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Two new bills could bring medical marijuana to Minnesota

On behalf of Villaume & Schiek, P.A. posted in Marijuana on Thursday, May 16, 2013.

As most people in Minnesota know, our state has some of the strictest drug enforcement policies in the nation. This is especially true for marijuana which has long been the reason for the numerous searches and arrests that are conducted by police every year. But policies could be changing in our state very soon if legislators decide to pass a new bill that could make medical marijuana legal in Minnesota.

People suffering from diseases should be able to access medical marijuana and use it without fear of being arrested, explained one member of Minnesotans for Compassionate Care to reporters when the bill was introduced this month. It's been true in the past that some Minnesotans have been arrested and charged with drug crimes despite their medical need for the drug. This bill could prevent that from happening in the future.

Two Minnesotans continue fight against synthetic drug charges

On behalf of Villaume & Schiek, P.A. posted in Drug Manufacturing & Cultivation on Tuesday, May 14, 2013.

As readers of our blog know from past posts, synthetic drugs have become a widely punishable offense across the state in the past few years. But with tougher and tougher restrictions being written faster than the public can be notified, many Minnesota residents are finding themselves committing crimes without even knowing it.

This was likely the case for a 56-year-old store owner and his 34-year-old son who were arrested last month for supposed drug crimes. According to police, the two were arrested after undercover officers allegedly made five purchases of synthetic drugs from the men at their Duluth store.

Mankato police arrest two men suspected of trafficking meth

On behalf of Villaume & Schiek, P.A. posted in Drug Trafficking on Thursday, May 9, 2013.

Officers from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension arrested two men at the River Hills Mall in Mankato this month who are believed to have connections to a methamphetamine distribution ring in Minnesota and Iowa. The arrests come after undercover officers supposedly initiated several drug stings to gather information about the men.

According to BCA agents, the stings began back in February when an officer failed to acquire drugs from a 26-year-old man. Despite there having been no physical drugs having been exchanged, police still believed that the man was involved in drug trafficking and continued to set up stings.

Missing hikers may have been caused by drugs, police say

On behalf of Villaume & Schiek, P.A. posted in Drug Manufacturing & Cultivation on Tuesday, May 7, 2013.

While a majority of the drug crimes that we talk about on this blog occur here in Minnesota, we also know how important it is for readers of our blog to hear about stories from other states as well. Because while our state laws may be very different, that tactics used by prosecutors to get tougher penalties and sentences is usually always the same.

This could very well be the case for a pair of California teens who could be facing not only criminal but civil charges as well if the Los Angeles police get their way. Some Minnesotans may remember seeing a story about the teens on the news; they had gotten lost while hiking in the woods. But on top of suffering a horrific ordeal, police now want to press criminal charges against the teens for drug possession.

Alleged prescription drug theft leads to Delano woman’s arrest

On behalf of Villaume & Schiek, P.A. posted in Prescription Drug Violation on Thursday, May 2, 2013.

According to a Long Lake assisted-living center, during a two-month period of time, nothing appeared out of the ordinary at the facility. That is until one day a staff member allegedly noticed a pill bottle that didn’t quite “pop off” the way it should. During a so-called sting, conducted by the center’s administration, pills were discovered missing. After questioning the two aides on duty, the center fired a 22-year-old woman they say was stealing prescription drugs.

Now the 22-year-old Delano woman is being charged with felony theft and possession of a controlled substance, accused of stealing narcotics such as oxycodone and hydromorphone from the facility over the two-month period. According to a report issued by the state Health Department, the woman allegedly stole more than 30 prescription pills earlier in the year and is said to have replaced the stolen drugs with Claritin and other over-the-counter medication.

Hennepin County raid produces 12 pounds of methamphetamine

On behalf of Villaume & Schiek, P.A. posted in Drug Trafficking on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.

Law enforcement officials in Minnesota and throughout the Midwest have long made it a priority to crack down on individuals suspected of manufacturing, selling or trafficking methamphetamine. Last week, officers in Minneapolis made the largest seizure of methamphetamine in the history of the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force.

Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek told Minnesota Public Radio that officers seized approximately 12 pounds of methamphetamine, along with $15,000 in cash and one firearm. Law enforcement estimated the street value of the drugs to be around $200,000.

Lawyer suspended after buying pot for client

On behalf of Villaume & Schiek, P.A. posted in Marijuana on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.

Most defense attorneys would do anything for their client if they knew it would help their case. This is true for anyone in Minnesota and beyond; but how far is too far? And at what point could an attorney find himself in the same predicament as his client?

One Indiana lawyer knows this scenario all too well now after his attempt to help his client backfired, ending in the suspension from his firm. Not only will he be required to serve a suspension of no less than nine months, but is also looking at charges of marijuana possession as well.

Supreme Court specifies deportation allowances in marijuana cases

On behalf of Villaume & Schiek, P.A. posted in Marijuana on Thursday, April 25, 2013.

The intricate relationship between criminal law and immigration law is a subject our readers have seen us write about before. And it's because complications continue to arise that we continue to write about this subject. Minnesota is no stranger to immigrants, and as many lawyers will point out, they have just as much of a right to defend their rights in court as any other person.

The U.S. Supreme Court may have made that a little easier this month after they passed a 7-2 vote against the immigration officials who sought to deport a man after he was arrested for marijuana possession. In the police report, the man is said to have been in possession of 1.3 grams of the drug and was intending on distributing the substance. But according to the justices of the Supreme Court, the circumstances in the case simply did not meet the requirements for deportation under federal law.

Police believe tainted meth circulating around Twin Cities

On behalf of Villaume & Schiek, P.A. posted in Drug Manufacturing & Cultivation on Tuesday, April 23, 2013.

Tainted methamphetamines are being considered the cause of at least 12 people being admitted to Twin Cities hospitals this month. According to investigators with the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, it's not uncommon to see about one person a day admitted to the hospital for drug use; but when 12 people were admitted within a 24 hour window last week, investigators knew something was seriously wrong.

Hospitals records indicate that all of the people who were brought to the hospital had high fevers, high anxiety and were experiencing extreme hallucinations. Police say that one woman was even brought in after jumping off the second floor of a building because she thought she could fly. Though police aren't exactly sure who is responsible for manufacturing the drugs, investigators do believe that the methamphetamines may have come from Mexico.

St. Paul man released without charges after accusations of drug possession

On behalf of Villaume & Schiek, P.A. posted in Marijuana on Thursday, April 18, 2013.

A 37-year-old St. Paul man was more than likely confused when he was stopped by police along Interstate 494 a few days ago. He had only ever been pulled over for driving violations in the past and was probably alarmed to see drug-sniffing dogs when officers approached the vehicle. But it's the events that happened next that may have been the most alarming.

In the report filed against the man, police explain that the drug-sniffing dog alerted them to the possibility of drugs in the vehicle. The use of drug-sniffing dogs during routine traffic stops for the purpose of finding drugs has long been argued as a violation of a person's rights. But officers from the Minnesota State Patrol say they were acting on information that was given to them by an unnamed source and it's because of this information that police believed that the man was picking up a large shipment of marijuana prior to the traffic stop.

Minnesota Drug Violations Law Blog