Ukiah, CALIFORNIA

When the teacher's attorneys are the source for the story and the headline is "Teacher's arrest decried," we feel a little, well, skeptical.

April 30, 2008 - Jeff Burrell, 50, a Ukiah High School teacher, was placed on leave pending the outcome of felony marijuana-related charges. He was arrested last week, along with another man described as "a close friend," after Ukiah police and members of the county's Major Crimes Task Force raided a commercial-style marijuana growing operation inside a rented warehouse.

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." Burrell's attorneys said they have a signed statement from the co-defendant saying Burrell had nothing to do with the maijuana operation. Burrell is scheduled to be arraigned on May 21.

UHS teacher arrested after marijuana raid (Apr 22, 2008)

Ukiah is still about marijuana - Blog entry from a Ukiah teacher (Apr 20, 2008)
- Measure B, an initiative that is on the June ballot will repeal Measure G, the 2000 initiative that attempted to decriminalize marijuana. "Mendocino County has quickly become a magnet for drug dealers and in terms of schools, basically legitimized the illegal drug trade."

Oakland, Fairfax, Ukiah Pot Clubs Barred From Selling Marijuana (Dec 13, 2007)
- The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld a permanent injunction issued by a federal trial judge in 2002 against the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative, Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana and Ukiah Cannabis Buyer's Club.

25,000 pot plants seized west of Ukiah (Apr 30, 2008)