Trump Administration Agrees to Leave States' Medical Marijuana Programs Alone
The Trump administration is abandoning a Justice Department threat to crack down on recreational marijuana in states where it is legal, a move that could enable cannabis businesses in California and other states that have legalized pot to operate without fear of federal raids and prosecution.
President Trump personally directed the abrupt retreat, which came at the behest of Republican Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado. White House officials confirmed the policy shift Friday. Trump did not inform Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions in advance of the change in policy, an almost unheard of undermining of a Cabinet official.
Gardner was incensed in January when the Justice Department announced that it was rescinding an Obama-era policy that directed federal prosecutors not to target marijuana businesses that operate legally under state law. The senator had blocked Justice Department nominees in retaliation.
In conversation with Trump this week, Gardner said he was assured that the federal government would not interfere with his state's marijuana industry and that Trump would champion a new law that gives states the authority to set their own pot policies. In response, he lifted his remaining holds on nominees.
FBI QUESTIONS FEDOR EMELIANENKO
A Russian mixed martial arts fighter who has connections with President Donald Trump, the president’s personal attorney Michael Cohen and Russian President Vladimir Putin was questioned this week by the FBI, his manager confirmed Saturday.
Fedor Emelianenko was questioned by agents who met him in his hotel room on Tuesday, manager Jerry Millen said before Emelianenko’s Bellator MMA heavyweight fight against Frank Mir. Millen declined to detail his client’s conversations with the agents.
The agents were in attendance at Saturday’s fight, Millen said.
Putin has attended Emelianenko’s fights, and the 41-year-old fighter has been photographed with the Russian president. His connection with Trump dates back to 2008, when he was signed by Affliction Entertainment, a fight league in which Trump had an ownership stake. Trump announced a joint venture involving MMA and Emelianenko at a news conference on June 5, 2008.
Affliction ended up folding for financial reasons after two events, both headlined by Emelianenko.
Cohen was the league’s chief operating officer. Two weeks ago, the FBI raided Cohen’s New York offices, hotel and home, seeking information about a nondisclosure agreement he brokered with porn star Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has said she had an affair with Trump in 2006.
The fighter’s encounter with the FBI was first reported by The Telegraph of London
Gay Panic - a new twist on self defense
After James Miller retired from the Austin Police Department, he took up guitar, strumming the instrument at a nearby musicians’ bar, trying to put together a jazz band and getting together at the house of David Spencer, a 32-year-old neighbor and a saxophonist who shared his passion.
In September 2015, after a night of music and drinking at Spencer’s house, Miller testified, his younger neighbor made a fatal mistake: He moved in for a kiss.
“We were playing back and forth and everything, and I just let him know — Hey, I’m not gay,” Miller, 69, said in an affidavit, according to Austin NBC-affiliate KXAN.
“We been playing. We’re musicians and all that kind of stuff, but I’m not a gay guy. Then it seemed like everything was all right, and everything was fine. When I got ready to go — it seemed like [expletive] just started happening.”
Then, he said, he pulled out a knife and stabbed Spencer twice.
Miller showed up at a police station a few hours later, at 3:45 a.m., according to a police report obtained by the Austin American-Statesman, and said, “I think I killed someone. … I stabbed him.”
He was charged with murder.
Three years later, the former police officer claims that the killing was self-defense and that he was in a “gay panic” after being hit on by another man.
Such claims are legitimate, viable defenses in all but two states — California and Illinois — despite the work of LGBT advocates and a resolution by the American Bar Association to have the defense banned.
In Miller’s case, the defense was successful. Jurors did not find him guilty of murder or manslaughter. He was convicted of criminally negligent homicide, but he will not spend a day in prison.
The former police officer was sentenced to six months in jail. He will have to complete 100 hours of community service, pay $11,000 in restitution to Spencer’s family and use a portable alcohol monitoring service for at least a year. He will also be on probation for a decade.
North Miami Beach Mayor Charged
North Miami Beach Mayor Jorge Vallejo was criminally charged as a result of his actions during the 2015 North Miami Beach municipal elections.
Mayor Vallejo pleaded guilty to two counts of violating campaign finance laws, statutorily designated as 1st degree misdemeanor crimes, and resigned from office. The investigation arose from financial activities undertaken by a political committee named "Floridians For Progress" ("FFP"), created in January of 2015 by George Vallejo's aunt, Denise Corredeira, at Vallejo's request. Prior to Vallejo's 2015 unopposed re-election as Mayor of North Miami Beach, donations were made to FFP after being personally solicited by Mayor Vallejo.
In May of 2015, the treasurer of the FFP political committee wrote a check totaling $5,000 to an entity called JATC, Inc., as payment for "fundraiser consulting" as indicated personally by Vallejo. The investigation showed that this statement was false. JATC, Inc. is a Florida corporation formed in 2014 by George Vallejo and his wife, Sandra Shinego, with a long-time friend of Shinego's listed as the sole incorporator and registered agent.
Between mid-May and early June 2015, $5,000 moved from FFP to JATC, Inc. and then to Creations Unlimited LLC, a Wyoming corporation formed in 2013 and subsequently purchased by Vallejo and Shinego. Bank records show that the JATC, Inc. money received by Creations Unlimited LLC was largely spent on the personal expenses of Vallejo and Shinego.
In addition to resigning from his mayoral post, Vallejo must serve 90 days of house arrest with a GPS monitor and complete 500 community service hours. He will also be sentenced to 18 months of reporting probation and may not early-terminate the probation prior to completing all 18 months. Vallejo shall also be prohibited from seeking Federal, State and local elected office during the pendency of his 18-month probation. He must also write a letter of apology to the North Miami Beach community as a part of this plea.
Condo Boards Slow Your Roll; Changes to Florida Condominium Laws
“Mini dictatorships” and “totalitarian regimes” of the condominium variety were put on notice by State Rep. Rene Garcia, who co-sponsored the new condominium legislation.
Florida legislators took action in 2017 by passing a bill which Governor Rick Scott signed into law and took effect on July 1, 2017.
“This is very important for Miami-Dade because it’s something that condo owners have been waiting for for nearly a decade,” said Hialeah Republican Sen. René Garca, who co-sponsored the bill with Miami Democrat José Javier Rodríguez.
The measure provides criminal penalties for condominium board actions under certain conditions. For example, a board member who willfully fails to comply with a valid requests for records from an association member would become a misdemeanor. Refusal to release association records to avoid detection or prosecution for another offense, will become a felony punishable by up to five (5) years in state prison.
If You need help with Florida Condominium issues, or want to know what your rights are, please feel free to contact us.