Ecstasy Possession Arrests at Beyond Wonderland Concert Excessive According to San Jose Criminal Attorney Steve Davidson of Summit Defense Attorneys
Steve Davidson, a San Jose criminal defense attorney, feels that the arrests at last weekend’s Beyond Wonderland concert were an excessive abuse of police power. Mr. Davidson is fighting drug charges for several of these arrestees this week in Santa Clara court. He says that the large number of arrests at the event was outrageous considering that the concert was a peaceful event and allegedly had no major conflicts or medical related injuries.
San Jose, CA, October 04, 2013 --(PR.com)-- More than 100 people were arrested by Mountain View police over the weekend at The Beyond Wonderland Concert held at the Shoreline Amphitheater according to a San Jose Mercury News article published on September 30, 2013. This unusually large crackdown involved law enforcement officers brought in from nearby Sunnyvale and Palo Alto. The two day event was overwhelmingly a peaceful gathering of ravers immersed in music, dance and art installations.
Steve Davidson, a San Jose criminal defense attorney with the Summit Defense Attorneys law firm, says that the arrests at last weekend’s concert were excessive. "Summit Defense Attorneys is currently representing several of the individuals who had the misfortune to be caught up in the sting... and is fighting to preserve their rights with the goal of keeping their records clean.”
According to Mr. Davidson, the clients who he is representing had never been in any trouble before and were shocked to find themselves in jail overnight. Mr. Davidson reported that the majority of those arrested were cited with drug related charges ranging from California Health and Safety Code (HS 11550) for being under the influence of drugs to possession of ecstasy under HS 11350 and the more serious charge of HS 11351 or possession with intent to sell.
While it is widely known that the use of pleasure enhancing drugs such as MDMA (more commonly known as ecstasy) is often a part of the rave experience, some legal experts such Mr. Davidson feel that such blatant targeting of a generally peaceful group is an inappropriate use of police resources.
Mr. Davidson cites the example of other large gatherings “....such as at football or hockey games where people regularly drink and where fights often break out with little or no police action.” Attorney Davidson goes on to say that "law enforcement resources, which are limited and costly could be better used in other areas where violent crimes or thefts are occurring."
"These mass arrests are a continuation of the failed war on drugs policy of the last three decades. Education, not stepped up law enforcement has proven to be the more effective technique to prevent overdoses and to reduce drug use."
It should be noted, as reported in the Mercury News article, that with over 40,000 people in attendance at Beyond Wonderland Bay Area, there were no serious medical issue related to drug use.
About Summit Defense Attorneys
Summit Defense Attorneys is one of San Jose's largest and most experienced groups of Criminal Defense Attorneys that only represents individuals charged with or accused of a crime. With over 15 years of experience, the Summit Defense legal team includes three former prosecutors, a former Police Officer and attorneys who graduated from the country's top law schools including Harvard.
Summit Defense also has an in-house Immigration Attorney who works with non-citizen Summit Defense clients. Every day Summit Defense Attorneys are in Bay Area and Sacramento area courtrooms fighting for clients' freedom, insisting on the presumption of innocence, and taking police and prosecutors to task when they violate their clients' rights.
Summit Defense Attorneys offers a free initial consultation and their staff is available 24/7 to answer legal questions. Summit Defense is proud to be an A+ rated member of the Better Business Bureau. Their accomplishments in the courtroom are well known in the legal community and include a double murder trial win and the dismissal of a molestation charge. To speak with one of their San Jose attorneys, please call (408) 333-9622.
Summit Defense Attorneys
2570 N. 1st Street
2nd Floor
San Jose, CA 95131
Steve Davidson, a San Jose criminal defense attorney with the Summit Defense Attorneys law firm, says that the arrests at last weekend’s concert were excessive. "Summit Defense Attorneys is currently representing several of the individuals who had the misfortune to be caught up in the sting... and is fighting to preserve their rights with the goal of keeping their records clean.”
According to Mr. Davidson, the clients who he is representing had never been in any trouble before and were shocked to find themselves in jail overnight. Mr. Davidson reported that the majority of those arrested were cited with drug related charges ranging from California Health and Safety Code (HS 11550) for being under the influence of drugs to possession of ecstasy under HS 11350 and the more serious charge of HS 11351 or possession with intent to sell.
While it is widely known that the use of pleasure enhancing drugs such as MDMA (more commonly known as ecstasy) is often a part of the rave experience, some legal experts such Mr. Davidson feel that such blatant targeting of a generally peaceful group is an inappropriate use of police resources.
Mr. Davidson cites the example of other large gatherings “....such as at football or hockey games where people regularly drink and where fights often break out with little or no police action.” Attorney Davidson goes on to say that "law enforcement resources, which are limited and costly could be better used in other areas where violent crimes or thefts are occurring."
"These mass arrests are a continuation of the failed war on drugs policy of the last three decades. Education, not stepped up law enforcement has proven to be the more effective technique to prevent overdoses and to reduce drug use."
It should be noted, as reported in the Mercury News article, that with over 40,000 people in attendance at Beyond Wonderland Bay Area, there were no serious medical issue related to drug use.
About Summit Defense Attorneys
Summit Defense Attorneys is one of San Jose's largest and most experienced groups of Criminal Defense Attorneys that only represents individuals charged with or accused of a crime. With over 15 years of experience, the Summit Defense legal team includes three former prosecutors, a former Police Officer and attorneys who graduated from the country's top law schools including Harvard.
Summit Defense also has an in-house Immigration Attorney who works with non-citizen Summit Defense clients. Every day Summit Defense Attorneys are in Bay Area and Sacramento area courtrooms fighting for clients' freedom, insisting on the presumption of innocence, and taking police and prosecutors to task when they violate their clients' rights.
Summit Defense Attorneys offers a free initial consultation and their staff is available 24/7 to answer legal questions. Summit Defense is proud to be an A+ rated member of the Better Business Bureau. Their accomplishments in the courtroom are well known in the legal community and include a double murder trial win and the dismissal of a molestation charge. To speak with one of their San Jose attorneys, please call (408) 333-9622.
Summit Defense Attorneys
2570 N. 1st Street
2nd Floor
San Jose, CA 95131
Contact
Summit Defense
Scott Harris
(510) 412-8900
www.summitdefense.com
Bay Area Criminal Defense Attorneys
Scott Harris
(510) 412-8900
www.summitdefense.com
Bay Area Criminal Defense Attorneys
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