Rachael Hoffman, drug war victim DWR Saturday, May 10, 2008 Cannabis Does Not Kill. Unfortunately, Cannabis Prohibition Enforcement Can! Allan St. Pierre at NORML Blog Rachael is another kind of drug war victim. Facing drug charges, and afraid to go back to jail, she reluctantly agreed to act as a snitch for the cops and purchase drugs and a gun from two men. She was discovered murdered yesterday. The cops are making it sound like it was her fault. Update: Further musing... did anyone else notice that the two men are being charged with kidnapping, and yet Rachael is being accused by police of ignoring police concerns and going with them willingly? I'm wondering if there is a contradiction there. Words, words... they're all we have to go on DWR Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Chief Dennis Jones, describing murdered Rachel Hoffman: "She was completing a diversion program for possession of over 20 grams of marijuana and pending felony charges for possession with intent to sell MDA (or Ecstacy), maintaining a drug house, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia." Sounds pretty hard core, doesn't it? Translation: Rachel was a college student who sold pot to her friends. She was first caught with less than an ounce of pot and later caught with 5 ounces of pot and six ecstasy pills. On the basis of that, they decided she should go to hard core dealers and attempt to purchase 1500 ecstasy pills, two ounces of cocaine, and a gun. Please help rachael hoffman youtube Health and Self-Preservation Tip: If law enforcement ever approach you (or a loved one) regarding a cannabis-related offense, and then seek to recruit you to became a confidential informant or a snitch, ‘just say no’ as your life (or that of a loved one) may be in danger. In Loving Memory of Rachel Hoffman youtube Rachel Hoffman Funeral Arrangements May 11, 2008 Reporter: Claudine Cleophat Rachel Hoffman was found dead Friday morning in Taylor County. The 23-year-old was acting as an informant for the Tallahassee Police Department as part of a diversion program. Orlando police arrested Andrea Green and Deneilo Bradshaw in connection with her murder. Murder Investigation Update: Rachel Hoffman May 14, 2008 Reporter: Lanetra Bennett Questions continue to be raised surrounding an investigation into death of Rachel Hoffman, the young woman who was killed while working as a Tallahassee Police informant. (Full Story/Video) SNITCH CULTURE: by Jim Redden HOW CITIZENS ARE TURNED INTO THE EYES AND EARS OF THE STATE. Researched and written by award-winning reporter Jim Redden, SNITCH CULTURE reveals how politicians, law enforcement agencies, private corporations, politically-oriented non-profit organizations, and the establishment media are working together to build the most sophisticated surveillance society in history. SNITCH CULTURE traces the creation of this intelligence-gathering network from the earliest paid informants to today¹s DNA databases and beyond. Snitch Culture: Jim Redden Watches the Watchers Disinformation.com/drugs Disinformation.com Grits for Breakfast: Snitch Culture Woman abducted, branded over 16-month grudge, police say Arizona police allege that four people abducted a woman and used a branding iron to write "SNITCH" on her face. The woman had reportedly sicced family services on two of the suspects -- in February 2006. No snitching code reinforced throughout culture, not just rappers August 15, 2007 Informants: Resources for a Snitch Culture november.org Death Raises Questions On Use Of Informants; from The Ledger (FL), 5/13/08 Informer's Death In Tallahassee Brings Speculation To Clearwater from St. Petersburg Times (FL), 5/12/08 Hoffman's Death Sparks Debate About Informants from Tallahassee Democrat (FL), 5/11/08 More on Rachel Hoffman www.mapinc.org/people/Rachel+Hoffman mapinc.org
Rachel Morningstar Foundation In the memory of Rachel Hoffman, her parents have established the Rachel Morningstar Foundation, the goal of which is to pass a law requiring legal advice to be sought before a civilian can consent to undercover work. They will also work to decriminalize marijuana in Florida. Go Rachel. Rachel Hoffman's dad wants a change He's got an interesting idea. Every time some young person dies in a tragic situation, lawmakers seem to rush to make a law named after that youth that increases penalties or outlaws more things. Irv Hoffman, however, wants "Rachel's Law" to bar police from enlisting young people in their drug war. Gov. Charlie Crist said he was open to hearing Hoffman's suggestions. ''Anything he would have to say, we would take very seriously,'' Crist said. The interesting part is when law enforcement will have to step forward and argue that they can't fight the drug war without putting civilians at risk. Young Woman Busted for Pot Gets Killed Acting as Police Informant by Stephanie Garry, Tampa Bay (15 May, 2008) Irv Hoffman and Margie Weiss wondered Friday how their only child went from police informer to murder victim. Rachel Hoffman, 23, who grew up in Pinellas County and recently graduated from Florida State University, was found dead in a rural area near Tallahassee two days after she disappeared while helping police with a narcotics investigation. full story
Throwaways: Recruited by Police & Thrown into Danger, Young Informants are Drug War’s Latest Victims New Yorker staff writer Sarah Stillman has just been awarded a George Polk Award for her article, "The Throwaways," which investigates law enforcement’s unregulated use of young confidential informants in drug cases. Stillman details how police broker deals with young, untrained informants to perform high-risk operations with few legal protections in exchange for leniency — and sometimes fatal results. Stillman joins us to discuss her eight-month investigation, which has spurred calls for reform in several states. We’re also joined by Margie Weiss, the mother of Rachel Hoffman. After police found drugs in her apartment, Hoffman agreed to assist Florida officers in a major undercover deal involving meeting two convicted felons alone to buy two-and-a-half ounces of cocaine, 1,500 ecstasy pills, and a semi-automatic handgun. Within days, her body was found shot five times with the gun that the police had sent her to buy. We also speak with Alexandra Natapoff, professor of law at Loyola Law School and author of "Snitching: Criminal Informants and the Erosion of American Justice." (includes rush transcript) Rachel Morningstar Foundation.org Rachel Hoffman lives on May 17th, 2008 There’s lots more coverage of Rachel Hoffman’s murder every day. STATE ATTORNEY, PUBLIC DEFENDER QUESTION TALLAHASSEE POLICE'S USE OF HOFFMAN AS INFORMANT by Julian Pecquet, Democrat Staff Writer, (Source:Tallahassee Democrat) 14 May 2008 TALLAHASSEE — Rachel Hoffman sent a text message to her boyfriend soon before going undercover as a confidential informant for the Tallahassee Police Department. "This is about to go down," he remembers her writing. Two days later, her body was found in Taylor County. The drug sting had gone bad. Why was informer put at risk? Thursday, May 15, 2008 L.A. Forfeiture Squads Kill California Millionaire Will Foster 93 Years For Cannabis In 1996 Foster was convicted of five drug counts in Tulsa, all revolving around the plants he was growing in an underground backyard shelter. Foster says he had 38 marijuana plants. Rainbow Farm Massacre Tom Crosslin - Nov. 10, 1954 - Sept. 3, 2001 Rollie Rohm - Dec. 27, 1972 - Sept. 4, 2001 The Murder of Peter McWilliams Anger Spills Over at Killing of Kathryn Johnston Johnston got off one shot, the bullet missing her target and hitting a porch roof. The three narcotics officers answered with 39 bullets. Another drug war victim - Tarika Wilson 26-year-old Tarika Wilson, single mother of six, who was shot twice by SWAT officers in her home and killed. Her one-year-old son was also shot as she held him and will survive. Two dogs were shot and one died. Ashley Villareal, 14, shot to death in her car outside her home by DEA agents. Xavier Bennett, 8, shot to death in his home. Veronica Bowers, 35, and Charity Bowers, 7 months, shot down and killed in their missionary plane over Peru by drug enforcement operations. Patrick Dorismond, 26, shot to death by undercover drug police on the streets of New York. Tony Marinez, 19, shot to death while sleeping on the couch. Lynette Gayle Jackson, 26, shot to death in her bed by a SWAT team. Alberto Sepulveda, 11, shot to death by SWAT while lying face down on the floor in his home. Esequiel Hernandez, 18, shot to death by drug war Marines on U.S. soil while herding his family's goats. DEAth Merchants Got SqWAT? Please join us in celebrating the life of Rachel Morningstar Hoffman
