Woman forced by cops to do 'sting' killed during operation
DrugSense FOCUS Alert #366 -
May 2008
Another civilian alleged to be guilty of nothing more than possession
of ecstasy and 25 grams of marijuana has been killed while under the
watch of narcotics officers. This time, the dead woman is Rachel
Morningstar Hoffman, a resident of Clearwater FL and a 2007 graduate
of Florida State University in Tallahassee.
Hoffman, 23, was found dead in rural Taylor County early Friday after
two men suspected in her kidnapping and robbery led investigators to
her body. Murder charges are pending, according to the Tallahassee
Police Department.
Hoffman was last seen Wednesday night near Forestmeadows Park while
attempting to assist TPD vice investigators by buying drugs and a gun
from two men.
Though not yet convicted on the charges of marijuana possession and
possessing ecstasy with intent to sell, the Tallahassee drug cops
intimidated her into doing what should instead be the most risky part
of their job. Rather than expose themselves - while using their
state police training and their resources of being heavily armed and
protected - they sent in Hoffman unarmed to deal with drug and weapon
suppliers.
Neither Ms. Hoffman's attorney of record nor the states attorneys
office was notified of her involvement in this dangerous, high risk
undercover operation by Tallahassee Police.
Further, Ms Hoffman's participation in a court-ordered drug-treatment
program should have precluded her from buying drugs for police, legal
and treatment professionals have stated.
Our country supports drug treatment. People undergoing treatment are
required to avoid all contacts with anybody who uses or sells illegal
drugs. Thus we should demand that laws preclude the use of any person
undergoing treatment as an informant.
ONLY due to the insanity of drug Prohibition policies would such an
operation take place within our communities putting civilians at risk
of injury and death as they do jobs that should instead be done by
real police. But unfortunately, drug Prohibition guarantees that all
drug dealing will be covert - behind closed doors - carried out by
mystery players and participants.
This is in contrast to the sensible system in place for literally 99%
of drugs - notably alcohol, tobacco and Rx pharmaceuticals - where
all dealers are out in the open. Police and regulators can easily
investigate the how, when, where and who of all drug dealing that is
not forced on to the street by 21st century Prohibition.
Florida police, elected officials and voters all need to carefully
consider how much longer we will endorse such a policy that leaves
100% control of production and dealing for a short list of in-demand
drugs to street dealers, gangs and international cartels.
Despite the sad death of Rachel Hoffman ten days ago and despite any
number of future deaths that will occur among police and civilians
alike, the 'War on Drugs' continues to be an abject failure for
reducing either the use of illicit drugs or the aggressive, violent
street sales of those same drugs.
Everyone needs to ask, 'How many more police and civilians need to
die before we come to our senses and end drug Prohibition?'
****
More on the same story from Reason Magazine
http://www.reason.com/blog/show/126475.html
Earlier this year, police in Tallahassee, Florida raided the home of college student Rachel Hoffman, who friends say was a bit of a hippie-ish free spirit, and concede that she shared and sold small amounts of marijuana and MDMA within her social circle. Hoffman was at the time undergoing state-forced drug treatment after police found 20+ grams of marijuana in her car during a traffic stop. The raid turned up another five ounces of marijuana, plus six ecstasy pills and assorted pot-related paraphernalia.
From this, Tallahassee police apparently threatened Hoffman with prison time, then agreed to let her off easy if she'd become a police informant, and set up a deal with her supplier. They never informed Hoffman's attorney or the state prosecutor of the arrangement. They wired Hoffman, and asked her to arrange to purchase 1,500 ecstasy pills, cocaine, and a gun—a deal that would have run well over ten thousand dollars. Hoffman's friends and family have told me that all three purchases would also have been drastically out of character for her. Which means the dealers she was buying from were almost surely on to her.
Tallahassee police found Hoffman's body last week. The first thing they did was call a press conference in which they blamed Hoffman for her own death, stating that the arrangement she made with the police was consistent with department protocol, and that she agreed to meet with the dealers in a different location than the one previously agreed upon.
After public outrage, the city is now walking that back a bit, and has asked Florida's attorney general to look into the Tallahassee Police Department's procedures for dealing with drug informants.
Chalk it up as collateral damage, and add Hoffman's name to that of Isaac Singletary and Anthony Diotaiuto, three deaths of non-violent, non-threatening Floridians in just the last few years, thanks to the drug war.