Nearly five months after an extensive San Luis Obispo County Narcotics Task Force investigation led to the arrests of 15 members of medical marijuana collectives and a host of criminal accusations, one defendant has learned he won’t be facing child endangerment charges.
Steven Gordon, a former firefighter—who, as operator of the Pismo Beach mobile dispensary Hopeful Remedies, made regular deliveries to hospice centers—told the Sun he’s glad the charge was dropped, but that it should never have been filed in the first place. He said the charge has created a custody debate with a former spouse.
“I haven’t seen [my daughter] all year,” Gordon said. “It just isn’t right what they have done to me.”
One of the major points of contention raised by local medical marijuana advocates over the arrests was that the SLO County D.A.’s Office had charged a number of the defendants with child endangerment, though many people, including attorneys involved in the case, argued the defendants were good parents and their children never had access to marijuana.
NTF Commander Rodney John previously told the Sun it’s standard procedure to place children in protective custody when a sole guardian is arrested on drug charges.
Though the criminal cases against three of the defendants were rejected by the D.A.’s Office in January, remaining defendants have been caught in a “legal limbo,” according to Patrick Fisher, one of the defense attorneys involved in the cases, with property including personal computers and bank accounts still in the custody of the NTF.
“It’s as if they’re put in the position where law enforcement can take their property and then [the defendants] have to prove they’re innocent to get it back,” Fisher said. “That’s not how it’s supposed to work.”
As trial proceedings grow nearer, Fisher said he’ll continue to make motions to the court to retrieve his clients’ property. Most of them run local businesses and are facing financial strain without access to their money during tax season.
The first trial stemming from the undercover operation is set to begin May 26 at the SLO Superior Courthouse.
This article appears in Apr 14-21, 2011.