This sort of occurrence, happening all too-often nowadays, is one of the aspects of today's American life which really, REALLY, aggravates me! "What life is like after police ransack your house and take ‘every belonging’ — then the charges are dropped" A self-described Michigan “soccer mom” who had “every belonging” taken from her family in a 2014 drug raid has been cleared of all criminal charges, 19 months after heavily armed drug task force members ransacked her home and her business. But in many ways, her ordeal is only beginning. Annette Shattuck and her husband, Dale, had been facing felony charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession with intent to manufacture marijuana and maintaining a drug house.But last month, Michigan Circuit Court Judge Daniel Kelly threw out all criminal complaints filed against the Shattucks "on the grounds of entrapment by estoppel," according to court filings. Entrapment by estoppel occurs when a government official leads a defendant to believe that their conduct is permissible under the law. In 2014, the Shattucks were starting up a marijuana dispensary under Michigan's medical marijuana law. They worked to ensure every last detail was in full compliance with the law as they understood it: They obtained the permission of the landlord of the building where the dispensary, called the DNA Wellness Center, was to be housed. They went to local planning commission meetings to obtain the proper permits and licenses. They discussed business hours, security measures and even signage requirements with the planning commission. The town building inspector checked the property and approved the signage. The chairman of the planning commission publicly thanked the Shattucks for working within the allowed legal framework. According to court documents, the Shattucks even went so far as to call the local sheriff's Drug Task Force to invite them to inspect the property and verify their compliance with the law. "We really went above and beyond," Annette Shattuck said in an interview. "We asked for help. We went out of our way to make sure that everything was legit." More here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...every-belonging-then-the-charges-are-dropped/
It seems sometimes that the government forgets it works for citizens. Rather than entrap the family with confusing laws, why not simply educate them as to what the law actually was? It appears they tried to work around the existing laws, but were somewhat confused as to what the laws permitted. Surely there are actual criminals to pursue, instead of those who are trying to abide by the confusing system of laws that are in place? I guess it's safer to pursue law abiding citizens, but if safety is that much of a concern, law enforcement is not the right field to work in.