Police Sued Over Arrest, Pot Seizure

A Simi Valley man filed a lawsuit Thursday against the city’s Police Department, alleging that officers illegally arrested him and seized marijuana plants that he was cultivating for medicinal use.

Dean Jones, 62, is seeking an injunction against the department forcing officers to investigate whether a person is allowed by law to cultivate marijuana before making an arrest or seizing pot plants.

“He is suing to get some accountability by law enforcement--to get them to respect a patient’s rights under this law,” said Andrea Nagy, former owner of the Ventura County Medical Cannabis Center, who is assisting Dean’s attorney.

Jones has a doctor’s recommendation to use marijuana to treat the symptoms of diabetes, high blood pressure, migraines, back problems and periodic foot inflammation, Nagy said.

He was arrested at his home, and his 13 pot plants were seized on May 27, 1998--a day after he reportedly had gone to the Simi Valley police station, told officers about his condition and gave them his doctor’s business card for verification.

“Our position is that given the nature of the incident and of the state of the law at the time regarding medical marijuana,” police acted appropriately, Simi Valley City Atty. David Hirsch said Thursday.

The suit seeks punitive damages for pain and suffering, as well as reimbursement for the value of the plants, which is more than $50,000, Nagy said.