How Drug Warriors (Read: Taxpayers) Pay for Their Crimes…

…against children and other living things.

Remember the infamous 2003 Goose Creek PD screw-up, in which some of South Carolina's finest barged into Stratford High School, guns a-drawn, plasti-cuffed a bunch of kids, and turned up zippo illegal drugs (we're confident Coach Kleats and the rest of the P.E. staff were packing human-growth hormone, minoxidil, Viagra, what have you)?

Well, now the final curtain may be drawn on that Barney Fife-level fooferaw:

The controversial drug sweep in 2003 at Stratford High School also could be a costly one - to the tune of $1.6 million, according to a plan to settle a class-action lawsuit stemming from the raid.

Under the plan, students in the hallway during the sweep would split $1.2 million. Their lawyers would divide an additional $400,000.

And, needless to say, nobody--the school district and the cops and the other defendants--would have to admit they'd done anything wrong. Because, to parphrase Love Story, the drug war means never having to say you're sorry.

I look forward to following the tax bond campaigns that will be launched to pay for the fines.

Full account here.

Stoner Update/Erratum: Jacob Sullum blogged this yesterday man.