Deputies fired for not supplying sheriff with marijuana for dying aunt

Thursday, February 04, 2016 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: marijuana, Alabama, Sheriff

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(NaturalNews) For any number of reasons known only to him, President Obama has neglected to enforce federal drug laws that classify marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, and thus, ban its recreational use. Three states – Washington, Oregon and Colorado – openly defy the federal ban, after citizens there have passed ballot measures calling for legalization of social pot use.

Most other states either decriminalize pot possession or have approved marijuana for medical use only.

In the wake of this patchwork of state legislation, comes a great deal of confusion about the right policies to follow when it comes to marijuana use, as evidenced by a recent case in Alabama – a state that has only recognized legal non-psychoactive marijuana.

As reported by pro-marijuana magazine High Times, the state has struggled over the past several years to convince a Christian-dominated, conservative legislature to approve measures that would allow the consumption and use of marijuana for medical purposes.

That said, the magazine reported that Winston County Sheriff Hobby Walker nevertheless devised a small-town medical pot program of his own, which involved persuading his deputies to steal pot from the department's evidence room.

'Get me more'

Another report by AL.com noted that a pair of former deputies for the department have filed a lawsuit against Walker, in which they claim he wrongfully terminated them in 2015, because they refused to steal pot from the evidence room that he wanted to give to his dying aunt.

As AL.com noted further:

According to a lawsuit filed on Jan. 13, former deputies Zak Green and Steven Moody said Walker asked them multiple times to get him marijuana for his cancer-stricken aunt.

These requests allegedly began on May 20, 2015 after Green confiscated marijuana during a search warrant execution. He said Walker put the seized drugs in a drawer and asked Green to get him more.

"Sheriff Walker advised that it was not for himself but for his aunt that was dying of cancer and needed the marijuana to help her with her appetite," the lawsuit claims.

The fired deputies say they were asked multiple times by the sheriff for more marijuana after that. During the aforementioned time frame, they said Walker attempted to get pot during other law enforcement eradication operations, but was having problems obtaining it.

Green and Moody said that eventually they contacted other authorities, including officials in the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the state attorney general's office and the FBI. Their lawyer, Jay Stover of Gadsden, Ala., told the news site that one of those agencies asked the deputies to record some of their conversations with the sheriff, which they did.

'It's a hell of a deal'

The deputies gave Walker marijuana one last time on Sept. 23.

Green and Moody were fired on Nov. 30, and they say they believe that the firings are related to the sheriff's requests.

"They were directed to break the law," Stover said. "Now they have to sue to protect themselves."

Also named in the suit is the Winston County Commission. Thus far, no criminal charges have been filed, which is something Stover says is "not right."

"In Alabama, it's called distribution, on top of tampering with evidence," he said.

Speaking for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Senior Trooper Johnathan Appling said, "Consistent with Agency policy, ALEA's State Bureau of Investigation does not discuss possible criminal investigations or special inquiries."

At one point, according to the lawsuit, Walker told the deputies, "It's a hell of a deal asking for dope, isn't it? Here we are trying to get drugs and I'm trying to get you boys to get me some."

Sources:

AL.com

HighTimes.com