160 Pounds of Drug Evidence Barred

This story is the type that really frosts my cookies and it happens way too often.

US District Court Judge Lesley Wells threw out most of the evidence collected by the Beachwood Police and the FBI because of "conflicting testimony" in a case against two men who have accumulated, according to court records, a total of twenty felony convictions between them. Thrown out were 160 pounds of cocaine, two firearms, evidence collected during interviews, and $68,000.

Based upon the Plain Dealer report written by Jesse Tinsley, it does not appear that the lawmen acted in blatant disregard for the alleged criminals' rights. I'm going to assume there is much more to the story because, as written, it sounds a lot like "he said, she said." Whatever the whole story may be doesn't deter from the fact that two convicted felons were found with a massive amount of illegal narcotics and two firearms in their possession. And it disturbs me that the judge sees things differently and the two felons may walk, free to commit more crimes.

Although it has nothing to do with this case, it should be noted that Judge Wells gained considerable celebrity presiding over the federal case against former Congressman James Traficant. In that case, she ignored the prosecution's sentencing recommendation of 7 1/4 years and tossed him in prison for eight years. Apparently, she didn't like Traficant's attitude.