Swat raid Kansas home. Couple spends $25k to find out why.

[planetdoc]

http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/...o-familys-home

Full story at the link. Summary with excerpts below.

SWAT raids a leawood couples home with guns drawn. Put them and their young kids on their couch. Find nothing illegal, and seize nothing. Kansas law prevents them from finding out why they were raided.

After the raid, the couple thought they could access public records to find out why law enforcement suspected drugs were in their home. They told 41 Action News they were shocked to find out they could not access any of those records under Kansas law.

Turns out they were raided because they made a LEGAL purchase from a Legal buisness that was under LEO observation.

Records show on Aug. 9, 2011, a Missouri Highway Patrol trooper observed a man leaving the Green Circle hydroponics store in Kansas City, Mo., in a KIA with his children and a small bag.

Bob said he had been to the store to get supplies for a science project he was working on with his son: a basement hydroponic garden.

LEO performed field tests of tea leaves in the couples trash, prior to the swat raid, that was a false positive for marijuana. They only sent those samples in to the crime lab AFTER the swat raid that indicated they did not contain any illegal substances.

The embarrassing misstep for deputies would have remained hidden if the Hartes had not had the means to spend money to gain access to the records. The family has also been contacted by people across Kansas trying to figure out how to access records about themselves. Addie said many of the people who have reached out to her do not have the same resources financially to fight to get records released.

“This not what justice in the United States is supposed to be. You shouldn't have to have $25,000, even $5,000. You shouldn't have to have that kind of money to find out why people came raiding your house like some sort of police state,” Addie Harte said.

[hometeam]

Originally Posted by mac459

Ok I am not a drug dealer or really that up to date on how they all look..but do tea leaves and weed leaves look that much alike

They could have saved themselves the expense in testing, and just paid me half of the amount. I would have gave them the results in 2 seconds flat.

No way does anyone mistake tea leaves for pot. Then again, it happened, so I guess I cant say 'no way'. Its just absurd.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by hometeam

They could have saved themselves the expense in testing, and just paid me half of the amount. I would have gave them the results in 2 seconds flat.

No way does anyone mistake tea leaves for pot. Then again, it happened, so I guess I cant say 'no way'. Its just absurd.

They didn't need help. They did a field test on the tea leaves and identified them as marijuana. It's all good!

[KC native]

Originally Posted by philfree

Did they have a warrant?

Yes

[crazycoffey]

Originally Posted by KC native

Totally incorrect. The second they identify themselves (like when they say "Police! Search Warrant!" as they break down the door), you have no right to start shooting.

He has to be trolling. He's not normally this stupid

[KC native]

Originally Posted by Lzen

Everyone is saying sue Kansas but the initial raid was conducted by the Johnson County Sheriff's office. I'd say if you're gonna sue, start there.

And WTF was this about?

Missouri Highway Patrol have been the ones watching the store. They didn't conduct the raid.

I bet the delay probably has something to do with the legal challenges that Missouri has dealt with from acting on the information from sitting outside the grow store.

MHP has been sitting outside that store starting back in 2008 IIRC.

[ForeverChiefs58]

Hmmmm. Cops must not know very much about drug dealers. These stand out
1. Guy with kids at legal store
2. Guy drives a kia
3. Cops really believe guy just throws product in trash
4. Cops can't tell difference between tea leaves and marijuana

[KC native]

Originally Posted by hometeam

I get the sentiment, but im talking about real life situation. There is no chance pot ends up in a trashcan unless some mom has confiscated it from her 16 year old, and even then you know the kid or his buddies would scoop it right back out~

They can use stems, seeds (if you're one of the neanderthals still smoking brick weed), and very small remnants that might get brushed into a trash can as grounds for a search warrant.

[Eureka]

They could raid any home in my county and probably have a case!

[WhiteWhale]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Somebody needs to sue the pants off the state.

Unfortunately then they're just taking tax money from hard working people. 'The state' doesn't have any money.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by KC native

Yes

I agree with what you posted then. I can't believe that a warrant was issued for no more than that. The person who issued the warrant should be called out on it. To me the false positive field test is just a cover up.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by crazycoffey

He has to be trolling. He's not normally this stupid

It all hinged on the warrant.

[Kidd Lex]

Originally Posted by DMAC

Kansas is like a big religious barb wire fence standing in the way of driving to Colorado.

This. I'm a JoCo resident who grew up in Parkville, and I had know idea when I moved here that the ultra conservatism would actually be that different from where I grew up. Just thought high taxes great schools safe neighborhoods, what the hell I'll give it a go. Some strange experiences later I'm not so sure.

A kid at Price Chopper on Woodland had to get a Manager (who checked my id) to check me out for Roses Lime juice ffs. It's bad enough you can't buy mixers and booze in the same place, or buy real beer at the grocery store but...ah first world alky problems, I'll kindly stfu.

[crazycoffey]

Originally Posted by philfree

It all hinged on the warrant.

Between the right to shoot the cops or not? The warrant just means a judge is on top of the law suit. If cops illegally enter; you get very rich in a law suit, not very dead by starting a shoot out. This ain't the ok correl, wild bill....

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by WhiteWhale

Unfortunately then they're just taking tax money from hard working people. 'The state' doesn't have any money.

Go after the county in that case?


Kansas, man. Always finding a way to lower the bar.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by crazycoffey

Between the right to shoot the cops or not? The warrant just means a judge is on top of the law suit. If cops illegally enter; you get very rich in a law suit, not very dead by starting a shoot out. This ain't the ok correl, wild bill....

If they invade your home without a warrant you can shoot them defending yourself. And like I said it wouldn't end well for them.

How many people have actually gotten rich off the police entering their home illegally? I'm going to say not many. As far as the judge being on top of the law suit goes it doesn't sound like he was. He issued a warrant because some people went to the hydroponic garden store and some tea leaves found in the trash.