Charges dropped for NY pair after a month in jail when ‘cocaine’ proves to be soap

[xchrom]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/16/charges-dropped-for-ny-pair-after-a-month-in-jail-when-cocaine-proves-to-be-soap/



Authorities have dropped charges against a New York pair who spent nearly a month in jail after tests confirmed two kilograms of cocaine were, in fact, soap.

A state trooper pulled the couple over Nov. 13 on Interstate 78 in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, for driving 5 mph over the speed limit and hugging the side of the lane.

The trooper said he smelled marijuana, and the driver, 26-year-old Annadel Cruz, admitted that she’d smoked pot before leaving New York City.

Cruz consented to a search of the new Mercedes-Benz, and the trooper found two brick-size packages covered in clear plastic wrap and red tape in a bag stowed in the trunk.

[hobbit709]

1. took them a month to run a 5 minute test?

[xchrom]

2. red tape? nt

[Glassunion]

3. No. It took a month for the soap dispenser in the crime lab to need refilling.

[Rex]

4. Red tape? Is this a hoax?

nt.

[Coyotl]

5. Driving an expensive new car while colored .... of course!

"... the trooper racially profiled the couple ...."

[jamzrockz]

15. Property foreiture laws

would have given the police department ownership of that car if the soap had been cocaine. Dunno if I blame the cop for trying to get some extra funding for his co workers when you put incentives(temptations) like that for the boys in blue.

[seveneyes]

6. Sue them into oblivion and fire the cops involved

There is no excuse for this kind of atrocity.

[Logical]

10. Shit, cops never get fired. Nt

[surrealAmerican]

7. This sounds like yet another case where setting a high bail ...

... is effectively sentencing people to jail time without proof that the crime was committed.

[Jesus Malverde]

8. bump... nt

[rafeh1]

9. innocent until you run out of money

innocent until you run out of money the prime point of a criminal criminal justice system. No money and off you go to jail no bail and plead guilty to a lesser offense so you can get out and go back to work.

[ConcernedCanuk]

11. SOOOO - if ya REALLY got cocaine - proper packaging . . . .

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.
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CC

[Egalitarian Thug]

12. K&R Depressingly familiar. n/t

[AngryAmish]

13. My mom once gave me a bag of baking powder

SHe wanted me to brush my teeth with it since my teeth are yellow. So I'm cruising along the highway with the giant bag a powder on top of my clothes in a gym bag when I look over and realize that it would be a really bad idea to get pulled over at that moment.

[Jefferson23]

14. Unfucking believable..wow. Soap.

Attorneys are questioning the arrest and investigation, saying the trooper racially profiled the couple and bungled the field test.

“I think it is a nice car with out-of-state plates and a Hispanic female behind the wheel” that prompted the traffic stop, said Josh Karoly, an attorney for Bernstein. “If it was me driving that car, this wouldn’t have happened.”

K&R

[Joe Shlabotnik]

16. Did none of these cops ever watch tv in the 1970's?

The proper protocol is dip their wet finger into it, taste it, and then proclaim, "yep it high grade stuff. Take 'em away."

[Jesus Malverde]

17. Pretty sure the key to this case is asset forfeiture.

The police were likely drawn to the late model mercedes with the hope that they could seize it. In their zeal they overlooked some basic facts.

Asset forfeiture needs to stop.