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TJP

Nov-21-2013 20:55

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Does US Prosecutor Dave Kowal Get His Jollies from Destroying Good Men?

Political Perspective by Tim King Salem-News.com

We live in an age of terrorism and human trafficking and huge insurmountable problems, and all Kowal wants to do is convict Charles Lynch for a few ounces of weed that his security guard sold years ago?

Courtesy: dailykos.com

(SACRAMENTO) - Want the real definition of a witch hunt?

Charles Lynch

Charles Lynch operated a cannabis dispensary in Morro Bay, California. His business was legal under California state law, and even had the blessing of the city mayor. Lynch was doing everything to comply with the law but it wasn't enough for a twisted sheriff named Pat Hedges who had it in for Lynch.

It wasn't even the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's jurisdiction - that belonged to Morro Bay Police, but then since Hedges was working for the feds carrying out a personal vendetta in the first place, law didn't really have much of a bearing on the case.

The bottom line is that California allows legal medical marijuana dispensaries. The feds don't like the law, and neither does Hedges. So, rather than enforce actual laws that were being broken in his county, you know... murder and rape and child abuse, real crimes; he took it upon himself to make pot be his number one item for enforcement.

My article Meet California's Lawless Sheriff on Salem-News.com ran in November 2008, went viral and reportedly caused the sheriff serious publicity issues. It was announced in March 2009 that he would not seek reelection.

These days, if you search the name Pat Hedges, you see how this man's public career just sort of ended after his witch hunting stint.

Pat Hedges

So now Hedges is out of the picture, and the drum beater who can't stop wasting federal tax dollars trying to put Lynch behind bars for the next five years is U.S. Prosecutor Dave Kowal.

Here we are living in an age of terrorism and human trafficking and huge insurmountable problems, and all Kowal wants to do is convict Charles Lynch, for what? Perhaps the average American just doesn't comprehend the vindictive nature of federal officials toward medical marijuana patients and their providers. As Kowal abuses his office and public expectation, marijuana edges closer and closer to full legality. Two states have already legalized it completely, Washington and Colorado. His position is one of some archaic mentality that still wants to see people rot in prison for years for possessing a natural plant

Back in November 2008, I wrote about the case against Lynch:

The only evidence of wrongdoing presented in the trial; the thing that brought the roof down, was the arrest of a CCCC security guard who violated the organization's trust and clearly established policies, by selling marijuana to a narcotics officer. He did not do this for Charles Lynch. I was in Morro Bay attending my parent's funeral when this case first broke, and the word in Morro Bay at the time was that CCCC was doing everything they could to comply with the law.

On August 5th 2008, Charles C. Lynch was found guilty of 5 cannabis-only felonies and faces 5-100 years in federal prison despite the Mayor and City Attorney testifying on his behalf as a law-abiding citizen.

Charles Lynch's mother, Bodine Jones, says she and her family are now in their seventh year of relentless prosecution by the federal government, seeking a five year sentence instead of the one year sentence handed down by the Judge in his case the Honorable George Wu.

"I am amazed, appalled, disgusted and saddened that the federal government is hell bent on putting Charlie in jail for five years. I would say that six years of hell ( for lack of a better word) would have been enough to satisfy the ego of the prosecutor in this case. Not so! For whatever reasons he (Dave Kowal) continues his desperate and relentless pursuit of Charlie. Does this mandate actually come from Washington DC as he insists or is this his own personal vengeance? Who knows really. It must stop somewhere. And now is the time."

She says she remains forever grateful toward those who became personally involved in Charlie's case. She says she believes that input by concerned citizens had a huge impact in Judge Wu's decisions.

Interview with Al Roker November 2008

John Stossel of ABC News 2020 January 2009

Some of those people are household names, like television personalities Larry King and Al Roker. They both came to know Charlie, along with a wealth of other celebrities. Many believe in the efforts Lynch was putting forth by helping sick people legally attain medical marijuana. The list of people it has saved and cured and aided is an endless one.

Years of testing have confirmed the reality that the cannabis plant has an endless list of health applications; the research shows that we are just barely scratching the surface of what this plant can provide.

Yet people like Charles Lynch are still fighting for their personal freedom from a system that refuses to accept real science, instead relying on outdated data that frankly never was correct, according to Dr. Phillip Leveque, noted medical marijuana and PTSD doctor, and Salem-News.com writer.

"There is not a single plant that offers more help for people than marijuana, that is why it has been a primary tool in healthcare for thousands of years. Nobody has ever died from pot, this prosecutor is absolutely full of it.".

Dr. Leveque (right) with PBS Producer Ken Burns

Dr. Leveque says there are thousands of people who literally owe their lives to the medical qualities of this plant, and the efforts of people like Charles Lynch. He says the persecution of this well loved man is a travesty of justice. Dr. Leveque served as a U.S. Army Infantryman in World War Two, fighting the Germans in Europe.

Lynch's mother says she can use all of the help she can get.

"I once again am asking for help in stopping this madness and while I am not really sure where to begin I am hoping to get input, guidance, and support in putting a stop to the malicious and selective prosecution of Charlie Lynch."

"If anyone is in a position to help in any way and is willing to do so please contact Reuven or myself. Sincere Thanks to each one of you for your past support and in great hopes that with renewed efforts of concerned citizens we can "Free Charlie Lynch". I am."

Write to Bodine Jones at bodinejones@hotmail.com

So once again, even though it is without justification yet again, a highly paid representative of the government is making it his life's mission to persecute a man who deserves nothing but reprieve. Charles Lynch never hurt anyone, he operated under state law, he did everything right. Kowal's legacy will be articles like this one, and there will be plenty of them. We journalists who watch the world tear itself apart can't stand seeing things like this take place in the United States, it is just plain wrong, and shows a flawed and skewed sense of national priorities. Perhaps Kowal's boss needs to call him in for that long overdue talk, this story and his quest do not pass the headline test.

For more information concerning Charlie please visit friendsofccl.com and or contact Reuven Cohen Charlie's public defender, who has truly dedicated a large part of his time to Charlie's case.

Tim King

21 November 2013

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Tim King: Salem-News.com Editor and Writer

You can write to Tim at this address: tim@salem-news.com.

Visit Tim's Facebook page (facebook.com/TimKing.Reporter)

With almost 25 years of experience on the west coast and worldwide as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor, Tim King is Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. His background includes covering the war in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and reporting from the Iraq war in 2008. Tim is a former U.S. Marine who follows stories of Marines and Marine Veterans; he's covered British Royal Marines and in Iraq, Tim embedded with the same unit he served with in the 1980's.

Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing from traditional mainstream news agencies like The Associated Press and Electronic Media Association; he also holds awards from the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs; and was presented with a 'Good Neighbor Award' for his reporting, by the The Red Cross.

Tim King reporting from the war in Iraq

Tim's years as a Human Rights reporter have taken on many dimensions; he has rallied for a long list of cultures and populations and continues to every day, with a strong and direct concentration on the 2009 Genocide of Tamil Hindus and Christians in Sri Lanka. As a result of his long list of reports exposing war crimes against Tamil people, Tim was invited to be the keynote speaker at the FeTNA (Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America) Conference in Baltimore, in July 2012. This is the largest annual gathering of North American Tamils; Tim addressed more than 3000 people and was presented with a traditional Sri Lanka ‘blessed garland’ and a shawl as per the tradition and custom of Tamil Nadu

In a personal capacity, Tim has written 2,026 articles as of March 2012 for Salem-News.com since the new format designed by Matt Lintz was launched in December, 2005.

Serving readers with news from all over the globe, Tim's life is literally encircled by the endless news flow published by Salem-News.com, where more than 115 writers contribute stories from 23+ countries and regions.

Tim specializes in writing about political and military developments worldwide; and maintains that the label 'terrorist' is ill placed in many cases; specifically with the LTTE Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, where it was used as an excuse to slaughter people by the tens of thousands; and in Gaza, where a trapped population lives at the mercy of Israel's destructive military war crime grinder. At the center of all of this, Tim pays extremely close attention to the safety and welfare of journalists worldwide.