Guilt by Ass-Shakin' Association

Flint, Michigan, police raided a dance club this weekend. (The paper insists on referring to it as a "rave" for some reason; sure sounds like a Saturday night at a dance club to me.) Anyway, plainclothes cops made their way around the place and were able to buy a few rolls of E, some LSD, and some mushrooms from some club patrons. They then swept in, raided the place, and arrested everyone. Many folks were searched, apparently without any individual basis for suspicion. Apparently 17 people got hit with felony drug charges, seven got charged with drug possession, and "police wrote about 80 tickets for frequenting a drug house, a misdemeanor that carries up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine." In other words, if you go to a club where some of the other people there have drugs (also known as "a club"), even totally clean, you can get slapped with three months in jail.

Update: Ah, reading is fundamental. The drug possession and tickets for "frequenting a drug house" referred to another party bust from 1999, though being old doesn't make it less outrageous. I'd skipped to the end and missed the reference to a previous party in the antecedent paragraph. And even absent that feature, the current raid is fairly insane sounding: It still entails arresting and searching a whole club full of people on the grounds that (shocker!) you found a couple dealers in the mix.

Comments

[Twba]

It's a free country, right?

[Henry]

I've been to Flint--those pathetic fuckers have got about 10,000,000 problems that should be on their plate before this. But most of them don't involve the coppers getting to play "raid", so there you have it.

[bb]

is this kind of thing going to get worse before it gets better? Or just get worse?

[Drooling Richard]

"...if you go to a club where some of the other people there have drugs (also known as "a club"), even totally clean, you can get slapped with three months in jail."

You won't go to jail, that would send revenue in the wrong direction. Instead, you will be compelled to take expensive drug and alcohol awareness courses that profit the government.

[mtc]

WOW YOU ARRESTED A BUNCH OF PEOPLE MINDING THEIR OWN BUSSINESS TANKS SO MUCH FLINT MICHIGAN POLITCE 4 SAVING ME

[WSDave]

Does that mean that I can violate some minor drug law at the cafe' where all the motorcycle cops have breakfast, then demand that other cops swoop in and issue them tickets?

[wellfellow]

Twba,

Who told you THAT?

[thoreau]

Wait, 90 days in jail for going to a club where other people use drugs?

Man, anybody who partied with George W. Bush in the 60's, 70's, or 80's better be careful!

[Richard]

It will get worse. 80 tickets at $500 = 40,000 in one night at one place. This isn't the kind of incentive that deters government from doing this again.

[thoreau]

Does that mean that I can violate some minor drug law at the cafe' where all the motorcycle cops have breakfast, then demand that other cops swoop in and issue them tickets?

You know, somebody should get a bunch of stoners to meet up at some place where DEA agents like to hang out.

[Brian]

If they'd busted my high school back in the day they could have had all 2000 of us up on "frequenting a drug house".

[Lowdog]

Jerk-offs.

[Drooling Richard]

Richard,

You understand. It's about the money. The charges won't stand up, but it's expensive to defend yourself in effort to prove that, especially for someone of club-going age.

Those arrested without cause should pool their money and hire a good lawyer. They will win. Then they should sue the police department.

[Jim Walsh]

Isn't that Michael Moore's adopted hometown? Where's our fatassed friend of the people when we need him?

[james]

as a freind pointed out to me, the 80 tickets were in reference to this:

In 1999, about 80 people were arrested at a rave party in an abandoned house on W. Second Street in Flint.

Seven people in the house were charged with drug possession, and police wrote about 80 tickets for frequenting a drug house, a misdemeanor that carries up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine.

-so- the tickets were from the rave at the abandoned house, not at the bar.

I am not sure if that was appropriate then, but its a lot better than "go to a bar to see a DJ, get a $500 ticket."

[smacky]

Where's our fatassed friend of the people when we need him?

No doubt in some mom-and-pop coffee and donut shop, hogging down deep-fried goods to his heart's content.

That was my random ad hominem attack of the day. Thank you.

[norbizness]

On the plus side, this could be the Battle of Midway in the War on Drugs. Guess I'll have to turn to cheap Afghani smack from here on out.

[james]

wait- I missed the part at the beginning where police arrested everyone, and they all got "drug-house-visitoring" tickets- my bad.

[Number 6]

Couldn't they have just hauled them on for Felonious Propagation of Awful Music?

[Warren]

Holy crap. This is so depressing. I need a drink.

Hey! Whadda ya want with me? I ain't doin nuthin!

[Vache Folle]

What are the elements of the crime of "frequenting a drug house"?

[Number 6]

The tone of that story is disgustingly 'rah-rah' for the cops. And sentences like "Ecstasy is a popular drug at raves because it stimulates nerve endings, making users euphoric when they dance to the bass-heavy music," are an embarrasment to journalists everywhere.

[R C Dean]

What are the elements of the crime of "frequenting a drug house"?

(1) drugs

(2) a house

uh, give me a minute here . . . .

[Mo]

GHB is odorless? Not if my memory serves me correctly. Most people that use E and have GHB are using it for their own purposes, not date rape purposes. Of course, I guess if alcohol were illegal, they'd call that a "date rape drug" too.

[anondamide]

So there is still some LSD around, hmm.

[Yo]

anondamide,
You've not been to many "jam band" shows lately, eh?

😉

[cdunlea]

Not that I condone this lunacy, but...anybody in the rave community has to be very careful. Here in Boston there is a members-only rave club (the only after hours club, AAMOF)I belong to. No alcohol is sold there and the place is totally drug free, meaning if security sees anyone dealing inside, they throw you out immediately--if the regulars don't do it first. See, the owners fought the city for 4 years to get their operating license, so they (and we) are hypercareful not to attract the snouts of the BPD. Anyone not so careful deserves the kick up the arse, because raves, for better or worse, have bad reps.

All that said, the raid sounds like bullshit. I hope the judge throws out every charge and the PD gets their asses sued.

[anondamide]

Yo, nope.

[Eric II]

What? The land of the free?
Whoever told you that is your enemy.

Not a fan of RATM's politics, but whenever I read a story like this, or the DUI one mentioned earlier, those words always end up running through my head.

[The Racketteer]

Isn't RICO supposed to stop things like ruthless gangs of extortioners decending on the unsuspecting public and shaking them down for $500? When is AG Alberto Gonzales get serious on these extortion gangs?

[herostratus]

LSD at a rave? Sheesh. Talk about sensory overload. When I took LSD (back in the day) you wanted to be out in the country or something. Kids these days!

[anon druggie]

I know! When I was a young whipper-snapper, doing LSD at amusement parks was all the rage. What is the world coming to, when people prefer to gather in old, abandoned warehouses and homes with all those bleep bleep noises and flashing lights? Oy....

[comprar Nike Free Run sapatos]

muito bom