Court Rulings
Death Penalty: Malaysia to Hang Three for Marijuana Trafficking, Executions Continue in Middle East
Twice in the past two weeks, courts in Malaysia have condemned people to death for marijuana trafficking offenses.
Sentencing: Supreme Court 2nd Amendment Decision May Provide Opening for Appeal in Case of Pot Dealer Doing 55 Years for Carrying Gun
Weldon Angelos was a Salt Lake City marijuana dealer and aspiring hip-hop record
Search and Seizure: Florida Defense Attorneys Challenge Drug Dog "Hits"
Defense attorneys in Florida's Sarasota and Manatee counties are challenging the reliability of drug dog "hits" in drug possession and trafficking cases.
Medical Marijuana: Washington State Judge Plays Doctor, Convicts Authorized Patient of Cultivating His Own Medicine
A Washington state man with a doctor's authorization to use medical marijuana was convicted of cultivation last Friday after a state judge ruled that his use of the herb to treat chronic lower back
Europe: Dutch Supreme Court Says Patient Can Grow Marijuana for Therapeutic Use
The Dutch Supreme Court Tuesday upheld an appeals court ruling allowing a patient suffering from multiple sclerosis to grow marijuana for therapeutic purposes.
Search and Seizure: Feds Must Get Warrant Before Scouring Cell Phone Location Records, Federal District Court Judge Rules
In the first opinion by a federal court on the issue, a federal judge ruled September 10 that the government must obtain a warrant based on probable cause before ordering a wireless service provide
Europe: Irish Judge Balks at Unquantified Drugged Driving Test
An Irish judge last Friday threw out drugged driving charges against a young driver, saying tha
Feature: The Drug Checkpoint That Wasn't -- Louisiana Lawmen Play Fast and Loose with the Constitution
In its 2000 decision in Indianapolis v.
Medical Marijuana: California Appeals Court Upholds State Law, Rejects San Diego County Claim
In a July 31 ruling, California's 4th District Court of Appeals upheld the state's voter-approved medical marijuana law against a challenge from conservative county supervisors in San Diego and San
Feature: Feds Score Another Conviction Against a California Medical Marijuana Dispensary Operator
In a trial that garnered national attention because of the conflict between state and federal marijuana laws, a federal jury in Los Angeles Tuesday convicted the owner of a Morro Bay medical mariju
Latin America: Peru Constitutional Court Overturns State Law Okaying Coca Crops
The Peruvian Constitutional Tribunal, the Andean country's highest court dealing with constitutional issues, announced Wednesday that it had overturned a law approved by the Department of Puno that
Probable Cause: Washington Supreme Court Rules Marijuana Smell in Vehicle Not Enough to Arrest All Occupants
The Washington Supreme Court ruled July 17 that police cannot arrest passengers simply for being in a car that smells of marijuana.
Search and Seizure: Strip Search of School Girl for Ibuprofen Went Too Far, Federal Appeals Court Says
An Arizona school violated the constitutional rights of a 13-year-old school girl when it subjected her to a strip search to see if she was carrying the pain reliever ibuprofen, a narrowly divided
Europe: Selling Grow Equipment Not a Crime, British Appeals Court Rules
A British appeals court has thrown out the convictions of three men charged with conspiracy to aid and abet the production of cannabis for selling hydroponic growing equipment.
Europe: Rastafarians Can Smoke Marijuana, Italian Court Rules
The Italian Court of Cassation, the highest criminal court in the land, has thrown out the drug trafficking conviction of a Rastafarian, saying the amount of marijuana he possessed was consistent w
Latin America: More Argentine Courts Throw Out Drug Possession Charges
In April, judges in Argentine federal courts in the province of Buenos Aires threw out drug possession charges against two young men arrested at a 2007 electronic music festival, saying they were u
Feature: BC Supreme Court Rules Vancouver Safe Injection Site to Stay Open, Federal Drug Law Controlling It Unconstitutional
In a ruling that stunned and very pleasantly surprised advocates for Vancouver's Insite safe injection site, the British Columbia Supreme Court Tu
Feature: Brazil Appeals Court Rules Drug Possession Not a Crime
At the end of March, a Brazilian appeals court in São Paulo declared that possession of drugs for personal use is not a criminal offense.
Pregnancy: South Carolina Supreme Court Overturns Woman's Murder Conviction for Fetal Death After Cocaine Use
The South Carolina Supreme Court Monday threw out the homicide by child abuse conviction of Regina McKnight, the first woman in South Carolina to be convicted on that charge for suffering an uninte
