KTVL.com
February 29, 2008 - 3:14PM

Public Defender Suspended After Drug Charges Revealed

An attorney with the Southern Oregon Public Defenders office was suspended today, after the office learned he's facing drug charges in Kentucky.

That word came in an anonymous mailing from Lexington, Kentucky, which was also sent to us here at News 10.

The mailing includes copies of the police report on the arrests of Justin Neal Rosas and his wife Mary in September of 2007, plus copies of the search warrant for their house in Lexington. Officers say they found more than 8 ounces of marijuana, marijuana plants, and suspected LSD at the home.

The case has not yet gone to trial.

The Kentucky charges came as a surprise to the head of the public defenders office in Medford, who says Rosas is suspended until more information becomes available.

The arrest happened after Rosas had passed the background checks to take the Oregon bar exam in July, 2007, but before he began work at the public defenders office later that year in December.

Source: KTVL.com 

Kentucky.com
Wires - Wire > AP State - Wire > KY - Wire > State & Regional - Wire
Posted on Tue, Feb. 26, 2008

Marijuana charges dropped against former magistrate

The Associated Press

WARSAW, Ky. -- Charges of growing marijuana have been dropped against a longtime Gallatin County politician.

Former Gallatin County Magistrate Tom Ellis' trial was scheduled to begin Monday after investigators said they found about 100 small marijuana plants in June on property he owned.

A special prosecutor from the Kentucky Attorney General's Office assigned to try the case said last week there was not enough evidence to proceed.

Ellis and his former son-in-law, Gary Lewis, were indicted in November on charges that they were cultivating marijuana. The marijuana plants were discovered by Gallatin County sheriff's deputies called to a disturbance at Lewis' home.

Ellis resigned from his elected office in January.

Source: Kentucky.com