Indopedia All Things Marijuana
A California lawyer has been charged with multiple felonies after helping a medical marijuana business win an asset forfeiture case against the San Diego County District Attorney. Several cannabis attorneys have suggested that these charges were filed in retaliation against the attorney’s recent victory.
In January of 2016, police raided the home and business offices of James Slatic, who ran a legally licensed medical marijuana distribution business. The DA’s office froze the bank accounts of Slatic and all of his family members, but failed to file criminal charges against any of them. Slatic hired Jessica McElfresh to help him fight to have his assets returned, and this May a Superior Court judge ordered the DA to return over $100,000 to the business owner.
Less than a month after the ruling, McElfresh was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, obstruction of justice, and manufacturing a controlled substance by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, who just lost the asset forfeiture case to McElfresh’s client. The DA’s office alleged that the attorney helped Slatic cover up an illegal cannabis concentrate manufacturing operation.
“This is clearly a vindictive…
