The US Attorney who prosecuted Tommy Chong is wrapped up in the US Attorneys scandal.
With U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales under attack in Congress for firing eight U.S. attorneys, [U.S. Attorney Mary Beth] Buchanan has also come under scrutiny because of a Justice Department administrative post she held in 2005. A former top aide to Gonzales has said Buchanan was consulted in the firings, and now a House committee is seeking to interview her.
The controversy has exposed a strong undercurrent of dissatisfaction with Buchanan in the legal community in western Pennsylvania, where critics say she has devoted too much time pursuing headline-grabbing cases of sometimes minor importance and trying to please Washington.
[snip]
Two critics are former U.S. Attorney Fred Thieman, a Clinton appointee under whom she primarily prosecuted credit-card fraud cases, and Thomas Farrell, a former assistant U.S. attorney. Both are now defense attorneys and say Buchanan has padded her record of prosecutions with minor cases or headline grabbers.
Among the cases they and others cite: her office’s prosecution of comedian Tommy Chong’s multimillion-dollar drug paraphernalia business. Though the business was based in California, she brought the case in Pennsylvania as a result of an investigation that grew out of a local “head” shop bust. Critics say the Chong case was more about making Buchanan famous than fighting crime.
Knock, knock.
Hey Cheech man, open the door. It’s me, I got the stuff.
Who dat, did someone knock.
Hey man, it’s me open the door.
I don’t know, who’s there.
and so on.
Hysterically funny.
I heard Tommy Chong on the radio somewhere talking about the case. I don’t remember the exact details, but he essentially said that even though the whole thing was pretty ridiculous, he decided to plead guilty as part of a deal to spare his son having to stand trial, as it was much more his son’s business than his.
And, apparently to Buchanan, it was more important to get “the big name” conviction that to get at the truth.
from what i heard, tommy took the hit, that his son should have, but didn’t want his kid in jail seeing it was basically a set up by the feds.
Thank you so much for pointing this out. Never a dull moment with the fucking Death Culture.
gl in ny::
if you’re going to take a crap on an old Cheech & Chong bit, at least try to get it right…
CHEECH: [knocks on door]
CHONG: Who is it?
CHEECH: Hey man, it’s Dave, open up the door i got the stuff, i think the cops saw me
CHONG: Dave?
CHEECH: Yeah it’s me, Dave, come on man, open up, i think the cops saw me
CHONG: Dave?!
CHEECH: Yes, Dave, man
CHONG: Dave’s not here…
Fuck that bitch, I hope they throw the book at her.
Free Tommy Chong!