Interesting day in southern Utah....

[vkaryl]

1:30 pm, someone calls and says there's some armed drug dealers in the area west of here - and of course our reaction is "yeah right". But just in case we turn on the handheld with the law enforcement scan capability, and lo and behold, she wasn't lying: the county mounties busted a pot farm down the gorge and "lost" 4 of the perps.

So we've been listening to a manhunt all afternoon. They've got 3 of them, it's getting close to sundown, the other one is still out there somewhere. Needless to say we're leaving the high-beams on tonight and loading the rifles.... if the dog was a decent watch-beast it would help, but she'd probably only lick the guy to death....

[createErrorMsg]

busted a pot farm down the gorge

If I were high right now, that line would be REALLY funny. Unfortunately my dealer just got busted in Southern Utah.... ;)

Dear FBI, I know you are listening, so please understand I was just making a joke...

[grandpa]

This conversation came up last weekend... do most of these busts come around harvest time? Better plants make better pictures for the TV news.

Sleep with one eye open tonight vkaryl, some of those fellows might go to any length to grow another day.

[vkaryl]

Well, we're stopping short of setting up pots-n-pans alarms at all the doors, but only because we've got bears in the air with USMC night optics etc....

[vkaryl]

Update: still haven't got the 4th perp. The other three (HUGE surprise here /sarcasm) were booked on a dozen counts and deported....

[lawman]

>>booked on a dozen counts and deported

Kinda hard to prosecute someone in another country, isn't it?

[Leosghost]

As it's mainly "us old folks down here in this thread" ( I figure "create'" to be one of them "young longhaired types" ...
Question ..Can anyone remember "Cheech and Chong"?..without smiling ... ;)

got my original copies..mint

[vkaryl]

lawman: when it's the illegal aliens doing this, there's no choice - the INS gets first crack (um, no pun intended) at them, which ALWAYS results in deportation; and of course they're back to do it all over again in a few months.

*shrug* That's just how it is.... *sigh*

[createErrorMsg]

I figure "create'" to be one of them "young longhaired types"

Heyhey, now. I havn't been either of those adjectives in 15 years...

[lawman]

vkaryl:

Around my neck of the woods, they arrest them, give them a high bond because of risk of flight, and then either try 'em or plead 'em. During incarceration (either waiting trial or after conviction), an INS hold is placed on them so they can't get out even if they come up with bail bond money or are otherwise releasable.

If they're sentenced to a jail term, they are deported after they are released. If they receive probation, they are deported. If they return and are caught during the time of their probation, they are thrown in jail for probation violation.

[vkaryl]

lawman: maybe that's the way it really works here, and the paper just doesn't get it right? "held for deportation", and no bail listed....

So these bozos will be back in a few months, hopefully to NOT do their pot farm 5 miles down the road from us, which will give the county mounties a reason to get some fed/dea money to do stakeouts, buy info, etc. Another word for Utah welfare? (Kind of like the highway project that took 25 years to build 25 miles of freeway - which now needs redoing because they used concrete instead of blacktop.... just another form of welfare here.... at least keeps them off the rolls I guess.)

Just looked at the paper online - they did get the other guy, who's from San Jose. He's been charged, is in Purgatory on $100,000 + bail.

[travelin cat]

Works VERY different here in Sonoma County California. Here people are allowed to grow pot for medicinal purposes (ok, it can be for real medicinal purposes some time) as long as they have the proper license from the sheriff.

The problems arise when the smell (read massive skunk odor) offends the neighbors, or when someone tries to steal plants and get shot at. Otherwise it's just another day in the wine/pot country...