THE EMERALD TRIANGLE NEWS…… MARIJUANA NEWS FROM HUMBOLDT AND MENDOCINO COUNTIES

“Widespread publicity may create an environment where prosecutors feel they have to charge Burrell “to be supportive of the police.”

UKIAH RESIDENT LATEST VICTIM OF MENDOCINO COUNTIES VERSION OF “TRIED IN THE PRESS”!

UKIAH POLICE USE MEDIA SMEAR CAMPAIGN TO DISCREDIT LOCAL TEACHER FALSELY ACCUSED OF MARIJUANA CULTIVATION!

POLICE AND PROSECUTORS KNEW WITHIN 48 HOURS THAT TEACHER JEFF BURRELL WAS INNOCENT, AND EVEN HAD A SIGNED STATEMENT BY CO-DEFENDANT CLEARING BURRELL OF ANY KNOWLEDGE OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MENDOCINO’S STYLE OF “TRIED IN THE PRESS’ STYLE OF PERSECUTION READ:

CORPORATE PRESS, SENSATIONALISM, AND CONTAMINATED JURY POOLS, MENDOCINO’S 1950′S STYLE OF “TRIED IN THE PRESS”

Teacher’s arrest decried

By M. GENIELLA
as appeared in THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Tuesday, April 29, 2008

UKIAH - Attorneys for a veteran Ukiah High School teacher facing felony marijuana cultivation charges lashed local police Monday for unfairly creating a “media blitz” surrounding the high-profile case.

David Eyster, an attorney for teacher Jeff Burrell, said police and prosecutors were aware within 48 hours of the arrest that a co-defendant had signed a statement clearing Burrell of any involvement.

“Mr. Burrell is a respected member of the community, as is his wife, and frankly, it is hurtful for them, their children and their friends to read what so far is unsubstantiated attacks on Mr. Burrell’s character,” said Eyster.

Burrell is scheduled to be arraigned on May 21. In the meantime, Eyster said he fears widespread publicity may create an environment where prosecutors feel they have to charge Burrell “to be supportive of the police.”

Burrell, 50, and friend Steven Laino, 46, were arrested last week after Ukiah police and members of the county’s Major Crimes Task Force raided a commercial-style marijuana growing operation inside a rented warehouse.

Burrell, a Ukiah teacher since 1986, was immediately placed on leave pending outcome of the criminal case. Both men were released from Mendocino County Jail on $30,000 bail each.

Police said Laino told investigators that he and Burrell were in “deep financial debt,” and that they had agreed to set up the indoor pot operation, sell the crops and split any proceeds “50-50.”

But in a signed statement provided by Burrell’s attorneys, Laino said the teacher was not involved in the marijuana operation and did not have any financial interest in it. The two men shared the warehouse space and the rent, he said.

“Jeff was aware that I was trying to grow marijuana in my part of the warehouse, but he was not part of it at all,” wrote Laino.

Laino said he alone hired two men to construct what police described as self-contained marijuana growing rooms, and a processing area.

Eyster said Burrell is outraged that police have portrayed him as a partner in the operation.

Laino couldn’t be reached for comment Monday. Deputy District Attorney Scott McMenomy did not return calls. Police Chief Chris Dewey was out of the office Monday and in training, said a spokeswoman.

Burrell’s most recent teaching assignment was working with students who needed extra academic help. A Humboldt State University graduate, Burrell is a former girls’ basketball coach at the high school. Burrell, a former standout athlete at Mendocino College and Humboldt, was inducted into the Mendocino College Hall of Fame in 2006.