Owners of Raided Medical Marijuana Club Found Unanimously 'Not Guilty' on All Counts in Santa Clara County Court; Press Conference Today, June 3, at 11 a.m.

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwired - Jun 3, 2016) - In 2010, MediLeaf, a Medical Marijuana Club with locations in both Gilroy and San Jose, was raided by a group known as SCCSET (the Santa Clara County Specialized Enforcement Team). The widely publicized raids have now proven to be one of the biggest wastes of resources by the D.A.'s office in Santa Clara County's history. The Silicon Valley Cannabis Coalition will be holding a press conference today to release more details regarding the case.

Press Conference Details

What: Silicon Valley Cannabis Coalition Press Conference Regarding the MediLeaf Case.

When: Today, June 3, at 11 a.m.

Where: Santa Clara County Hall of Justice, 190 West Hedding Street, San Jose, Calif. 95110

About the Case:

More than 50 narcotics agents were used to raid MediLeaf's Santa Clara County locations on Thursday, December 9, 2010. Almost 3 years later, charges in the case where filed, and the trial finally began March of 2016.

"This was an unreasonable waste of public resources; it makes you question if the mishandling of other cases in Santa Clara County are related," said Attorney J David Nick, who represented defendants in this case. "I certainly hope the D.A.'s office changes the way they manage their priorities."

It took Santa Clara D.A. Jeff Rosen's office over five years to build a case and hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayers money, for a case they had no reason to proceed with. According to testimony by the Gilroy Police Records Clerk beginning in 2014, the evidence for this case had more visits by the D.A.'s office than any other evidence, for any other case, in her 25 year career.

Tuesday, May 31st, 2016, the MediLeaf operators were found unanimously not guilty on all 22 counts by a jury of 12 in Santa Clara County Superior Court.

"The waste of resources, and disrespect for California's medical marijuana laws in this case, are horrendous," said Dave Hodges, director of the Silicon Valley Cannabis Coalition, and expert witness in this case. "Based on the prosecutor's statements in court, combined with policies recommended by the D.A.'s office to our elected officials, it's clear that Jeff Rosen's office has a hatred for all medical marijuana operations."

The group claims over the past four years, enforcement against legal medical marijuana operations has increased in Santa Clara County. Also that a representative from the D.A.'s office, Attorney Patrick Vanier, has actively been encouraging both city and county officials to create policies that ban access to medical marijuana or make it very difficult for any medical marijuana business to operate.

"This case and the horrible regulations in San Jose show the prejudice towards lawful medical marijuana businesses by dishonest elected officials throughout Santa Clara County," said Hodges. "Rosen ran on a platform of respecting medical marijuana, but as always, actions speak louder than words."

Although, the case is now over, and MediLeaf proven victorious, the group has no chance of reopening in Santa Clara County unless San Jose ballot Measure C passes in the June 7th election next week. San Jose Measure C would modify San Jose's current regulations to allow for more access to Medical Marijuana, and allow Medical Marijuana patients under the age of 21 to safely access their medication without buying it off the streets.

"The only opportunity to for clubs like MediLeaf to reopen would be if San Jose ballot Measure C were to pass," said Attorney Russell Goodrow, who also represented defendants in this case. "Unfortunately with bans in every city in Santa Clara County except San Jose, and a bad law that prevents new collectives from opening in San Jose, Measure C is the only hope for reasonable regulations in Silicon Valley."