UPDATE & Next Court date: Modesto Needle Exchange Case Status

As you may recall from a few months ago, medical necessity was argued before Judge Cordova and denied. There are 6 conditions that must be met. His main concern was with one of the stipulations that pertains to the existence of an 'adequate legal alternative'. I probably don't need to tell you that revisiting this issue with Judge Cordova is critical for the case. A third attorney, Martin Baker, has joined the team as co-counsel and will focus on just that.

Important Dates

Our next court appearance will be on OCTOBER 25 at 1:30 PM in Department 8 of the Stanislaus County Courthouse. This is a very, very important date as Judge Cordova will be reconsidering medical necessity. We are at a crucial stage and hope for as many supporters in the courtroom as possible ~ please join us if you can!!

The jury trial date has also been set. We are on the calendar for March 1, 2011. It is expected to be a week-long trial.

Current Legislation

AB 1858 and SB 1029 have passed through the Senate and Assembly and are now on Governor Schwarzenegger's desk. AB 1858 would allow the CA Department of Public Health to determine high need areas for syringe exchange programs, rather than leaving the decision to local politicians. SB 1029 would allow pharmacists the discretion to sell a limited number of syringes to adults without a prescription. Passage is absolutely critical for the health and well-being of all Californians-especially those in the Central Valley! We are especially concerned with AB 1858! Please take action below:

http://www.harmreduction.org/article.php?id=532

That is all for now ~ there will be more information to come soon. We hope to see you on October 25!

Thank you so much for your ongoing support ~

We need ALL the support & bodies we can get. PLS., come out if you can!