Undercover cop begs autistic kid to break the law, then arrests him

[RainDog]

http://www.alternet.org/cops-go-undercover-high-school-bust-special-needs-kid-pot-why-are-police-so-desperate-throw-kids

Californians Doug and Catherine Snodgrass are suing their son’s high school for allowing undercover police officers to set up the 17-year-old special-needs student for a drug arrest.

In a video segment on ABC News, they say they were "thrilled" when their son -- who has Asperger's and other disabilities and struggled to make friends -- appeared to have instantly made a friend named Daniel.

"Daniel," however, was an undercover cop with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department who " hounded" the teenager to sell him his prescription medication. When he refused, the undercover cop gave him $20 to buy him weed, and he complied -- not realizing the guy he wanted to befriend wanted him behind bars.

In December, the unnamed senior was arrested along with 21 other students from three schools, all charged with crimes related to the two officers' undercover drug operation at two public schools in Temecula, California (Chaparral and Temecula Valley High School). This March, Judge Marian H. Tully ruled that Temecula Valley Unified School District could not expel the student, and had in fact failed to provide him with proper services.

So, police are resorting to entrapment to get special needs kids to sell them drugs so they can arrest them???????

FUCK THIS SHIT.

What the fuck is wrong with this nation that police are going after AUTISTIC KIDS to put them IN JAIL after ASKING THEM to break the law?

[Buzz Clik]

1. Bastard could teach my dog to fetch a bag of weed, and then have him euthanized for being a menace.

What a turd.

[Dustlawyer]

25. Pot should be legal anyway.

[Buzz Clik]

29. My dog would like that.

[bunnies]

42. haha! My dog would EAT that.

Wouldnt be the first time.

[Puzzledtraveller]

44. I love yorkies!!

I want one so bad but can't afford one.

[KamaAina]

63. There are probably Yorkie rescue groups

there are certainly breed-specific rescue groups in the cat world, for Siamese at least.

[laundry_queen]

76. Me too.

Well, I could probably afford to get one, it's the upkeep, lol. But I do love them.

I can't go to rescues because they insist you don't have kids under 10 because yorkies are delicate. Most breeders are the same. It's frustrating because I had a maltese cross for years (until he was put to sleep at 13 yrs old because of a tumor), and my parents currently have a tiny maltese (we lived with them for 6 months recently) and my kids are extremely gentle and have never hurt any small dogs, ever. They treat them with the same deference as human babies. But, there's those blanket policies. My older 3 are older than 10 but my youngest is 6, but she's super maternal and gentle. My parents have offered to go 'pose' as an older couple wanting a dog and then giving it to me, but I don't like dishonesty like that.

Someday I'll have my yorkie! I really miss my maltese cross, it's been 5 years and I feel ready for another dog (finally, took long enough).

[SwampG8r]

86. here are some rescue organizations for yorkies

i have used allsetter rescue myself for dogs i am compatible with
rescue dogs are the best and remember they always need fosters while they find new homes
http://www.yorkierescue.com/
http://unitedyorkierescue.org/
http://www.saveayorkierescue.org/
these were the first 3 yorkie rescues that googled up

[FourScore]

74. HA! I think these dogs have been hanging out with your dog...

[Bucky]

2. I admire his entrepreneurial spirit. If business is slow, you go out and drum up some more.

[GiveMeFreedom]

14. That's a lot of work

setting this kid up. Most cops just plant evidence and wa' la, off to jail.

[tecelote]

75. Exactly!

People don't understand that prisons can not turn a profit if there are not enough prisoners.

Trumped up charges = Profits

Profits = a Happy America!

[notadmblnd]

3. Maybe the cops are being paid by private prison corporations too?

Just like our judges are?

[cali]

5. actually, in this case it was judges who acted wisely and a manner that was NOT corrupt

[RainDog]

6. This is another example of going after vulnerable groups

As the article notes, THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN to a rich kid.

Just as a rich kid would never be arrested for a science experiment gone awry.

This is full out class warfare being conducted against THE CHILDREN of the middle and lower classes.

[xtraxritical]

47. Ah, there were 21 others entrapped and I know it is an affluent area. What's your thing?

[Bette Noir]

52. That's not an affluent area. It's drugs and gangs.

It's where people go to when they're tired of the slums of Los Angeles, because property is cheap enough that they can buy a nice house. But they're nice houses owned by people who are just barely making it.

[xtraxritical]

77. No, you're wrong, I live right near there.

[RainDog]

53. What's my thing?

The reality is that the affluent buy their children's freedom all the time. What exists now is a system in which teenagers are put into rehabilitation programs for drug abuse, even tho marijuana is not physiologically addictive, but doing so makes a case for drug warriors who want to make that claim.

If you'd like to dispute this, I'd love to see the evidence.

I can provide evidence for my claim, because those entering into these programs test as cannabis free before entering them. If cannabis were the addictive substance that drug warriors claim that it is, this would not be the case.

Rather than put the children of affluent members of society into jail, we, as a society, now put them into a medical system that makes money off of claims of addiction when even the govt. itself recognizes that cannabis has the same level of addiction as coffee.

[xtraxritical]

78. I live there, it is an affluent area for the most part.

I don't think your class distinction bias is valid at all.

[RainDog]

80. the former law enforcement officer

quoted in the article (he's part of LEAP, or Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) noted that class is most definitely a factor in how someone gets treated by the judicial system in the U.S. and, overall, I think it would be hard to make an argument that this is not true.

do you want to make the claim that people are not treated differently based upon class in the U.S.? or just say that, in this case, someone from an affluent family was busted?

[xtraxritical]

82. That's what I'm saying, the police are nobody's friend.

But if you must be right you go girl, I'm tired of this.

[RainDog]

83. thanks

since you initially asked me "what's my thing" I explained. I thought that's what people did when they were asked a question.

take care.

[EOTE]

56. So you know of children of wealthy parents who were caught in this sting?

I agree with the previous poster, I NEVER see these things happening to kids of the affluent and wealthy. I'd love to be proven wrong, though.

[cali]

4. fuck that piece of shit cop. and fuck this disgusting undercover drup operation

[xtraxritical]

49. I live in the area and Riverside County relies on the police to generate revenue.

The Riverside County court house is palatial and the D.A.s office is crammed with county paid lawyers. It's a true fascist police state in Riverside County. Also, it's Daryl Issa, Ken Calvert land.

[kag]

7. How is this not entrapment?

[RainDog]

8. Dunno

Last edited Thu May 23, 2013, 06:50 PM - Edit history (1)

The parents are suing the school for their participation in entrapment of their son, while a judge refused to follow the fascist script.

But this is what the war on drugs is all about.

The majority of arrests for marijuana are for teenagers who get put into the prison system as a career path. And, of course, their jailers and the police make money off of this harassment, too.

What a freedom fried lovin' country!

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

9. How much do the undercover cops get paid by the Private Prisons?

(I didn't read post 3 before posting..... )

[RebelOne]

10. This story reminds me of what happened to my niece

several years ago. She was targeted by a narc where she worked as a cocktail waitress in Hollywood, FL. Her brother, my nephew, had been arrested on drug charges before. It must have been slow in the drug bust business, so he homed in on her. He sweet talked her, dated her and than told her he needed some pain pills thinking she would get them from her brother. But she got them from a friend. She gave them to him. She did not sell them, but he arrested her anyway. Fortunately, it was thrown out of court because the arrest was classified as entrapment. But because of that she has an arrest record.

[Hosnon]

13. It takes a high caliber piece of shit to do something like that to another person. Nt

[Art_from_Ark]

40. Agreed

Fooling someone into believing you love them, then essentially stabbing them in the back like that, is lower than whale shit.

[uponit7771]

69. +1

[DiverDave]

21. Back in the day there was a restaurant on front street in Lahaina

called the Blue Max.
That they sold coke was never in question.
You could use your mastercard to buy.
An undercover lady cop got a job there, started SLEEPING with one of the managers, MOVED into his house...then arrested him.
Give "going above and beyond" a new meaning.
Oh, she hoovered up more of her share of the coke too.
I wonder what would have happened if she caught preggers?

[TeeYiYi]

68. I worked at the Blue Max...

...in 1979. It was a crazy fun place to work; for the reasons you mentioned, among others.

I'm sorry to hear they got hit by a narc.

What year did that happen? I'm curious to hear details if you want to pm me.

TYY

[DiverDave]

84. I moved to Maui in 82 and the Blue Max was history by then

Maybe you knew my friend?, Dan Jones?, one of the clean up guys, 5 foot nothing and funny as all get out,
Unfortunately he loved whiskey too much and just past away this year of liver problems. I really miss him
He was there with a less then stellar guy mike bradbury. He, on the other hand was a grade a jerk.
I guess thats why girls liked him.
I never could figure out why girls liked guys that treated them like dirt...
I worked at the El Crab Catcher.
I just read they filled in the pool...18 years ago, man, time flies, huh?
I had so much fun living there.
I taught scuba diving for 8 years, man, getting paid to dive, that was a perfect job!

[Duck fan]

97. Get the facts straight

Dan Jones was not on Maui with Mike Bradbury they had both made the trip to Maui in 1980 Dan lasted 8 months then returned home to Springfield Oregon Mike stayed and lived on Maui for 10 more years Dan did return to Maui a few years later with a few guys from Oregon. Sorry to hear about his untimely passing. I was a frequent guest at his family's home being a friend of Dans brother Dave. As far as Mike treating females harshly Mike was a bit of a player and in his early 20's so if dating a lot of girls is treating girls badly guilty as charged he still stays in touch with many of them. Mike Bartended at the El Crab Catcher, Leilani's on the beach, and for a couple years Keokis paradise on Kaui.
That was long ago and in the past

[DiverDave]

98. I was one of the guys that went with Danny

and great tube bra.
I was just back and saw dan/Dave's mom. GC passed away and she is going to
move to gresham? To be near Dave.
and Bradbury was a dick.

[quackerbacker]

99. who are you guys , Im trying to figure it out

Who are you guys, I was told by a fellow Oregon Ducks fan that my name was being used in some form . So if you are the guys who came to Maui with Dan this is what I can remember . You all came to the Island not knowing anyone. I was Bartending at the El Crab Catcher. You all ended working at the El Crab Catcher . how did that happen ? Dave what I do remember about you is that you wanted to get into the bar. Only problem was that you ran your mouth so much no one could stand you. I can see you haven't changed by your whining posts . As for calling your self Diver Dave I only know one person who used that moniker with his name and that was Diver Dan. Who I shared a house with him his girl,Kim and his two crazy Golden Retrievers. As for the rest of the guys who came with Dan they all worked in the kitchen at the El Crab Catcher and went home and smoked pot . I don't think any of you stayed on the island to long at least I didn't notice any of you . If being blunt and working hard to get what I wanted makes me a jerk so be it .I was the bar manager at the El Catcher at age 23 . bar manager at Keoki's paridise on kaui at age 25 I also bartended at Leilani's on the beach and Chico's Cantina both at Kaanapali beach. Now I am living on the Gulf of Mexico working at a pool bar . Once a year a make a trip to Bend Oregon to snow ski Mt Bachelor in the winter . I will travel to Hawaii this November and toast my life long friends some of those the girls I treated so badly.
So in closing Dave I will keep living life and you keep crying about it. Aloha ,Adios ,Good bye, Mike Bradbury

[DiverDave]

100. lol, still a snot

Yeah, I had issues, who didnt?
So, 30 years later you talk the same.
I'm not the guy I was, too bad you still are.

Don't bother replying, I'm blocking you

[gopiscrap]

104. welcome to du

[IrishAyes]

11. Things have sure changed.

In San Francisco you could smoke pot in front of cops on the beat. Nobody bothered you if you didn't bother anyone else.

It's also the worst hypocrisy to criminalize weed when worse substances like tobacco and liquor are legal. I'm all for legalization of recreational weed, too.

[GiveMeFreedom]

15. and Medical Weed +1 /nt

[sulphurdunn]

12. The War on Drugs

remains the tip of the spear for turning America into a police state. It must be stopped. The alleged need for militarized police to protect society from terrorists is a smoke screen.

[rug]

16. He has a classic agency defense.

http://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3496&context=flr&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3Dagency%2520defense%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D1%26sqi%3D2%26ved%3D0CCsQFjAA%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fir.lawnet.fordham.edu%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent.cgi%253Farticle%253D3496%2526context%253Dflr%26ei%3DfZqeUf2xMJTj4APE-YDYCg%26usg%3DAFQjCNGnMonRB0Z_mfA4AP8zqcdgVX1bfw%26bvm%3Dbv.47008514%2Cd.dmQ#search=%22agency%20defense%22

[RainDog]

18. The judge gave informal probation and community service

and, in essence, a finding of no guilt.

thankfully the kid didn't go before a judge like the one who was selling kids to correction facilities.

[rug]

20. I'm glad they didn't end up ruining his life.

I don't need to ask if anything happened to the deputy.

[TxDemChem]

17. 21 Jump Street

Gone awry

[Logical]

19. America's Finest! LOL! n-t

[Fla_Democrat]

22. Didn't I see this in a movie?

[RainDog]

28. People with aspergers/autism

have a range of IQs. Some test as geniuses.

they also, compared to the "neurotypical" population, are more naive and trusting because their social skills are part of the disability.

Though the trait isn't universal, people with aspergers are often considered bad liars - they tend to tell the truth they know, again, because the skill of social lying isn't a well developed part of their cognitive system.

this is another reason it was so heinous to go after a kid with a developmental disability.

really.

I cannot find anything funny about this.

[lolly]

32. It almost sounds like they targeted him

I wonder if there is a "for our eyes only" memo on how to identify high school kids who can be manipulated into selling dope to undercover officers.

Kids like this one, with social disabilities, perhaps kids who are shy or awkward, etc.

Confident kids aren't going to go out and find dope for some guy they just met--kids who are vulnerable will, though.

Great way to meet your quota, officer.

[Fla_Democrat]

37. Maybe if you saw the whole movie

get it in context..


Meh, maybe not.

[RainDog]

38. maybe not

My son is autistic and the idea that police would target such a person probably interferes with my ability to find humor in this situation.

[sakabatou]

85. Maybe not bad liars, but definitely more blunt

[Fantastic Anarchist]

23. This is what we are spending our money on?

Fuck the police! They are not here for our protection (as an institution). Sure, there are individuals who do and mean well, but the institution is nothing but a state vehicle to keep us servile. They're not competent, but the effect is the same.

[RedCappedBandit]

24. Sadly, I'm getting serious deja vu. This has happened before.

[Ilsa]

26. This is an obscenity. Those poor parents,

having to defend their disabled child over a cop bullying him. Goddam cops. And wasting taxpayer money on this shit?

[JackN415]

27. Disgusting!

[ReRe]

30. What the fuck is wrong with our country?

... Look no further than the top. What do you expect with an AG like Eric Holder? With a justice system that seems to be no more? I remember a time when the Supreme Court was respected. When our AGs stood up and sought justice in our land. What does it say when they don't have enough work to do and have to go out and entrap special needs kids?

[KG]

31. yay, cops!

[Scuba]

33. For-profit prisons need their beds filled to feed the greed.

[xtraxritical]

54. Cops must have their collar quotas.

[lpbk2713]

34. Horse's ass little punk.

I would out that little prick so fast it would make his little weasel head spin.

[Warren DeMontague]

35. Of course. A few years ago there was the undercover cop who pretended to be some kid's girlfriend

Agreed to go to prom with him, and for months in their "relationship" hounded him to score a bag of pot for her.

Now he's in prison for some mandatory minimum prison sentence- like 10 years for a dime bag. First offense.

Your tax dollars, hard at work.

[RainDog]

46. I assume you're talking about Justin Leboy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-newman/attractive-undercover-cop_b_1277330.html

Working at the Drug Policy Alliance for the last twelve years I have read and heard countless stories of people having their lives ruined because of our country's cruel war on drugs. Last weekend, the nationally syndicated show This American Life highlighted a story that is so insane, you don't know whether to laugh or puke.

Last year in three high schools in Florida, several undercover police officers posed as students. The undercover cops went to classes, became Facebook friends and flirted with the other students. One 18-year-old honor student named Justin fell in love with an attractive 25-year-old undercover cop after spending weeks sharing stories about their lives, texting and flirting with each other.

One day she asked Justin if he smoked pot. Even though he didn't smoke marijuana, the love-struck teen promised to help find some for her. Every couple of days she would text him asking if he had the marijuana. Finally, Justin was able to get it to her. She tried to give him $25 for the marijuana and he said he didn't want the money -- he got it for her as a present.

...This story is not unique to Florida and it reminds me of 18-year-old Mitchell Lawrence, a young man from Great Barrington, Mass., who served two years in jail for selling a joint to an undercover cop. The officer befriended Lawrence and his friends and would hang out with them. One day the cop asked if Lawrence had any weed. Lawrence gave the cop a joint. The cop handed him $20. Lawrence hesitated, but the cop insisted on giving him the money. "Selling" the joint, because they were hanging out less than a 1000 feet from a school, and thus was considered a "drug free school zone," carried a mandatory minimum two-year sentence.

http://www.change.org/petitions/palm-beach-mayor-gail-coniglio-stop-sending-undercover-officers-into-your-high-schools

In Florida, selling any amount of marijuana is a felony. And selling on or near a high school comes with even harsher penalties--a law likely intended to protect teenagers but that in practice gives them longer sentences than their adult counterparts. Justin spent a week behind bars, was convicted of a felony and sentence to three years probation.

Justin had planned to go into the air force after college. Now, with a felony conviction, he won't be permitted to serve in any part of the military and will find it considerably harder to get decent job, as most places hesitate to hire ex-felons.

For many, the word felon elicits the image of someone who is untrustworthy and potentially violent. I don't believe that charge fairly describes Justin Laboy. It strikes me that I could have made the same mistake if put in his position. Ask yourself if you or someone you respect might have done the same. Your kids? A friend or sibling? Would that person deserve to be labeled a felon for the rest of his life?

In Palm Beach County the police have already used this tactic to arrest and convict over 80 students at numerous high schools. And sadly, this tactic is not unique to sunny Palm Beach.

[Warren DeMontague]

67. Right, I think so.

Although sadly there are for sure more cases just like it.

[morningfog]

36. This is how cops operate. Their bread and butter is entrapment.

Cops and the FBI are major players in the drug trade and terrorism plots.

[gopiscrap]

39. Fucking pigs, this is so typical of all cops!

[ck4829]

41. Ladies and gentlemen... Your war on drugs!

[DiverDave]

43. So, NEVER EVER give your friends dope

especially the ones that act all needy.
And disappear for some unknown reason.

Heck, dont trust anybody.
I told my kids to not trust the cops, to not say a word until I got there.

[RainDog]

45. I never taught my kids to distrust cops

and I don't, as a rule, distrust cops. I distrust the laws that have been passed that they're supposed to uphold, however, many times.

but things like this make me wonder.

who was the asshole who decided it was a smart idea to target disabled kids?

as far as my own son - he doesn't take any meds, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke (anything) - and would not be inclined to do anything illegal simply because it's illegal. The adults in his life (in his family) have never partaken illegal substances in his presence.

since he is autistic, many times I have wondered if cannabis might help with some of the side issues related to autism but I would not suggest that he break the law to find out.

I just don't think cops need to target kids with disabilities to make their arrest quotas look good. That's pretty pathetic.

[kag]

50. We have.

We tried to convince our sixteen-year-old that if he ever gets brought in by the cops for questioning, the first thing he needs to do is ask for a) his parents if he's still a minor or b) a lawyer. And then SHUT UP.

Problem is, our son doesn't believe us that sometimes the cops really don't have his best interests at heart. Even after telling him a few horror stories--including one of my own--he still said that he would just "answer their questions truthfully" as if that would make everything okay.

I just hope he is never in a position to prove us right.

[RainDog]

55. Older and wiser

As my son has gotten older, and as I've seen the ways that people with autism have been treated upon reaching adulthood, such advice is probably better and more prudent.

[kag]

59. Especially for people on the autism scale.

Our son--the one from the above story--has been diagnosed as "borderline aspergers". He's actually mostly pretty normal, but very book-smart and very trusting of authority. He has few friends, and sometimes forgets the names of the ones he does have.

When we had the same conversation with our daughter, who has no autistic tendencies, she understood immediately.

[RainDog]

60. Sad to have to have such conversations

What started to concern me was when cops started tasering people for no good reason - for some reason they invented. I remember an autistic guy who was tasered because he was tired and sat down on the sidewalk and didn't immediately "hop to it" when asked to stand.

I always focused more on the threat of people driving cars while he's walking, people who bully and tease people with disabilities...that sort of thing.

But I guess cops are now part of that population, too.

[kag]

70. You mean like this guy?

[lolly]

73. Unfortunately, that might be one (intended?) side effect

One way to keep people from doing anything collectively is to keep everyone suspicious of everyone else.

High school is bad enough without making kids feel that anyone who is friendly to them may be trying to set them up.

[ZRT2209]

48. the parents have posted many excellent diaries about this on dailykos

[RainDog]

58. do you have a link?

I'd love it if you'd share it here.

[ZRT2209]

61. http://www.dailykos.com/blog/dsnodgrass

http://www.dailykos.com/blog/dsnodgrass

[RainDog]

62. thanks! n/t

[Rex]

51. That is why there are cops and then there are fucking pigs.

The pigs always give the cops a bad name and as long as the cops don't self police, I won't cut them any slack either. This was obvious entrapment and I HOPE the parents sue the living shit out of the PD responsible.

ONCE again we see the losers in this failed War on Drugs, terrorize children out of desperation. LOSERS.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

57. The sad thing is the cops are probably thinking revenge for this becoming public.

[KamaAina]

64. That could have been me.

Goddamn pigs.

[randome]

65. I don't know if this had anything to do with drugs, per se...

...as it does with a cop who should be working elsewhere. I don't know how he could have known the kid was autistic but the case should be thrown out.

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font]
[hr]

[Savannahmann]

66. If there is Justice

Then the kid will have the charges dropped for Entrapment. The police officer will be fired, and charged with child endangerment. After all it can not be argued that the special needs kid was or is capable of normal adult understanding. The kid is in special needs for a reason. So the police officer endangered the child's welfare by introducing him to a criminal element, drug dealers. Further, the cop clearly showed the drug dealers that special needs kids can be easily duped into being mules for the transportation of their drugs.

I'd say give the cop life in the electric chair. Whoever allowed him to go undercover, fire them and forfeit their retirements. Sanction the Police Department and make them pay restitution to the family. Have I missed anything?

[ZRT2209]

71. they held kid ALL DAY, W/O LAWYER, never called parents, parents terrified of where he was

he never came home and they didn't know where he was

those nasty fucks, THEY belong in jail

[RainDog]

81. that's sick

as a parent, anyone would be worried sick. as the parent of a special needs kid... double.

[lark]

72. To answer your question -

IMO there's a whole hell of a lot wrong with America, especially during the last 13 years. The Supreme Court breaks the constitution by hving all the "R"'s select the president. Big money rules and has moved a huge percentage of jobs offshore, pays no taxes and does it's best to buy elections. Monsanto is protected from even our own government penalizing them, teachers are vilified, average american makes less now than they did in 1970, rich pay less in taxes as a percentage than pooor and still complain day and night about even that. Big banks are even bigger than before 2008 and just as corrupt. I could go on forever.

[LiberalFighter]

79. Apparently that city has too many police officers that they need to rig up charges.

And justify having that level.

[JackN415]

88. It hurts to hear about autistic kids being abused like this. But I once saw a case:

I once encountered the injustice and drama that brought down my faith and pride in the US system of justice (including law enforcement).

A close friend's nephew is a foreign student who is as straight and narrow as anyone can be. One day, he was charged with possession of marijuana with the intention to distribute, in other words, a drug dealer.

What happened was that he held a friend's stuffs in his backpack, and a group of friends were arrested together. Despite the fact that he proved to the cops that those things were his friends that he carried without knowledge, they booked him, put him in jail that scarred him quite a bit.

When his uncle finally hired a good lawyer, they dropped all charges against him. The evidence? a pinch of weed in a wrap of paper, inside a bag with personal belongings of his friend, that he put in his backpack. He did it for that friend who had to carry bags of grocery for their party.

The irony is that the friend who had weed admitted to the cop later that the bag was his belonging and not this kid's. Yet, they kept the charge against him as a drug dealer.

Of course, with the good lawyer, they had to drop all charges against him. The lawyer said there was no chance they could convict him and any judge with common sense would dismiss. But the damage was done. The kid was traumatized, all for making a simple mistake of holding someone else stuffs.

What is so ridiculous about this is why LE has to be so zealous to the point of losing common sense and transgressing justice for things like this.

[Savannahmann]

90. I saw a worse case.

I don't have a link, so you'll have to believe me. A cub scout woke late the morning after one of their meetings. He put the same pants on, boys will do that as you know. In the pocket was his cub scout knife. He went to school, and discovered the knife. He knew we wasn't supposed to have it. This boy took the knife to his teacher, and told her the truth. The teacher had to follow the rules, and sent the boy to the Principal. The Principal had to follow the rules, and called the police. The police had to follow the rules, and arrested the boy for bringing a weapon to school. It was a Friday, and by the time he was processed in, he spent the long holiday weekend in Juvenile Hall waiting to be arraigned. Three days, four nights in jail for telling the truth, and admitting a mistake.

The judge was outraged. He ordered all charges dropped against the boy, and commended the boy for doing the right thing. You see, the boy knew when he was in trouble, he was supposed to find an adult to tell the truth to. By the time the weekend was over, not only did that boy learn a different lesson, but every child in the school learned the lesson too. If you make a mistake, don't dare tell anyone, because they won't be understanding, they won't be helpful, they will throw you in jail. It was stupidity layered on top of more stupidity.

When we have a stupid situation, like this autistic boy and the undercover cop. The lesson that that kid, and all those around him learn, is never trust the police. Because the police will betray that trust you've put into them. That autistic boy probably believed that the police were there to help him, protect him. Instead that Deputy Sheriff abused the trust that the citizens had placed in him. Later, the Police will want to know why no witnesses came forward to help them find a cop killer. Why should they? Because everyone in that school learned that the police abuse the trust, and target the most vulnerable members of our society, members that we should protect and admire because they tend to be far more loving than we are.

I have long held the police in absolute disdain. Having learned that police lie regularly, my faith in them was shattered decades ago. Yet, it still troubles me that things like this happen. Because I wish the Police would live up to the image they put forth. The idea that they are the thin blue line between us and the barbarians. All too often, the barbarians are wearing blue. All too often the bullies are protected by the badge and gun society of silence. I would have grudgingly admitted that the Police were doing good work if they had been targeting students in the school who were cognizant of the ideas of right and wrong, and able to understand the difference. Instead, they entrapped a mentally handicapped child by using the most egregious betrayals of trust imaginable.

These actions are inexcusable, and do nothing to bridge the gap of understanding between the police and the population. They merely push more people into the camp where I reside. The camp of people who distrust and disdain the police is getting mighty large.

[JackN415]

92. This kind of case is simply "stupidity" by passing the buck. No one wants to be liable for something

[RainDog]

91. that's disgusting

but it sounds like easy money for the legal system...

[JackN415]

93. You know what? a comment of the kid's uncle (my friend) was this:

"that's how lawyers make money!".

But the family felt it was worth it because the matter was resolved. Still, it scarred the kid and no one can blame him for hating cops or at least not trusting them anymore. If it happened to my own son, I would have been damn mad.

[tabasco]

89. Another glorious victory in The War On Drugs!

Rejoice citizens!

[midnight]

94. K&R

[hopemountain]

95. lazy pos undercover "cop"

preying on an easy target rather than doing a real job - a harder job of building relationship and investigating the kids who are selling their ritalin or stealing meds from their grandparents and selling them at school.

[RiffRandell]

96. Just read an article this weekend about it in Rolling Stone.

One of the kids busted along with Jesse was 18, so tried as an adult and sentenced to 2 years. Disgusting.

Article: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/the-entrapment-of-jesse-snodgrass-20140226

[Turbineguy]

101. Fuck somebody up for life

get an attaboy.

[delisen]

102. Ira Glass on NPR did a segment on female undercover

cop, posed as student and entrapped a teenage boy by begging him to get drugs for her. he was "in love" with this phony classmate and he ended up with a felony conviction and could not get a job. He was relatively poor and was hoping to go into military-but the convicted ended that dream.

He had no. history of being involved in drugs.

I think going after kids like this is disgusting.

[WinstonSmith00]

103. That entrapment is despicable.

Its truly low even when they do it to normal functioning kids but to go after a special needs student disgusting.

Same thing happened to my cousin the undercover hounded her and hounded her until she relented and gave the narc a contact and she went down too.

This police state of violating the rights of the individual to be left alone and allowing entrapment enticing or pressuring citizens into commit crimes has got to stop. It cannot be reconciled with justice.

[COLGATE4]

105. This is textbook-classic entrapment. nt