Minnesota man in jail for possession since November freed when ‘drugs’ turn out to be vitamins

[DonViejo]

by Nienaber Dan

MANKATO — A Mankato man who sat in jail for weeks awaiting trial for possessing a large amount of powder amphetamine was released recently after the charges were dismissed.

It turns out his story about the powder actually being vitamins was true.

Joseph Ray Burrell, 31, said he isn't happy that it took as long as it did for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension crime lab's findings to be processed. He said evidence records show about a month passed before prosecutors sent the powder in to be tested and more than a month passed after that before the results were returned.

In the meantime, Burrell sat in jail waiting to go to trial for two felony counts each of third- and fifth-degree drug possession. He was released after the charges were dismissed Feb. 4. His trial was scheduled to start the following day.

http://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/local_news/drug-charges-dismissed-it-really-was-vitamins/article_5bd3b8b8-b3bb-11e4-a86c-939946b09d9e.html

[Logical]

1. I am shocked the fucking police did not lie about the drugs being vitamins. nt

[elleng]

2. Those f*****s!

How COULD they? Real $$$ damages due Mr. Burrell.

[marym625]

3. I'm so sick of stories like this

There's no excuse. None. Nada. Zilch

That poor guy. And all the innocent people jailed for days, months, years and even decades because the prosecutors and/or labs didn't do their jobs. Or worse, the individuals were tortured into false confessions.

A friend of mine in high school was arrested for an "unknown orange substance. " He lost his job when it was published in the local paper. Went through all the hassles involved with arrest, etc.

It was tang. He liked to mix it in vodka. Took them months to admit it and never an apology or anything in the paper

[msongs]

4. hope your friend sued the LEO and the employer who fired him nt

[marym625]

6. nope.

I wish he had.

[hobbit709]

5. They probably ran the test a dozen times expecting different results.

i knew someone who got stopped at customs with a gelatin cap full of mescaline in his pocket. They tested it for amphetamine and it came up negative. The retested it until it was all used up in the tests so they had to let him go.

[Tsiyu]

7. Yep, it's a lovely war we're waging

It used to be, you were innocent until proven guilty. But the War on Drugs has changed that protection for all of us, except for Jeb Bush and his ilk.

Now, every American is a Drug Lord. Possessing or sharing ONE pill is a felony without a prescription. ANY OF YOU who give one of your scrip painkillers to a friend or family member who's in pain is a FELON and your friend or family member is then a FELON! Just say no to sharing any prescription pills, you drug lords, you.

But golly, those intrepid Drug Warriors in Minnesota have kept the streets of Mankata safe from vitamins!

Seriously, they took away a man's freedom for months over vitamins. Blithely, without regard for the consequences of their actions, without regard for any rights he might have.

Did he lose his job? Miss out on important dates in his childrens' lives ( if he has any) ? He definitely missed all of the holidays, while Pat McDermott, or whoever the DA is up there, just let this man rot.

When do we say enough of letting this "war" destroy people's lives? Haven't we gone far past the tipping point with this evil "war?"

When do Americans demand their rights back? After everyone is a felon?