Singer Fiona Apple arrested in Texas

SW VandeCarr

for possession of hashish.



http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/0...88J19E20120921

Ryan_m_b

Damn. I love her voice, especially in this

SW VandeCarr

Be careful Ryan. Don't be seduced by this dangerous woman. Thank heaven the authorities stopped her before she got to Austin, the very Capital of the Great State of Texas. I can't imagine what depredations she might have wrought there. Yes, they let her go after holding her overnight. I'm sure they know what they're doing. They want her to lead them to her fellow evil-doers so they can nab them all.

Greg Bernhardt

She's been one of my favorites. This is too bad.

George Jones

A little off-topic, but this reminded me of something that happened to me at 6:30 am yesterday. I was walking down the sidewalk on my way to Tim Hortons (Canadian coffee shop), when a guy walking the other way stopped me and asked "Do you know where I can get some pot?"

I am not a young guy any more, e.g, my avatar picture was taken four years ago, and I was old when my daughter was born, so I found the situation to be somewhat bemusing. Maybe the guy confused me with a singer.

SW VandeCarr

In Canada, I don't imagine they would stop you on a highway, search your vehicle, and if they found 4oz (~113.4 gm) of cannabis, they would jail you and charge you with a felony. ("You" in the general sense)

EDIT: Apparently Apple's tourbus was stopped at an interior Federal checkpoint (Sierra Blanca). It's not on the border. It's about 90 mi (145 km) SE of El Paso on Interstate 10. A drug sniffing dog picked up the scent. The case was turned over to the local Sheriff who described the find as a "small amount" of marijuana and hashish. Possession of hashish in any amount is a felony in Texas.

Rooted

A felony? Does that mean she's likely to serve time?

jtbell

My wife and I have been through that checkpoint a few times on our way between South Carolina and Arizona, most recently two years ago when I was on a solo trip. I don't think they ever asked us anything, just looked at us (a couple of non-Hispanic 50-60 year old geezers in a small sedan) and waved us on. I wonder what it takes to bring out the drug-sniffing dogs.

I like Serena

Likely a celebrity.
At least that will bring them front page news. ;)

SW VandeCarr

I don't know how likely it is, but under Texas law she could get 10 years. I suspect the prosecutor may decide not to prosecute or, more likely, accept a fine under a reduced charge if that's possible. I certainly hope so. She's a highly original and compelling figure in a music scene that is otherwise all too bland and uninspiring. As far as the law goes, it's pretty ridiculous to make simple possession of any amount of hashish, no matter how small, a felony. I've seen people beaten to an inch of the their lives where the perpetrator was only charged with a misdemeanor. I'm not a consumer of cannabis products but I have supported medical use with reasonable guidelines.

There's also the issue of the way she was stopped and arrested. The news media keeps on calling the location a "border check point". It's not. It's over 90mi (145km) from the El Paso border crossing. I question the legality of interior checkpoints where citizens can be stopped and searched with no probable cause. I lived for a short time in the old USSR (as part of my job) and never encountered an interior check point. Police could stop you at any time, but only to check your documentation.

One silver lining is that the publicity from this might prove helpful to Fiona's career. She recently released a new album after a 7 year hiatus. It debuted at Billboard's #3 position. Hopefully more people will discover her talent. Personally, I love contraltos.

SW VandeCarr

Yeah, but only if her tour bus was clearly identifiable as hers from the outside. I don't think celebs travel like that. It would be pretty dumb.

I really wonder too. Someone must have recognized her and thought we have a chicken ready to be plucked here. As I said above, I seriously doubt she had her name plastered on the bus. Maybe they run the dogs on all tour buses.

EDIT: She may also have been identified by the Federal Border Patrol when the bus was first stopped. Since this is not an actual border crossing point, I don't see how this is justified without probable cause.

Rooted

Wowser, that's a more significant problem than I'd thought, thanks.

As you say it may well boost sales. She's in the news locally which I don't think I've seen before.

Hurkyl

You like her music, and therefore the law shouldn't apply to her?

ChiralWaltz

Sierra Blanca, TX is where Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg and Armie Hammer have all been arrested for drugs in the past.

Astronuc

It is an interior 'border check point', and one will enounter them in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. They check for illegal aliens, smugglers and drug traffickers. I've had experience with them in the past.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...or_Checkpoints

On I-10, there is a check point somewhere near the New Mexico - Arizona border. They check for uncontrolled produce going between Texas and California. The goal is to prevent pests from being transported from one agricultural region to another. At least it was there in the 1970s.

A friend and I were traveling from Texas to Arizona. We had a bag of grapefruit from Texas. We were given the choice of eating them or handing them over for disposal. We ate them and went on our way.

Along I-10 and interstates from the border with Mexico, one will routinely see border patrol agents doing patrol, much the same way state and local authorities do patrol for traffic violations.

chemisttree

Tour bus.

chemisttree

Drug sniffing dog gave the officers probable cause. Police and Border Patrol have a right to stop anyone on the interstate.

The title of the thread is misleading. Clearly it should be, "Drug User Fiona Apple Arrested in Texas."