Update on Transdyn/Cresci Joint Venture Settlement.
On our June 16, 2009 post, we discussed a brewing settlement of a dispute between the City of San Francisco and the Transdyn/Cresci Joint Venture. City was considering a $5.9 million settlement after losing a case and facing a $13 million exposure based on a pending fee motion by the winners. On June 16, 2009, the Board of Supervisors approved the settlement on the first reading (or, as contained in the minutes, “passed on first reading”).
City of Garden Grove Settles Landmark Marijuana Retention Case With Americans for Safe Access.
In 2007, the Fourth District, Division 3 California Court of Appeal rejected a federal preemption argument in a landmark marijuana seizure/retention case involving a properly documented medical patient Kha. The City of Garden Grove spent over $100,000 in its attempt to uphold police seizure and retention of $200 of marijuana from a medical patient who had proper documentation to possess the drug. The California intermediate appellate decision did not vindicate the City’s position and was never taken up by the California Supreme Court or the U.S. Supreme Court.
Recently, Garden Grove settled the dispute by paying $139,000 in attorney’s fees to the marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA). Joe Elford was chief counsel for ASA in this dispute.
Mr. Elford is quoted as saying that it is unfortunate the City of Garden Grove spent almost $250,000 to refuse a return of marijuana worth $200 to a marijuana patient.
For more details on this story, we refer you to a June 17, 2009 article by Steve Elliott at sfweekly.com and a June 17, 2009 post on the ASA website.
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