Once again I was off to Ukiah for an early morning hearing. It was only going to last about 2 minutes, but I needed to be awake for those two minutes, so I went down the night before and slept at the Best Western there (used to go to the Economy Inn near the court but the internet has become essential to me now that I'm getting my legal research on-line, so its the BW for now.)

Before I left, an old friend was in town and we dined at the Mateel Cafe in Redway. I always feel comfortable there, in a way that is not true at any other of my fave eateries. Maybe its just that I've eaten there so often over the years. This time my friend was treating, and I went for it. I had the Ultimate Sirloin. It actually is not the ultimate sirloin offered usually because the specials board often has a more ultimate sirloin on it. But it was ultimate enough for me, and there was not a bite left to carry to Ukiah in a doggie bag either. Too good to leave any on the plate. My only error was drinking an ice tea so I'd be awake for the 90 minute drive to Ukiah. I was awake ok. Much of the night, and had that kind of sleep where you wake up tense checking the clock all night. I should never drink tea after 4pm.

I always expect to be adventureous at lunch, but I seldom am. This time, however, it was big time adventure. I don't know if you've seen Al's Redwood Room in Willits. I had a client who almost lived there for a couple of months. I'd walk in and ask the bartender if they'd seen Client recently and they'd always say No. Then I'd say, well, I'm Client's lawyer and I'm meeting Client here today. Then they'd recall Client, or Client would walk in. I thought it was a real kick meeting a client in a bar.

So I'm walking by thinking of going to the Loose Caboose, which is the regular lunch place for a lot of folks including the DAs. But as I passed Al's I noticed a new sign on the building, and a menu saying they have Thai food in the dining room. I like Thai food so I decided to give it a try. I had #62. It was great. I washed it down with a coke. If you're wondering, #62 is a lot of Thai seasoned meat on a bed of noodles and I recommend it. There were not a lot of us in Al's for lunch. Two, to be exact. But the word will get out....

Spent the night at home, at last. Really tired from the trip. I stayed awake until the knitters had arrived with desserts, had some sweet treats and so to bed.

I don't know what's happened. For years all the action seemed to be in Humboldt County. Eureka, the center of the foci of interest. Now, its Mendocino county's turn. You've probably been reading in this blog and Eric Kirk's about our various adventures in Ukiah. I've got a bunch of cases there now, and although he does a very different kind of law than do I, so does Eric it seems.

I know what's up with me. Mendocino had some of the most enlightened medical marijuana laws in the state until recently. Libertarian DA Norm Vroman died suddenly, and Sheriff Tony Craver who was also sensible about pot, retired. There followed a period of chaos in the DA's office which lasted months, and gave the elements of that office who favor more pot prosecutions enough light and water to allow them to grow. The result: the Sutherlin trial, which was the first medical marijuana trial EVER in Mendocino county. The jury acquitted on all charges in about 1 hour. Not a great way for the new DA to start her tenure in a county in which the public favors marijuana perhaps more than any other county in the state. THEN came the Parker trial - a second marijuana trial. My sources tell me that the jury hung on one defendant 11-1 for acquital on two counts after acquitting him on a 3rd. The other defendant also got a hung jury, but 10-2 for conviction. But to a defense attorney a hang is as good as an acquittal, considering the alternative. Will the new DA go back and try this case again? Surely one of these defendants is out of the case, but the other? I would think 10-2 is tempting.

More about the Sheriff's new plan, Supervisor Pinches new plan, plans for medical marijuana everywhere.