The Predators of Marengo County (Scuba-diving grandmother imprisoned for 3 boxes of Sudafed OTC)

[stockholmer]

http://freedominourtime.blogspot.se/2012/04/predators-of-marengo-county.html

“What brings you to Demopolis?”

The question seemed harmless, as did the questioner, Sgt. Tim Soronen of the Demopolis, Alabama police department. Diane Avera, the 45-year-old grandmother from Meridian, Mississippi to whom that question was posed, couldn’t see any harm in answering it candidly. “I came over to buy some Sudafed for our scuba diving trip this weekend, since we can’t buy it in Meridian anymore,” Mrs. Avera explained.

Soronen asked Avera if she knew it was against the law to cross the state line to buy Sudafed. “No, sir, I did not know,” the startled woman replied. “I need you to step out of the car,” Soronen demanded. “For what? I swear I didn’t know. What did I do?” Avera asked in alarm. “You came to Demopolis to buy some Sudafed,” came the curt response. “Step to the back of the truck.”

Before the sun set on July 29, 2010, Diane Avera was in the Marengo County Jail, where she would remain for forty days. At one point she was shackled to a restraint chair for 17 hours. During that time she was denied water or access to a bathroom. She also developed edema in her feet. Edema-related blood clots have been identified as the cause of death for several of the inmates who have perished while chained to the “Devil’s Chair.”http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1295/is_4_64/ai_61524888/pg_3/

Using the threat of kidnapping Avera’s grandchildren, Soronen extorted from the terrified woman a confession that she had knowingly purchased Sudafed for the purpose of manufacturing crystal methamphetamine. After more than a month in a government cage, Avera was released from jail on $51,000 bail. Marengo County DA Greg Griggers offered Mrs. Avera his standard plea bargain: Five years of probation if she agreed not to defend herself in court. If she turned down that deal, however, Griggers promised, “I will send you to prison.”



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[TeeYiYi]

1. wtf...

Omg!

TYY

[CBGLuthier]

2. Never talk to the police.

There will be harm.

Nothing can be gained by telling a cop anything.

[stockholmer]

10. +100000, and that truly means NOT one word, here is a must-watch video that explains why

[AsahinaKimi]

3. what a horror story

Yikes.

[drm604]

4. K&R

Frightening

[Speck Tater]

5. An RV travel group I belong to exchanges information on places too dangerous to go.

Mississippi is one of those red flag places you want to avoid at all costs.

[DevonRex]

11. This happened in Alabama.

She was from Mississippi but crossed into Alabama to buy Sudafed, was stopped and said that to the cop who stopped her and was arrested for it. In Alabama.

[Speck Tater]

12. Ah. My mistake.

I don't recall if Alabama was on the list. It's been over a year ago that I saw it. But I do remember that Mississippi was on the list, and I think Tennessee, but I'm not certain. There was one state, back a year ago or so, where police were pulling out-of-state cars over and confiscating people's cash by claiming that if they had more than pocket change it must be drug money. It was outright highway robbery by the police. I think it was somewhere in Tennessee, but as I said, I don't recall for sure.

[drdtroit]

6. America and it's occupying forces are insane, good luck everybody! n/t

[felix_numinous]

7. OMG the police brutality

and corruption in the US is terrible. I swear if I were younger I would be considering living in another country.

[Speck Tater]

13. You might consider retiring to another country. That's what I'm planning to do. nt

[LeftinOH]

8. Pseudoephedrine really works for allergies, but I've abandoned

even bothering to get it because of the pervasive "meth panic". The OTC stuff works, but not quite as well.

[obamanut2012]

9. It is ridiculous how Sudafed is controlled

I live in meth lab country, and know what it does to people, but the stuff they cook doesn't come from Wal-Mart or Rite-Aid, it comes from Mexico and other places -- containers of liquid "Sudafed." The meth problem has gotten WORSE since we have had to sign for it.