1993-2008 THE YELLOW HOUSE SECOND HAND STORE CASE:
LONGEST RUNNING HARASSMENT CASE IN LAWRENCE KANSAS POLICE HISTORY
Between 1992- 1993 the Yellow House owners decided that it would be a good idea to have some sort of working relationship with the Lawrence Police Dept.
LKPD Detective Hubble (a very nice guy) met with the Yellow House store owners, and together they came up with a plan to have the Yellow House Store fill out the same seller’s forms that the pawn shops fill out. It sounded like a good plan, and then every Friday he would pick them up.
Uniformed officers would also regularly stop in to view the merchandise, take notes, and write down serial numbers. This confused the owners, since Detective Hubble was already picking the paper work up every Friday. Each time an officer came in the store, the owners would ask them for a card to verify who had been in the store.
Friday December 3 1993 eight detectives headed by Detective Dan Ward raided the store serving a search warrant on the Yellow House store for selling toy ninja stars deemed as deadly illegal weapons.
The stars in question were ordered from a flyer that offered the toy stars as novelty's 12 for $6. The Police had sent in an undercover officer to buy the $2 toy stars with marked $5 bills over a two day period.
Even though the Yellow House was making an effort at the time to comply with the dept. no warning was given to the store owners about the fact these toy sheet metal stars could be illegal and should be removed from the shelf.
After several months Guy and Carrie made an appointment to see Sgt. Susan Hadle. They met with her and let her know this ongoing daily police harassment needed to stop!
They brought with them the stack of LKPD officer’s cards to show that the police were in the store almost on a daily basis performing unwarranted searches.The store was already turning in paperwork every friday to Detective Hubble, and now 6 detectives execute a raid on the store for toy stars, then leave without charges or any notice of what is going on. The Neighbors told her enough is enough! .
The very next day the Yellow House owners Guy and Carrie Neighbors were charged with selling deadly illegal weapons. Even though a martial Arts store in Kansas City was allowed to sell the exact same thing and they WERE NOT considered to be illegal.
The District attorney made this public comment to the Journal World QUOTE "Even Douglas County Dist. Atty. Jerry Wells can't say for certain whether the Yellow House stars fit the description, although he thinks they probably do."
Wow the D.A. tells the media he can’t say for sure they are illegal, but he pressed charges against Guy and Carrie Neighbors any way!
So the Neighbors are subjected to a police raid on the store with a search warrant and criminal charges! See media story:
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/1994/may/08/couple_see_stars_over/
LKPD Lt. Ed Brunt A" Tae Kwon do" expert said that what the Yellow House had WERE NOT genuine shurikens and it would be difficult to hurt someone with them, But he did admit if you hit someone in the eye with one it could cause damage, So maybe the police need to raid the schools for pencils too! See entire story:
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/1994/may/08/lethal_weapons/
THE YELLOW HOUSE OWNERS FORCED TO STAND TRIAL FOR SELLING TOY STARS PROSECUTED BY HEAD DOUGLAS COUNTY DISTRICT COURT PROSECUTOR FRANK DEEL!
During the trial the Judge Ralph King told the jury that he was going to disregard the standard rule of Criminal Intent for this case, and that the prosecution only needed to prove these could be used as a weapon for a conviction! The Judge also told the jury on record if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then its a duck. (I think he ment to say its a FUCK!)
With that standard Guy and Carrie could have been convicted of owning a brick!
The day after the trial and conviction of the Yellow House business owners Guy & Carrie Neighbors in Douglas county court for selling deadly illegal toy stars, the Douglas county fair began.
WOW being sold at the Lawrence fair were the exact same toy stars the Yellow House had just got convicted of!
BIGGER SHOCK was the fact the Douglas county sheriff loren Anderson had approved them, because he quote "did not know they were illegal!"
Sheriff don't know they are illegal, LKPD Lt. Says they dont meet the critieria to be illegal, D.A. says he just can't say for sure, Judge says we will change the rules for this one.
How many times can one business be targeted, investigated, searched, charged and drug through court by law enforcement using non-existant laws in the name of an ongoing investigation that never ends? 1994-2008...
See story then judge for yourself:
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/1994/aug/07/store_owner_upset_by/
1 comment:
Is it common practice for the D.A. in Lawrence Kansas to file charges against someone before they are sure if they commit a crime?
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