Recovering Drug Addict Says Fuhrman is No Exception -- Police Routinely Lie in Drug Cases

LAW ENFORCEMENT November 1995

A long-time drug addict, writing anonymously for the San Jose Mercury News, says police frequently lie to justify searches for drugs ("Mikey," "Bad Badges," San Jose Mercury News, September 22, 1995, p. 13B).

"Mikey" writes that he used drugs for 26 years and has been clean for 1 1/2 years. He says he has been arrested many times and every time he has seen police lie to the district attorney's office. For example, he has often seen police claim that drugs were in "plain view" when they were well hidden.

Although he has never seen police plant or fabricate evidence, "Mikey" says the police violated the Constitution in almost every drug case he knows. Such violations are not only committed by "Fuhrman" police officers, but all types of officers.

[When the San Jose Mercury News ran the column, it requested that readers send their personal experiences of 400 words or less to support or refute the author's depiction of police. The deadline for submissions was September 30, but if you would like to write to the newspaper, you can reach them at Editorial Page, San Jose Mercury News, 750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95190, fax: 408-271-3792, E-mail: mncomment@aol.com. For a copy of the column by "Mikey," contact the NewsBriefs office.]