A federal court of appeals recently looked at this issue and has issued the most restrictive ruling yet regarding the police use of these weapons. The court declared that many uses of tasers violate the suspect’s rights to be free from excessive force. The court opinion seemed to imply that police should evaluate all aspects of a situation before using the weapon. Factors they need to be wary of include the suspect’s level of threat, the crime the suspect is accused of, and if the suspect is mentally troubled.

San Diego criminal lawyer Eugene Iredale, who argued the case, says it is a landmark decision and one of the clearest statements regarding the law enforcement tool’s use to date.

To read more about the court decision, see the article in the Modesto Bee. Image Via Oldmaison [Flickr]

County officials assured the public that the raids were not intended to punish legal dispensaries, but to stop the proliferation of dispensaries that illegally deal narcotics.

“They’re doing so under the guise of helping people who are sick. But we’re not fooled and the public shouldn’t be fooled either,” District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis said.

Under state law, all dispensaries must be non-profit institutions. Recent estimates say there are around 60 marijuana dispensaries in San Diego, only a few of which are non-profit.

San Diego criminal lawyer James Warner believes many of the employees will not be prosecuted, as they may have been unaware that the dispensaries were operating outside the law.

For more information, please read the article in NBC LA’s news. Image Via Caveman 92223 [Flickr].