This November while California is voting whether or not to make marijuana legal, Oregon will be voting on dispensaries. A few years behind California’s influx of weed stores, Oregon’s Measure 74 will finally allow those authorized to possess medical marijuana to purchase it. [Read more…]
Portland Shoplifters Choose Worst Possible Day to Steal
“Dumb Criminal” stories are pretty popular on television and on the web. They seem to drive a wedge between the “normal” people and suspected criminals. Although they typically only represent a very small portion of those people accused of crime, they are entertaining nonetheless. [Read more…]
Man Repays Debt and Serves Time in Oregon Embezzlement Case
A man discovered to have swindled nearly $1 million from his former employer paid all of the money back before trial but was still sentenced to serve 3 years and 7 months in prison according to Oregon Live. According to the story, this man wasn’t just a clerk stealing a few dollars out of the cash drawer—he was the Chief Financial Officer and shareholder for a pool liner company. [Read more…]
DUI, Medical Marijuana Laws Qualify for November Vote
Oregon voters will potentially be making some law changes this fall. As the Statesman Journal reports, several initiatives have qualified for the ballot, leaving voters in charge of some critical changes to DUI law and medical marijuana issues. Over 80,000 signatures were received by the Secretary of State Kate Brown, qualifying these issues for the ballot. [Read more…]
Oregon Meth Crimes Down But Supply Up?
An editorial in the Oregonian this week sums up a conundrum around the country. Despite crimes relating to meth being down overall, a national report not yet released seems to state that the supply of the drug is actually increasing due to new Mexican manufacturing. [Read more…]
Portland Bank Fraud Case Suspect Sentenced
A California man was sentenced this week in Federal court for crimes that required a lot of planning and financing but unfortunately for him, little payout. According to the Seattle Sun-Times, the 61 year old defendant was sentenced to 4 years in prison and 4 on supervised release. [Read more…]
Pro-Pot Petition Circulating Oregon
California isn’t the only state hoping to legalize marijuana use this year. Although there is a long way to go before the measure can be voted on, marijuana legalization supporters are working to get an initiative on the ballot in Oregon this November as well. [Read more…]
Oregon Supreme Court Rules Employers Can Fire Medical Marijuana Users
Although state law in Oregon now allows for the use of marijuana, when approved by a physician, in many medical conditions, the state’s high court ruled last week that employers do not have to cater to those people with medical marijuana authorization if their use violates a workplace policy.
The ruling overturns a decision by the Bureau of Labor and Industries and a following affirmation by the Oregon Court of Appeals. What affect this has on employees and states across the country remains to be seen. [Read more…]
Oregon’s Anti-Crime Surveillance Cameras
According to a report in The Oregonian this past week, TriMet, the state’s largest transit agency will be using $1.9 million in federal dollars to increase the number of cameras in their light-rail stations. According to the report, nearly every step people take now at 74 out of 84 platforms will be seen by these eyes in the sky. [Read more…]
Oregon’s Sudafed/Meth-Prevention Laws Get National Attention
In 2005, Oregon became the first state in the country to require a doctor’s prescription for allergy and cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine. At the time it was seen as an extreme measure. Now, states are admitting the law has worked but are feeling the push from pharmaceutical giants to keep the cold medicines non-prescription. [Read more…]