Leave Joe Hyer alone

I don’t know Joe Hyer.  I’ve seen pictures of him in our local newspaper, but if he walked in the door, I probably wouldn’t know who he was.

I know that he’s a downtown Olympia business owner.  I know that he’s a member of the Olympia City Council and I know that he’s been selected to serve as county treasurer when Robin Hunt steps down on March 1.

I also know that he’s been charged with selling marijuana.  I know that because I read it in The Olympian.  That’s all I know about Joe Hyer.

But I think there’s something fishy going on with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office and the Thurston County Drug Task Force.

From what I’ve read in the paper, Hyer was picked up for selling marijuana to an under cover informant – – more than once.  That’s all I know.

The use of marijuana is in limbo in this state right now.  Some members of the state legislature introduced a bill making the use of marijuana by adults legal.   An initiative petition is expected to be filed soon to make the use and cultivation of marijuana legal for adults.

We’ve had in this state for a number of years now, Medical Marijuana.  A member of the Lacey City Council currently uses marijuana for medical relief of pain.

So, with all this ambiguity around marijuana, I have to ask myself, why the Thurston County Drug Task Force and the Thurston County Sheriff felt it important enough to go after Joe Hyer for marijuana sales. 

They obviously know something that I don’t know. They have a report that provides more information on this case.

But they haven’t released any of the details that I want to know like – -How many times did Hyer sell marijuana?  Did he sell it to a friend or a former friend?  Did he sell large batches of it or was it just a few grams?

And, more importantly, why did the drug task force spend time, money and effort going after a marijuana bust?  Was it because the person was an elected official and would make big headlines in The Olympian?

Marijuana possession and even the sale are misdemeanors which carry very little punishment.   So, to bulk up the bust and make it seem more important, they got him for selling marijuana within 1000 feet of a school, day care center or school bus stop.

That’s a made up charge.  Every place in the urban area of Thurston County is within 1000 feet of a school, day care center or more particularly, a school bus stop.

As Ricky Ricardo would say, I think the sheriff and his task force have a lot of “splaning” to do.

If they have anything more damaging than what we know, release it or leave Joe Hyer alone.