Teen with Home Chemistry Lab Incorrectly Arrested for Meth, Bombs

[n2doc]

By Annalee Newitz, 8:16 PM on Sat Dec 27 2008,

A Canadian college student majoring in chemistry built himself a home lab - and discovered that trying to do science in your own home quickly leads to accusations of drug-making and terrorism.

Lewis Casey, an 18-year-old in Saskatchewan, had built a small chemistry lab in his family's garage near the university where he studies. Then two weeks ago, police arrived at his home with a search warrant and based on a quick survey of his lab determined that it was a meth lab. They pulled Casey out of the shower to interrogate him, and then arrested him.

A few days later, police admitted that Casey's chemistry lab wasn't a meth lab - but they kept him in jail, claiming that he had some of the materials necessary to produce explosives. Friends and neighbors wrote dozens of letters to the court, testifying that Casey was innocent and merely a student who is really enthusiastic about chemistry.

On December 24, Casey was finally released into his parents' custody, pending a trial to determine whether he was building what police called "improvised explosive devices." Yesterday Casey's lawyer told local journalists:

My client is a very intelligent young man . . . he's very keen in chemistry, a very curious young person and very capable, very knowledgeable in the area and he was always curious with regard to chemistry, chemical compounds, chemical reactions, that kind of thing. So from my client's point of view, it's completely innocent insofar as he had no intention of creating any explosives or explosive devices. As people probably know, anything in your house can constitute or be used in chemical or explosive devices, including sugar and cleaning compounds, Mr. Clean, bleach, detergents, all those sorts of things.


It's unclear what made police raid Casey's house. They claim that they got a tip from a woman who sold Casey fertilizer and was concerned about it. Certain kinds of fertilizer are used in the production of crystal meth.

http://io9.com/5119166/teen-with-home-chemistry-lab-arrested-for-meth-bombs

[skooooo]

1. How ridiculous..

Reminds me of what I posted a few days ago: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=8358964&mesg_id=8358964

[Submariner]

2. I was a 7 year old terrist once

For Xmas I got a Gilbert Chemistry Set and a week later succeeded in setting my Grampa's coal bin on fire. After the fire department left, I was grounded and couldn't play Little League for a week. A few decades ago, no Little League, today, it would be GITMO time.

[saltpoint]

3. Thank god the authorities acted in time in an effort to stymie

intellectual curiosity in the young.

The little punk should have been inside the house watching tv like everybody else.

If you don't nip this sort of thing in the bud early, you run the risk that kids like this will go on to applied learning programs at universities and colleges, and after that, productive and inspired careers in the sciences.

If only we could swoop down on more of them than we do.

[Billy Burnett]

4. Great idea to piss off young people w/a keen interest in chemistry, isn't it?

It's a RW twofer. :think: :nuke:

[n2doc]

5. An d yet folks are free to muck about with genetic modifications...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=228x47787

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Love this quote from your linked article:

"Jim Thomas, of ETC Group, a biotechnology-watchdog organization, warned that synthetic organisms in the hands of amateurs could escape and cause outbreaks of incurable diseases or environmental damage."


Yeah, creating environmental destruction is best left in the hands of Corpocracy professionals, don't ya know.

[BanzaiBonnie]

6. Getting closer...

to having all activities sanctioned by the state.


Pretty sad the cops couldn't figure this out.

Also reminds me of what we used to hear about the evil empire. Remember, in the old USSR, neighbor would inform on neighbor and children would inform on parents. That was portrayed in what I read as entirely evil.

[caraher]

8. Saskatoon police are apparently terrible at chemistry

From a news story linked in the article:

"This isn’t the first time city police have been mistaken about a supposed meth lab.

In 2005, the Salvation Army Community Centre was evacuated after police claimed to have found methamphetamine-related chemicals and paraphernalia.

It turned out the suspicious chemicals and equipment were used simply for developing photographs."

They're now insisting the kid is making explosives... I wouldn't give the police much credibility at this point

[saltpoint]

9. Good read. First the kid's a meth demon, now he's a school bomber.

The cops need to chill out a bit and leave well enough alone.

[Posteritatis]

10. I'm assuming they're embarrassed and searching for *anything* to make stick

If the bomb thing falls through they'll probably nitpick something else out of it, like improper disposal of material or not having a firearms license (things that might explode might propel things!) or metabolizing on the Sabbath or what-have-you.

[saltpoint]

11. LOL! "...metabolizing on the Sabbath" -- that's gotta be it.

[Orsino]

12. Charges: operating a brain within city limits...

...and making the police look stupid.

[caraher]

13. I also love this quote:

"Casey’s defence lawyer says his client has an avid interest in chemistry, but Engele believes the level of sophistication present in the lab suggests the teen was more than just a hobbyist.

“We’re dealing with someone who has passed the experimenting phase,” he said." (from the article I linked to above)

Wow. I guess the only thing standing between me and arrest is that I still do experiments. If I were a string theorist I'd stay clear of Saskatoon, lest they decide to throw me in the slammer ;)

[Posteritatis]

14. Nevermind the whole "competent = criminal" implication (nt)

[Odin2005]

15. Our corporate masters don't like individuals inventing stuff in their garage.

[Taitertots]

16. Ignorance

Isn't this really a function of police not having much education. Anyone with the tinyest amount of a brain could tell the difference between a meth/bomb lab and someone doing chemistry for hobby. Just based on the products in the lab I could tell a bomb/meth lab from a real chem lab. I have never been in either and only have basic knowledge of how they are made, but I have had high school level chemistry. These police should have a working knowledge of what they are fighting.

[Realityhack]

17. "some of the materials necessary to produce explosives"

describes every home in the developed world.

[mainegreen]

18. Lets hope the kid sues, and gets some money for college from them as a settlement.

Take money from the stupid to give to those who are not so much so.