Informants

The Obama administration has nominated the acting DEA administrator to be permanent DEA administrator. But this veteran DEA agent carries some baggage with her, and drug reformers are looking for ways to challenge the nomination.

The Ohio Supreme Court has taken a stab at a largely yet-to-be-adjudicated area of Fourth Amendment law. In a ruling Tuesday, it held that police must obtain a search warrant to search an arrestee's cell phone.

If you're interested in the border or Mexico's drug war or drug culture or drug economy, or in drug law enforcement, we've got a book you need to read. University of Texas-El Paso sociologist and anthropologist Howard Campbell provides a vivid, rich, and nuanced portrayal of drugs and the drug war in El Paso-Juarez that couldn't be more timely.

A quiet week on the corrupt cops front, but the two stories we do have share a common theme: problems with snitches.

The Chronicle reviews a journalistic treatment of the Mara Salvatrucha gang and an anthropological treatment of a group of homeless middle-aged heroin addicts. We found one much more satisfying than the other.

Hardly a day goes by without another body being found in Mexico's prohibition-related violence, and the Mexican government is under increasing fire as the death toll rises. Now, thanks to upcoming journalist Bernd Debusmann Jr., the Chronicle will be watching and summarizing events on a weekly basis.

Rachel Hoffman was murdered by violent criminals after Florida police coerced the small-time marijuana seller into becoming an informant, and sent her out with $13,000 to buy cocaine and guns. Now, the Florida legislature is attempting to pass a bill that would limit police use of informants, but the cop lobby has already managed to weaken it.

The three Atlanta narcs whose phony drug raid ended with the death of a 92-year-old woman were sentenced to prison Tuesday. Has the Atlanta Police Department learned its lesson? The sentencing judge certainly hopes so.

As violent intruders were battering down his door one night last January, Ryan Frederick picked up his rifle and shot through it, killing one. Now he's most likely going to prison for 10 years. Another misbegotten SWAT-style drug raid gone bad -- for everybody.

It's been a little more than six months since social pot dealer Rachel Hoffman was intimidated into becoming a snitch and sent off to buy cocaine and guns from men who killed her. Now, her family is suing the Tallahassee Police Department and seeking legislation to protect other young victims of predatory policing.