County Jail Guard Charged With Trying To Smuggle Drugs Into Jail

The Cook County Sheriff's office has announced that a 15-year jail guard has been charged with trying to smuggle drugs into Cook County Jail.  The jail guard, Timothy Fuller, is charged with Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Deliver and Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Deliver.  He was arrested after he was caught in an undercover sting operation.  Fuller had been working in the medium security Division 11 building.  He has been suspended with pay and will appear before the Merit Board for a termination hearing.  The investigation began when jail officials noticed Fuller engaging in suspicious activity with jail inmates.  It is alleged that Fuller agreed to deliver drugs to an inmate in exchange for $400.  He was arrested after he accepted a quantity of cocaine and marijuana from an undercover female officer in an exchange captured on video in an undercover police vehicle.  This meeting happened after Fuller's shift at the jail ended.

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.

Supreme Court Rules In Crime Lab Case

Last week the United States Supreme Court ruled that defendants have a constitutional right to cross examine crime lab analysts who prepare lab reports on drug cases and other cases. Roughly 20 states give defendants the right to cross examine the analysts that prepare lab reports. Illinois is one of those states. However, about 30 states do not give defendants that right. Massachusetts did not give Luis Melendez-Diaz the right to cross examine and challenge the lab reports when he was convicted of possession of cocaine. Massachusetts courts rejected his plea to challenge the lab reports and he was turned down. On Thursday the Supreme Court ruled in his favor and found that he had a constitutional right to confront his accusers. The court ruled that Melendez had the right to question the lab analyst about testing methods, how the evidence was preserved and any other issues.

The case involved some unusual alliances. The majority consisted of Justices Scalia, Ginsberg, Souter, Stevens and Thomas. The dissent consisted of Kennedy, Roberts, Alito and Breyer.

The case is Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts, 07-591.

For more information about the Chicago Criminal Defense Attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.