Joseph R. Garcia, 40, was arrested at the Sheriff’s Office Tuesday afternoon after he had been working, said sheriff’s Commander Bill Steven.

Garcia was booked into the Del Norte County Jail, then transferred to the Humboldt County Jail.

His arrest is the result of a Sheriff’s Felony Investigations Unit investigation that has taken months and is continuing, said Steven, who provided few details of what Garcia is suspected of doing.

“We want to make sure everything is factual before releasing any other comments,” said Steven.

The stolen property Garcia is suspected of possessing included a firearm,  drugs, Steven said, adding the suspected embezzlement involves property rather than money.

Garcia remained in custody Wednesday afternoon, with bail set at $50,000.

Regarding Garcia’s transfer to Humboldt County, Steven said, “We felt it was appropriate because he works here so we didn’t want there to be any questions about his level of treatment.”

Garcia has been placed on administrative leave with pay, Steven said.

A resident of Gasquet, Garcia has been with the Sheriff’s Office for eight and a half years.

As a member of the Drug Task Force, Garcia has made several high-profile drug arrests and frequently patrolled the U.S. Highway 199 area in search of drug activity.

Garcia was given a Task Force Agent of the Year award in March.

At least one drug case was put on hold last year after Garcia suffered a heart attack and underwent bypass surgery, county District Attorney Mike Riese said in May 2009.

On Wednesday, Riese said he doubted Garcia’s arrest will affect ongoing criminal cases.

“I don’t know of any (cases) that are relying upon his testimony right now,” Riese said, adding it’s possible defense attorneys will note Garcia’s arrest to question the credibility of investigations.

The DA praised the work of the Sheriff’s Office in investigating Garcia.

“I’m comfortable with the work ethic and effort they put into this case,” said Riese.

“They are zealously going forward with this case,” he said, adding more charges are likely.

“This is a difficult period for us,” Steven said, “but we’re going to approach  (Garcia’s) case, as we would any other crime committed in the community. This guy has been a peace of work for many years now,  Del Norte County we are better off with out him lets hope justice really gets served in this case.

A man was ejected from his vehicle after it flipped at least three times while driving along U.S. Highway 101 Sunday morning.

Randy Hodson, 48, was allegedly driving his truck while intoxicated southbound on the highway when he lost control of his vehicle around 2:10 a.m, California Highway Patrol officer Brian Clemann said.

CHP officers discovered the wreckage during a routine patrol after noticing gravel on the highway north of Elk Valley Cross Road. They circled back to search for anything suspicious in brush near the roadway, Clemann said.

Officers found Hodson’s vehicle was overturned off the roadway amid trees and bushes at around 2:15 a.m. Hodson was found 70 feet from his vehicle. It’s suspected he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt, Clemann said.

“If he had been left out any longer he might not have made it,” said Clemann. “It just happened we were there at the right time.”

Officers gave Hodson medical aid, who was in and out of consciousness, until paramedics arrived.

Authorities shut down the highway’s southbound lane for about 45 minutes.

Hodson was taken to Sutter Coast Hospital and eventually flown to Mercy Medical Center in Redding.

He was listed in serious condition on Monday.

No other people were involved in the crash.

Hodson was charged with driving under the influence, Clemann said.

The incident is still under investigation. We at Bal-der-dash.com  hope things will work out for this man. He nearly died,  Being the first in Del Norte County to have a Cannabis 215 club is just awesome to say the least. All the best dear brother.

But now, Senator Orrin Hatch, a Republican from Utah, is asking for the ultimate government intrusion: a cup of your urine.

Well, only if you’re unemployed or receiving welfare.

Yes — that’s right. Hatch says we should drug test the unemployed and the poor before giving them benefits.

“A lot of people are saying, ‘Hey, it’s about time. Why do we keep giving money to people who are going to go use it on drugs instead of their families?’” Hatch said.

I’m sorry, Senator Hatch. In my understanding, you have to have reasonable suspicion of a crime before you search someone. When did being down on your luck become a crime?
The proposed law is ridiculous and clearly unconstitutional. In fact, other states have tried it and failed. Michigan previously imposed a law requiring all welfare recipients to be drug tested. I.ve read  that it wasn’t very successful — especially since marijuana is currently legal for half of all citizens and urine tests don’t pick up Americans’ favored drug-of-choice — alcohol. Drug testing is unreliable, but also illegal. Michigan’s measure was struck down by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Why? Because no one should have to take a drug test as a condition of receiving a public benefit, the court determined.

That’s the thing — we’re fine with persecuting the poor because we’re sure they deserve it. After all, good responsible citizens are never poor, right? And now, we’re adding the unemployed to that list of people who deserve what they get. Just recently, companies started deciding that they wouldn’t even consider the unemployed in their new job listings. Hatch’s measure (bill written on 6/08/10)  shows we’ve started to turn on the unemployed. They used to be victims of the recession, and now we’re deciding that they don’t deserve our sympathy. Instead, they deserve our persecution.

Dear Senator Hatch, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the economy’s still tanking. There’s millions of gallons of oil ruining the Gulf. We’re fighting two wars. And one-fifth of America’s children are wondering if there’s even going to be dinner tonight. Perhaps you can find something more worthwhile to work on?   Open your eyes people vote the trash out…

1.  Honey Baked Hams changes it’s slogan to ” Dude, we should get a ham. Like a whole ham. Totally.”

2. Little Debbie will be voted the first female President of the United States,  It’s the first time a President has ever been elected based on their delicious baked snack cakes.

3. People start eating Dominoes Pizza again, Who would ever guess this one wow. Thats right people will forget how terribly it was eating the worst food in the world.

4. People in WalMart parking lots holding their keys up in the air trying to set their alarms off will quadruple.

5. We will find out that the entire NBA was already smoking weed – all of them.

6. People will have to take out a second mortgages on their house to buy more lighters that they keep on losing. (And the list goes on & on)

Dudes it’s totally awesome totally,  Keep up a good heart enjoy life and remember only smoke weed in your bathroom and for God’s sake don’t answer the front door, Laugh people laugh.

The GDP marijuana strain is one of those that has recently become a constant in some of the better and more popular medical marijuana clinics and dispensaries. A much spicer flavor than one would anticipate based on the small of the nugs. The aroma however spicy and piney is very nice and is unique to this particular strain… I have yet to smell anything quite like it.

There is obviously strong purple coloring, which is at least part of this great strains name sake.

The real greatness in Grand Daddy Purple is in the taste and effects. The taste when smoking Grand Daddy Purple is very clearly reminiscent of grapes, and the effects of Grand Daddy Purple are both quick to come and long lasting.

The true effects of Grand Daddy Purple can be described in this being a very high quality Indica strain offering many of the traditional qualities. This is a strain that could give you couch lock easily. This is not one of my more favorite strains to grow,  How ever it is a really good quality smoke…

AK-47 has a spiced aroma bordering on skunk, with a hint of sandalwood, but tastes sweeter and more floral than the smell would lead one to expect.

AK 47 has mostly sativa characteristics with one exception: a quick finishing time. The variety was reworked in 1999 to increase stability, so results from seeds are uniform. A tall plant with substantial girth and big fat calyxes, she performs excellently in indoor environments, both soil and hydro, and has been grown outdoors with good results. In low to medium temperatures, this variety produces a denser bud; in high temperatures buds are fluffier and more open, but total yields are roughly equivalent.

The AK-47 buzz is immediate and long lasting with an allert but mellow cerebral effect. Lab tests have rated the THC content at over 20 percent, making it a “one hit wonder” for many smokers. This variety can be a little spacey, but is great for playing and listening to music, or other social activities. AK-47 helped put Serious Seeds on the map with a 2nd place finish in the hydroponics competition and a 3rd place in the overall category at the 1995 Cannabis Cup in the Netherlands. This is what me & my cohort just added to our repertoire. A really fine smoke for all to enjoy.. .. ..

funny thing is, although the taste was like double, the high was almost like half a high. and the other half of the high was found in the other plant. there was two plants i grew and each was a different pheno . One plant was good to smoke at first but then you needed the other to come down properly without a headache and unsatisfied feeling.

Yield was average old school indica style. none of the heavy budding or mainstem leafage you see on some of today’s hybrids. Buds formed at the ends of branches and matured quickly. a good candidate for one mid-veg pinching. not much advantage to growing it over 18 – 24″ . As long as flavor and high remain full. non-stretchy. good eater. couldn’t take being too alkaline. keeps bud density ok. I have grown this strain many times and each and every time it’s awesome…

It’s amazing how people have been saying “Legalize Marijuana” for the past 20 odd years but only when a financial crisis comes about does government start to listen.  Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) has proposed a measure that would legalize and regulate marijuana sales in California. In light of the state’s economic woes, the proposal is attracting considerable interest — particularly in the wake of a report released Wednesday that indicates a marijuana tax could increase state revenue by as much as $1.4 billion. “There’s no doubt that the ground is shifting on marijuana,” says Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which promotes alternatives to the war on drugs. “The discussion about regulating and taxing marijuana now has an air of legitimacy to it that it didn’t quite have before. And the economy has given the issue a real turbo-charge.”

ANNUAL AMERICAN DEATHS CAUSED BY DRUGS

TOBACCO …………………… 400,000
ALCOHOL …………………… 170,000
ALL LEGAL DRUGS ………….29,000
ALL ILLEGAL DRUGS ……….25,000
CAFFEINE …………………….2,500
ASPIRIN ………………………5,000
MARIJUANA …………………. 0
—————————————-
Source: United States government…
National Institute on Drug Abuse,
Bureau of Mortality Statistics

Like any substance, marijuana can be abused. The most common problem attributed to marijuana is frequent overuse, which can induce lethargic behaviour, but does not cause serious health problems. Marijuana can cause short-term memory loss, but only while under the influence. Marijuana does not impair long-term memory. Marijuana does not lead to harder drugs.
Legalization would allow greater regulation. Cigarettes come with warnings. Alcoholic beverages are clearly marked with the amount of alcohol. Currently legal drugs contain a listing of all active and inactive ingredients. Illegal drugs could be sold legally with ingredients lists, warnings and purity levels clearly marked.

Drug czar Gil Kerlikowske told reporters that “marijuana is dangerous and has no medical benefit,” he also repeated a line he’s been using since taking the job as director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy: “Legalization is not in the president’s vocabulary, and it’s not in mine.” We at millionairedreamzz would like to show our support of the legalization of marijuana or at least the decriminalization of it. Like President Obama said “it’s time for change.” Although people may think that the Drug War targets drug smugglers and ‘King Pins,’ in 2007, 47.4 percent of the 1,841,182 total arrests for drug abuse violations were for marijuana — a total of 872,720. Of those, 775,137 people were arrested for marijuana possession alone. By contrast in 2000 a total of 734,497 Americans were arrested for marijuana offenses, of which 646,042 were for possession alone.

Mike Riese

Del Norte County’s top administrator asked District Attorney Mike Riese last November to take time off because of concerns over his prescription drug use and strange behavior in the workplace.In a letter recently obtained by The Daily Triplicate, then-County Administrative Officer Jeannine Galatioto told Riese his employees felt uncomfortable, intimidated and threatened by his conduct in the office, and they feared retaliation from him if they spoke out.

On Friday, Assistant District Attorney Katherine Micks said Riese is now working on a modified schedule in which he will spend most of his time at home preparing for two upcoming homicide trials and his re-election campaign. She said Riese did not take time away from the office the last time he ran for re-election.

It is unclear if the new schedule is related to Galatioto’s letter.

Riese could not be reached for comment. He did not respond to several messages left on his cell phone and home phone, an e-mail, and a note left on the front door of his residence.

Galatioto’s two-page letter to Riese was sent to each member of the Board of Supervisors and Del Norte County Sheriff Dean Wilson. In it, she states Riese had violated the county’s drug-free workplace and violence prevention policies, and urged him to take a voluntary leave of absence until he was “medically well enough” to continue his duties.

“Your erratic behavior over the last few months has demonstrated the need for you to seek medical assistance,” the letter states. “You have demonstrated during work hours the following behaviors; impaired motor skills, severe mood swings and unprofessional conduct which are threatening to others, all of which lead to a suspicion that you are working while under the influence.

“By your own admission you are under medical care and taking various prescription medications that impair your judgment and cause erratic behavior. This has led to employees being intimidated by your words and conduct. Employees are uncomfortable in your presence while you are exhibiting said behavior and fear retaliation for speaking out or reporting your behavior to authorities or administrators.”

Galatioto has since retired, and her replacement, Jay Sarina, said Friday that there have not been any formal complaints filed regarding Riese.

“At this point, grievances and such are the proper procedure,” Sarina said, “and we don’t have any grievances filed at this point.”

Galatioto’s letter also stated that as an elected official, Riese could take time off without the loss of compensation. In addition, she asked Riese to “refrain from driving county vehicles until further notice.”

There have been concerns over Riese’s behavior for at least the past six months. In September, some of his employees took him to Sutter Coast Hospital after he became overheated and took off his shirt. He later blamed the episode on pneumonia- and pleurisy-related health problems.

Two months later, Riese was given a field sobriety test by Crescent City Police officers after they received an anonymous tip that he was driving under the influence. He was confronted while he was at Burtschells’ Floor Covering on U.S. Highway 101, and after being given the sobriety test,  Police Chief Doug Plack said he asked Riese to have someone pick him up and drive him and his vehicle home.

In the police report for this incident, Plack wrote that Riese was “showing signs of intoxication without the presence of any alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath.” Plack’s report also stated that Riese’s eyes were dilated, his speech was slow, his face was pale and his demeanor was “pleasant and cooperative.”

According to the report, Riese denied being under the influence of any medication and told Plack he wasn’t getting much sleep because he was working on his house at night and prosecuting cases during the day.

Galatioto’s letter asking Riese to take time off was written the following day. The Daily Triplicate requested the letter from Del Norte County under the California Public Records Act and the county attorney acknowledged its existence but withheld it in its entirety.

Riese is currently running for re-election. In the June primary he will face three challengers: Jon Alexander, Harry Liddicote and Robert Drossel. None of the challengers works in the District Attorney’s Office.