Ironically, at least this time, better than you might think!
Tag: war on drugs
We Got Another Kingpin! (10)
And this one is a big one. Heriberto Lazcano, the founder and the principal leader of the Zetas. Perhaps he’s even the big one. The real kingpin. I guess we won. Ten times is the charm. Let’s savor our victory and bask in a new drug-free world. Update: the body was stolen.
We Got Another Kingpin! (9)
Since I’m still keeping track, I thought I’d share. A Colombian woman known as “the queen of cocaine” was murdered earlier this month. But she was murdered, not killed or captured by the good guys. (Plus technically, she would be a Queenpin, which sounds kind of funny.) So I’m not counting her. So it’s been awhile since the wheels of…
Christopher Coke sentenced to 23 years
Remember Dudas (AKA Christopher Coke), the Jamaican drug lord? He was sentenced in Manhattan (though most of his criminal acts were in Jamaica). When he was holding out in Tivoli Gardens, I did not think this he would ever be sentenced, much less by a US court. I wonder if life today is better or worse in Tivoli Gardens without…
The right to trial by jury
The Sixth Amendment states, in rather uncompromising terms: “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury.” But the system can’t handle those rights. That’s why but a very small fraction of cases is decided by a trial, much less a jury trial (the other option is a “bench…
Dutch Regulate Marijuana
In a stupid way, mind you. But what I love is that if the Dutch want to regulate drugs, they can! Our illegal drugs are unregulated. What’s ironic is that this isn’t actually about drugs. It’s much more about traffic and parking. Also, don’t count the kips (chickens) before they hatch. I’d be shocked if this comes into effect throughout…
More Evidence of Creeping Sanity
By Cesar Gaviria, Ernesto Zedillo, and Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Gaviria is former president of Colombia, Zedillo former president of Mexico, and Cardoso former president of Brazil. All are on the Global Commission on Drug Policy. They say: The facts speak for themselves. The foundations of the U.S.-led war on drugs — eradication of production, interdiction of traffic, and criminalization of…
Moving beyond prohibition
Three months ago, I became president of Guatemala. And contrary to the good fortunes enjoyed by [Drug Lord “Chapo”] Guzman, I found that the justice and security systems were not what they had been 20 years earlier. Which led me to ask myself these questions: isn’t it true that we have been fighting the war on drugs these past two…
Australian foreign minister call for drug decriminalization
From the Telegraph: Bob Carr, Australia’s foreign minister, whose brother died after a heroin overdose, has urged the decriminalisation of low-level drug use, after a report concluded the war on the scourge was lost. His comments were at odds with Julia Gillard, the Australian prime minister, who said tough policing was the answer while the government’s chief law officer expressed…
Investigating Beheadings, 12 Officers Slain in Mexico
Ten beheadings in Mexico wasn’t enough to make me post…. But then killing 12 police officers who came to investigate? That’s hardcore. From the New York Times. Let me know when we start winning this war.