested in mainland China for soliciting a prostitute. The wheels of justice turn quickly in some venues, and voila', Ho was found guilty and sentenced to serve six months -- despite his candidacy in legislative elections scheduled for next month. Sure, most people convicted of such a "crime" in China are only fined, but no doubt there were extenuating circumstances in this case. And certainly his wife's charges are absurd. Could anyone believe for a minute her claim, as reported by the Chicago Tribune, that "Chinese authorities brought a prostitute to Ho's hotel room in Guangdong's Dongguan region, beat him and denied him food and water until he signed a confession"?

Labels: China, police brutality, policing, prostitution