Scioto Legal and Enforcement

What is the current state of our legal system and its enforcement?

Many years ago I received a warning complaint from the city stating that someone (anonymous) had called the officials about our dog barking. We kept this dog, a small breed, inside, and, of course, we let our family pet out in our fenced backyard for the calls of nature. Always vigilant to the dog's activity, we let her in whenever she might alert us of any outside discomforts or of her finished "business." To put it mildly, I was amazed when I found the complaint in my mailbox.

The warning stated the date, the charge, and the stiff penalty that would be automatically applied upon the next alleged "barking incident" but failed to state the name of the complainant. Feeling it necessary to know our accuser, I called the department in charge. In no nonsense terms, the official explained that if a stranger (or vagabond) walking down our street complained, we would swiftly be complied to pay the $50 penalty with no recourse. I protested that anyone the slightest bit perturbed could "make up" such a charge, but I was flatly told, "This is the law."

Lately, a man, quite obviously disturbed about our group opposition to a pain clinic in which he works, began to post derogatory information about me (calling me "stupid" and a "liar," a lover of "young girls," and referring to my private body parts) on his commercial Internet site, supposedly used to promote his nearby dragway. He also challenged me to confront him, a known security guard, at his home and business address. In addition, he defaced my character as a longtime teacher in the county school system.

Feeling thoroughly within my rights to expose his libelous attacks, I went to the Scioto County Sheriff's Office with my copies of his commercial Internet affronts to my character. I was told that the words, under no definition, were reason for inquiry or enforcement. In other words, short of threatening my life, he had the right to say whatever he wished about me without interference. My only recourse is to follow the legal system and sue him with legal representation. Of course, this action requires money - the expense of hiring a lawyer. I do not have this kind of money to spare, especially to fiddle with this troubled man, so he continues to rave.

Is it any wonder people question the state of their welfare under the law? One cannot help but wonder what collusion first extended the rights of freedoms of speech and expression to advertising on the Net. Mind you, his blatant display has resulted from our group's protest to the pill mill where he is employed, a pill mill daily dispensing opioids in a county that suffers one of the worst prescription drug problems in the entire state and in the entire nation. Is he blind or too challenged or too used to bullying to find reason to stop?

Never be satisfied with the condition of your local, state, and national legal and enforcement communities as long as this type of nonsense exists. In our county, the strings that extend from top to bottom are often pulled to the advantage of the greedy and the wicked. Citizens know the truth and try to deal with corruption within legal limits, but they are frustrated and are now demanding a microscopic look at the big picture of control and manipulation. Money equals power and power equals control. Unfortunately, huge amounts of money are garnered by those in the illegal rx drug trade. They offer this money to those in high positions -- some take the bait and run with it. We all know these people, and the rocks they hide under are transparent.

Many of the prime witnesses to the corruption are people who have been lucky enough to live through the abuse, threats, and ruthless addictive activities forced upon them by the greedy. I think these people suffer long after their addiction because (1) They have been used by the dealers, by the owners, and by the manipulators, and (2) They have been used by the legal system to expose contacts and to bare themselves. Quite frankly, many of these ex-addicts are my heroes for their courageous actions, yet so much more "dirt" has been left to accumulate and spiral out of control. People who live in fear have to deal daily with this filth.

We need to make it easier for the suffering citizen to get help. We need to be less concerned about the staggering (and often ridiculous) personal rights afforded to the big wheels who run and manage the distribution system. The only conclusion a sane person can make when he confirms this misuse of power is going on is that too many knowing people are involved. The right person in the right position can effect change for the common good just as the wrong person in the wrong position can become blinded by injustice. Scioto County is notorious for its blindness.

Greed and careless power are sinful attributes. The Judas effect is extending from adults into impressionable youth. Try to teach kindness, mercy, and righteous action to the young. Good luck. I hold myself responsible for the lack of some of these attributes in my society due to a lifestyle that demands a focus on material possessions and money, but I hope I have never put these things above the lesser, more important virtues needed for meaningful coexistence. To love and protect children, parents must be proactive and active: parents must teach about addiction and must be ever vigilant to report its operation, even if that means fighting the system.

And, finally, why must we always be told to ignore the ignorance and the corruption? I have never conquered a problem that I have ignored. I have successfully put off facing such a demon, but I have never overcome one by saying, "It's OK. Just let it all go." To refuse to defend your personal good beliefs is to let someone run roughshod over you. In fact, an old football coach used to remind me that "You're better than that" and "90% of victory is your mindset." To not follow through on a religious conviction results in the personal soul death of inactivity. Sitting quietly on the fence is not working - it breeds cowardice and inactivity.

If you are a Christian, I ask that you pray for the deliverance of your enemies into the light of goodness. I pray the man who chooses to libel me can look closely at himself and decide to confess his sins to God, the FBI, the DEA, the Ohio State Patrol, and the Sheriff's Department. I could care less if he apologizes to me. I would rather have him use me as a vehicle that spurs him to uncover the deceit and the actions in the killing fields of Southern Ohio to save his own and many other souls. God bless him. I hope he realizes time is fleeting. Godspeed to a second life. Many need to take advantage of counting themselves on the side of right and not the side of indecision.

"When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative." -- Martin Luther King Jr

Lindsay Lohan's World

The Latest Injustice

Lindsay Lohan is a changed woman after her 13 days in jail and 23 days in a drug rehab program, her lawyer asserted Wednesday.  "She has learned her lesson," defense lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley told
the judge at a Wednesday morning hearing. ("Lindsay Lohan, Out of  Rehab, Has New Probation Rules," CNN, August 25 2010) It seems she can now live in her home, with conditions including counseling sessions, random drug tests, and behavioral therapy, but she will be freed from supervised probation in just over two months. The judge also dropped two drug counts in Lohan's DUI case because she had satisfied her probation requirements for those charges.

Lindsay Lohan had been sentenced to 90 days in jail and 90 days of in-patient rehab in July for violating her 2007 probation. According to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, good behavior on her part and overcrowding in L.A.'s prison system led to her early release from Lynwood.

The Record

Rehab facilities have almost served as a second home for Lohan. She first admitted herself to the Wonderland Center in January 2007 and spent 30 days there.

In the late night of May 26, 2007, Lindsay was driving around Los Angeles in her infamous Mercedes Benz convertible. She lost control of her car and swerved up onto a curb. When police went to locate the wrecked vehicle, there was more for Lindsay to worry about than the damage to her car. She had fled the scene of the accident in the totaled car and was found at a nearby emergency room. In the vehicle she'd left outside, police found what they consider to be a usable amount of cocaine. She was treated for her injuries and cited for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.

After racking up this DUI arrest, she checked into the celebrity-friendly Promises Treatment Center for 45 days. (Sheila Marikar, "Lindsay Lohan Leaves Rehab," ABC News, August 25 2010) After Lohan completed 45 days of residential rehab treatment at Promises, she checked out wearing an alcohol monitoring bracelet.

Then, in July 2007 - just 10 days after leaving rehab, a call came into 911 from her then-assistant's mother, Michelle Peck. According to the police report, she was being chased by Lindsay in a car she hijacked from a group of boys at a party. The cops finally confronted Lindsay and Michelle fighting in a Santa Monica parking lot, and they tried to get Lindsay to submit to a breathalyzer test. She flat out refused but said yes to the sobriety tests given on the scene. Lohan was arrested again for DUI and driving on a suspended license. She was found with cocaine in her pockets and tried to convince cops that the pants weren't hers. (whatrumors.com, 2008)

This arrest sent Lohan to Utah's Cirque Lodge Treatment Center, where she famously staged a photo shoot with OK! magazine, which distributed pictures of her practicing yoga on the lawn and riding horseback, presumably sober.

Next in November 2007, Lindsay pleaded guilty to cocaine use and DUI, was convicted and sentenced to one day in jail, 10 days community service, three years probation, and an 18-month alcohol education program. She went on to serve exactly 84 minutes behind bars.

Following that, in January 2008, rumor had it that Lohan allegedly stole an $11,000 fur coat from Masha Markova while attending a private party at 1 Oak in NYC. After several back and forth phone calls, the coat was mysteriously returned to the rightful owner without charges being filed. (Diana Mimon, "Lindsay Lohan's Criminal Record," About.com Guide, The New York Times Company, 2010)

Also Mimon reported that in June 2009 rumors swirled that Lindsay allegedly stole $400,000 worth of Dior jewelry. She posed for Elle U.K. on June 6 and it was discovered that jewels from the photo shoot were missing. Two days later, reps from the studio went to the police and reported a pair of diamond earrings and a necklace stolen. Coincidentally, it was the same set that Lindsay wore in the photos. No charges were ever filed in the case. ("Lindsay Lohan's Criminal Record," About.com Guide, The New York Times Company, 2010)

In May 2010, when she failed to appear at a court hearing, a bench warrant was issued for Lindsay's arrest. She was partying it up at the Cannes Film Festival in France, claiming to be stuck there with her passport stolen. As quickly as it was issued, the warrant was withdrawn after her people posted the $100,000 bond.
Lohan was even issued a temporary passport and when she returned home at the end of May, a judge mandated that she wear a SCRAM device (court issued alcohol monitoring device) on her ankle.

Finally, in June 2010, Lindsay Lohan's SCRAM device was apparently set off while attending a 2010 MTV Movie Awards after party. Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel found Lindsay to be in violation of the original agreement and issued a warrant for her arrest and upped the bail to $200,000. The bond was quickly posted and the warrant was removed. The troubled starlet denied any wrongdoing and even posted a bunch of Tweets in her own defense.

The Latest Fiasco - July 2010

Before beginning her jail stint, Lohan reportedly managed to lock down post-sentence tell all interviews that will earn her seven figures. Marikar said that people should expect a major TV sitdown for Lohan once her false eyelashes and hair extensions are back in place.

In addition, Lohan's rehab run ended just in time for her to promote her latest film, Robert Rodriguez's "Machete," which hits theaters September 3. A promotional poster for the film plays up her bad girl streak, showing her in a nun's habit, licking a gun.

Justice?

Celebrity, money, fame - all contribute to the inequality of justice in America. What a price so many common people in America pay for these unfair rulings and inadequate sentences. Lindsay Lohan represents a model of infamy for those suffering from drug abuse and for those using harmful drugs. Her actions fly in the face of reason and manipulate the legal system, thus providing cause for others to expect the same soft treatment.


In the first place, few other people could afford her numerous rehab encounters. She is able to receive the best treatment time after time while others desperate for help die due to lack of resources. The false message sent is "Rehab is brief and available for all when needed." In truth, the cost of one extended stay would bankrupt most families dealing with the problem of finding help for an addict.

Also, Lohan seems incorrigible by record. Her behavior, although possibly fueled by a disorder, has manifested itself regularly. She fails to follow the law. To society in general, the time does not fit the crime. When Lindsay breaks the law and is arrested, her conviction appears as another case of punishment without "teeth" because of her status. In the end, Lohan will likely self destruct; however, one cannot wonder how many other young people see her behavior as proof that abuse is always forgiving.

What Goes In a Child's Ears Comes Out As ?

I found the young grandchildren watching a popular music video on the computer the other day. It's a beautiful lyric entitled "Don't Call Me No More" by Project Pat featuring the Three 6 Mafia. It seems the kids had just discovered the song on a popular music video site. Here is a sample of some of the lyrics: 

"What you textin' me for, 4AM in the night
And you knowin' that we through, need some wood in yo life?
Don't be booty callin' me, you can keep yo legs closed
Never get this thang again, or yo co*chie'll throw


"Used to be a glamour queen cuz I kept you with some money
I done cut yo water off, now you like a dust bunny
Hoody Hoody hood rat, nuck yo booty real fat
I'm in love with a stripper, let me hit it from the back


"Like this girl Lil' Red, stood me up on some head
She come callin' me now, found out I got that bread
Little girls that be scared, go to church and hit the door
Don't call me no mo' and don't text......(wind down)"

While the colorful street imagery flows with the beat and the song employs an obvious allusion to a popular fairy tale, the portrayal of the speaker's displeasure with a friend is overly crude and full of dominant sexual reference. I don't think the song will be remembered as a serious cultural statement about romance gone sour or as a meaningful parody of vendetta.

What the ?? I know I'm getting much older with every passing day; however, when I realize young children are exposed (exposing themselves) to popular lyrics like this, I am deeply saddened. Some, like the Hip-Hip Summit Action Network, will defend the music video by saying, "It's merely a reflection of social and economic realities, and it is not intended to encourage aggression or to overplay the role of sexual relations." But, the video helps underscore a belief that almost everything meaningful is self-centered, material, and physical in this type of disposable society.

Research On Lyrics

Songs depicting men as “sex-driven studs,” women as sex objects and with explicit references to sex acts are more likely to trigger early sexual behavior than those where sexual references are more veiled and relationships appear more committed," said lead author Steven Martino, a researcher for Rand Corporation in Pittsburgh. ("Dirty Song Lyrics Can Prompt Early Teen Sex," MSNBC, Associated Press, August 7 2006)

The study, based on telephone interviews with 1,461 participants aged 12 to 17, appeared first in Pediatrics.  Most participants were virgins when they were first questioned in 2001. Follow-up interviews were done in 2002 and 2004 to see if music choice had influenced subsequent behavior.

Teens who said they listened to lots of music with degrading sexual messages were almost twice as likely to start having intercourse or other sexual activities within the following two years as were teens who listened to little or no sexually degrading music.

“We think that really lowers kids’ inhibitions and makes them less thoughtful about sexual decisions and may influence them to make decisions they regret," Martino said.

“A lot of teens think that’s the way they’re supposed to be, they think that’s the cool thing to do. Because it’s so common, it’s accepted,” said Ramsey, a teen editor for Sexetc.org, a teen sexual health Web site produced at Rutgers University.

“Teens will try to deny it, they’ll say ‘No, it’s not the music,’ but it IS the music. That has one of the biggest impacts on our lives,” Ramsey continued.

The Recording Industry Association of America, which represents the U.S. recording industry, declined to comment on the findings.

Martino said pinpointing one cause for teens' sexual behavior was not the purpose of the study. He reported that the researchers tried to account for other factors that could affect teens’ sexual behavior, including parental permissiveness, and still found explicit lyrics had a strong influence. Yvonne K. Fulbright, a New York-based sex researcher and author, said other factors including peer pressure, self-esteem and home environment are probably more influential than the research suggests.

And, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ("The Influence of Music and Music Videos," AACAP, September 2008) cited the following themes, which are featured prominently in some lyrics, as particularly troublesome:


* Drugs and alcohol abuse that is glamorized
* Suicide as an "alternative" or "solution"
* Graphic violence
* Sex which focuses on control, sadism, masochism, incest, children devaluing women, and violence toward women

Research On Videos

Another one of the first studies to specifically explore how rap videos influence emotional and physical health found teens who spend more time watching the sex and violence depicted in the "reel" life of "gangsta" rap music videos are more likely to practice these behaviors in real life. (R. DiClemente et al, American Journal of Public Health, March 2003

After studying 522 black girls (all already sexually active) between the ages of 14 and 18 from non-urban, lower socioeconomic neighborhoods, researchers found that compared to those who never or rarely watched these videos, the girls who viewed these gangsta videos for at least 14 hours per week were far more likely to practice numerous destructive behaviors. Over the course of the one-year study, they were:

* Three times more likely to hit a teacher
* Over 2.5 times more likely to get arrested
* Twice as likely to have multiple sexual partners
* 1.5 times more likely to get a sexually transmitted disease, use drugs, or drink alcohol.

"What is particularly alarming about our findings is that we didn't find an association with just violence or one or two risky behaviors," says researcher Ralph J. DiClemente, PhD, of Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health. "We found an association with a string of these behaviors."

"When that environment is one that desensitizes us to violence and to treating each other with caring and respect, we see predictable results in young people and in ourselves."  -- Michael D. Resnick

Oxy And the Real Dope

OxyContin, made by Purdue Pharma, is intended to slowly release oxycodone for patients who need a continuous, around-the-clock treatment for moderate to severe pain for an extended period of time.

Several reports said Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, helped fuel widespread abuse of the drug by aggressively promoting it to general practitioners not skilled in either pain treatment or in recognizing drug abuse.The aggressive marketing campaign of a dangerous drug took its toll on the maker's pocketbook.

In 2007 Purdue Pharma agreed to pay $600 million in fines and other payments to resolve the charge that the company had misled doctors and patients by claiming that the drug’s long-acting quality made it less likely to be abused than traditional narcotics. The company’s president, medical director and top lawyer pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of misbranding and paid more than $34 million in fines. Were these fines just a token drop-in-the-bucket appeal to appease public outrage?

A few years later in an effort to curb some of continued illegal use of the drug, Purdue Pharma reformulated OxyContin. The reformulated drug was intended to prevent the opioid medication from being cut, broken, chewed, crushed or dissolved to release more medication, thereby potentially decreasing the risk of overdose that could result from tampering.

The new formulation of OxyContin was supposed to help reduce abuse due to inhaling or injection, but it still can be abused or misused by ingesting larger doses than are recommended, the F.D.A. warned. “Although this new formulation of OxyContin may provide only an incremental advantage over the current version of the drug, it is still a step in the right direction,” Bob Rappaport, the F.D.A.’s director of the division of anesthesia and analgesia products, said.  ("Harder-to-Break OxyContin Pill Wins Approval," Reuters, The New York Times, April 5 2010)

Today, OxyContin remains very attractive to drug abusers because it contains large quantities of a potent opioid pain killer, oxycodone. Its euphoric properties have made oxycontin a popular substitute for heroin among drug abusers, and it has been widely obtained and distributed illegally through faked prescriptions, theft, diversion from pharmacies and the practice of "doctor-shopping," in which people go from one doctor to another seeking multiple prescriptions.

Greedy, incompetent doctors are also to blame for the wide distribution of the drug. A common reason for disciplinary actions at state medical boards is the use of narcotics in patients who show clear signs of addiction or for whom the drugs are obviously inappropriate. For example, the F.D.A. has received reports of patients’ being prescribed such medicines to treat something as simple as a sprained ankle. Also, many so-called "pain clinics" employ doctors who attract crowds of patients hungry to obtain prescriptions for abuse or for profitable distribution of the drug. (Gardiner Harris, "F.D.A. to Place New Limits on Prescriptions of Narcotics," The New York Times, February 9 2009)

No one can ever right the wrongs done by distribution and misuse of this dangerous drug. The toll of this abuse will negatively affect the American people for generations. All, including those without any direct connection, will suffer the terrible costs of this abuse. Those cards have already been dealt and must be played.

The important message about OxyContin and other dangerous opioid drugs has a very familiar theme. It's the same theme taught by parents, the health community, and concerned individuals about smoking -- Do not begin experimenting with a harmful, addictive substance.

The key difference in the logical support for the Rx drug message, unlike the often unheeded advice about smoking, is that RX DRUG ABUSE WILL, NOT MAY, TURN YOUR LIFE (AND THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO LOVE YOU) INTO ABSOLUTE DESTRUCTION. Horror stories of addicts abound and often have great effect on people; however, the only person capable of understanding and applying needed knowledge for personal survival is you.

Playing On Cliffs

Creeping ever closer to the edge
Requires 

An err of reasoning,
An ounce of bravado,
An instant of approval.

Tumbling into the black void
Requires

One small false step,
One unexpected gap,
One intended nudge.


Surviving the deadly fall
Requires


A crawl from the wreckage,
A recovery against the odds,
A grace that surpasses understanding.

Frank R. Thompson

To Be a Teen and Know What I Know Now

 Brainworks

Scientists once thought the brain's key development ended within the first few years of life. Now, thanks to advanced brain imaging technology and adolescent research, scientists are learning more about the teenage brain both in health and in disease. (Raleigh Philp in Amy Standen interview "Understanding How Adolescents Think," www.edutopia.org, 2010)

 

New brain imaging studies are revealing—for the first time—patterns of brain development that extend into (and beyond) the teenage years.  Studies continue to demonstrate that the teen brain is not fully developed until the mid-twenties (possibly even 30), prompting educators to assess new ways to teach  adolescents and young adults. (Michael Streich, "Teen Brain Research In Education," educationalissues.suite101.com, February 24 2009)

 

Scientists don't know all the reasons for the observed changes; however, they are becoming convinced the patterns parallel a pruning process that occurs early in life following the principle of "use-it-or-lose-it." It seems neural connections, or synapses, that get exercised are retained, while those that don't are lost. (J. Giedd, J. Blumenthal, N. Jeffries, et al, "Brain Development During Childhood and Adolescence: A Longitudinal MRI Study," Nature Neuroscience, 1999)

 

At least, this is what studies of animals' developing visual systems suggest. While it's known that both genes and environment play major roles in shaping early brain development, science still has much to learn about the relative influence of experience versus genes on the later maturation of the brain.

 

Jay Giedd neuroscientist at the National Institute of Mental Health reported around puberty and on into the adult years is a particularly critical time for the brain sculpting to take place. He compared the human brain in the years of puberty to an unformed block of granite ready for the artist's hand. The art is created by removing pieces of the granite, and that is the way the brain also sculpts itself. Bigger isn't necessarily better, or else the peak in brain function would occur at age 11 or 12. ... The advances come from actually taking away and pruning down of certain connections themselves. ("Inside the Teenage Brain," Frontline, www.pbs.org, January 2002)

 

The gray matter of the human brain peaks just before puberty (overproduction). After that peak, the gray matter thins as the excess connections are eliminated or pruned back down throughout adolescence. Enter the "use-it- or-lose-it" phase. 

 

So, in the teen years, the part of the brain that is helping organization, planning and strategizing is not done being built. Then, some of the most dramatic development happens in the frontal lobes, the seat of judgment and decision-making, and the development has the potential to have lasting positive or negative effects. (Jay Giedd, "Inside the Teenage Brain," Frontline, www.pbs.org, January 2002)

 

The cerebellum, in the back of the brain -- is not very genetically controlled. Identical twins' cerebellum are no more alike than non-identical twins. So, Giedd and others think this part of the brain is very susceptible to the environment. And interestingly, it's a part of the brain that changes most during the teen years. This part of the brain has not finished growing well into the early 20s, even. 

 

The cerebellum used to be thought to be primarily involved in the coordination of the muscles. So if their cerebellum was working well, people were apt to be graceful individuals, good dancers, or good athletes. 

 

But now researchers believe the cerebellum also sub-serves changes in behaviors. It's involved in coordination of cognitive (thinking) processes. "Just like one can be physically clumsy, one can be kind of mentally clumsy. And this ability to smooth out all the different intellectual processes to navigate the complicated social life of the teen and to get through these things smoothly and gracefully instead of lurching ... seems to be a function of the cerebellum," claimed Giedd. ("Inside the Teenage Brain," Frontline, www.pbs.org, January 2002)

Effects On Youth

So, if a teen is doing music or sports or academics, those are the cells and connections that will be hard-wired. If they're lying on the couch or playing video games or MTV, those are the cells and connections that are going to survive.  

A 2005 study published in the journal Child Development found that the parts of the brain responsible for multitasking don't even fully mature until people are 16 or 17 years old. According to USA Today in an article entitled, "So Much Media, So Little Attention Span," (Marian Elias, March 30 2005) children that are exposed to 8½ hours of TV, video games, computers and other media a day — often at once — may be losing the ability to concentrate. 

Are these students developing brains that are becoming hard-wired to “multi-task lite” rather than learning focused critical thinking? This is a critical question. Children are becoming more attuned to distractions around them. Studies with college students and adults have confirmed that the brain doesn’t work as well when it focuses on more than one task.

And, research presented at the BA Festival of Science in 2006 revealed that teens also have a neural excuse for self-centeredness. For example, when considering an action that would affect others, teens are less likely than adults to use the medial prefrontal cortex, an area associated with higher-level thinking, empathy and guilt. 

The crucial difference is that the distribution of those brain activities shifts from the back of the brain (as a teenager) to the front (as an adult). Teens' judgment of what they would do in a given situation is driven by the simple question: "What would I do?" according to Sarah-Jayne Blakemore of the University College London Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. (Sara Goudarzi, "Study: Teen Brain Lacks Empathy," LiveScience, www.msnbc.msn.com, September 8 2006)

Teens learn empathy by practicing socializing, the researchers said. So much for grounding them until they're 20? Should parents let teens go to find their own experiences? Of course not -- parents have known for a long time if they let their teens do their own things, they'll first seek out adult role models, but if those are not available for them, they'll seek out teen role models.  

Naturally, some of the teen role models youth find are negative influences. Raleigh Philp stated that teenagers, dealing with physical and emotional changes, sexual development, and a host of other things are undertaking socialization with brains that aren't capable of functioning like adult brains. (Raleigh Philp in Amy Standen's interview "Understanding How Adolescents Think," www.edutopia.org, 2010)

Parents of stubborn teenagers may take some consolation in the belief that an adolescent attitude, stems, in part, from lack of frontal brain development. Dr. Ken C. Winters' research  concluded that, “The teenage brain is quite capable of demonstrating plenty of mental ability. But the teenager…is more likely to act impulsively and with gut instinct when confronted with stressful or emotional decisions…” (Adolescent Brain Development and Drug Abuse, Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, June 2008)

Teenagers and adults often don't see eye to eye, but this new brain research is shedding light on why. Although adolescence is often characterized by increased independence and a desire for knowledge and exploration, it is also a time when brain changes can result in high-risk behaviors, addiction vulnerability, and mental illness, as different parts of the brain mature at different rates. Some teens never recover from such behaviors.

In reference to his findings, Geidd lamented, "It's also a particularly cruel irony of nature, I think, that right at this time when the brain is most vulnerable is also the time when teens are most likely to experiment with drugs or alcohol. Sometimes when I'm working with teens, I actually show them these brain development curves, how they peak at puberty and then prune down and try to reason with them that if they're doing drugs or alcohol that evening, it may not just be affecting their brains for that night or even for that weekend, but for the next 80 years of their life...."  ("Inside the Teenage Brain," Frontline, www.pbs.org, January 2002) 

This research may help explain why many top tier students who excel in upper level academic classes and who also engage in innumerable extra curricular activities and service projects often make poor choices in other parts of their lives. Why does a student making straight A’s get caught using illegal substances? Why is a star athlete cited for excessive speeding? Why do the best students frequently make poor choices? Understanding the teen brain and applying that knowledge benefits all members of the extended school community.

All too often, however, teachers, parents, counselors, and school administrators are apt to use the “frontal lobe” disconnect as a blanket excuse for every teenage failure or meltdown, so caution is needed in every evaluation.

What Would Influence the Development of the Cerebellum?

1.  Actual physical activity, not with thumbs and video games, may have an effect on the development of the cerebellum.

2. Recess, play, and physical education in school need to be emphasized, not cut out of the school curriculum.

3. Computer people use the analogy that the cerebellum is like a math co-processor. It's not essential for any activity. People can get by quite well without large chunks of it. But it makes many activities better. The more complicated the activity, the more people call upon the cerebellum to help them solve the problem. And so almost anything that one can think of as higher thought -- mathematics, music, philosophy, decision making, social skills -- seems to draw upon the cerebellum. ...

4. Parents should attend middle school and high school events like they did their children's elementary school events. Older children will say they want their privacy, and a lot of parents capitulate to that, but the teens and their parents are looking at probably the most important developmental time for the teens' brains.

Puberty - When?

Fashion?

"Pimpfants is more than a name, it's a movement!" reads the company's Web site. "Our clothing bridges the generation gap between parents and kids, allowing babies and tots everywhere the opportunity to hit the playground with fresh gear and street cred."


So, as we move deeper into the new millennium, we are learning more about the causes and effects of certain changes in our children, their health, and their behavior. Enter Pimpfants -- it's gangsta/pimp/ho' fashionwear for the innocent little bundle of joy in your special nursery 'hood. This is a new clothing line for infants and toddlers made by three 30-something white guys in Oregon. According to an interview, two of the three are fathers with young kids. (Ray Richmond, pastdeadline.com, April 26 2006)

What do some of the clothes say? “Jr. Pimp Squad” is emblazoned on a basketball outfit. The line of tank tops is called “Baby Beaters.” One shirt sports a phrase that refers to incest, not to forget the ever-popular "My Mom Is a MILF" T-shirt. (Brenda Zurita, "Pimpfants: A Clothing Line for the Innocent Made by the Depraved," Concerned Women For America, May 3 2006)  Shocking?  

Let's move on to news from the city of brotherly love. Philadelphia aesthetician Melanie Engle, whose specialty is eyebrow shaping, is no stranger to odd requests. Still, nothing prepared her for being asked by one client to book a bikini wax appointment for her 8-year-old daughter. “The first thing I had to do was try and stay calm, and not yell ‘What are you thinking?’ ” said Engle. “This wasn’t about the girl developing hair early — it was the mother’s obsession with wanting her daughter to be a supermodel.” (Vidya Rao, Today, today.msnbc.msn.com, August 13 2008) This mother is not alone in her obsessive behavior.

Of course, we all know that the image in the media is of a very young girl looking sexy, in heels, push-up bra, short skirt and often blonde hair, doesn't allow a child to explore who she might be. "Throughout U.S. culture, and particularly in mainstream media, women and girls are depicted in a sexualizing manner," declares the American Psychological Association's Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls, in a recent report. The report authors, who reviewed dozens of studies, say such images are found in virtually every medium, from TV shows to magazines and from music videos to the Internet.

Plus, some experts say, "looking good" is almost culturally inseparable for girls from looking sexy: Once a girl's bought into this concept, she's hopped onto a consumer conveyor belt in which marketers move them at will. (Stacy Weiner, "Goodbye To Girlhood," The Washington Post, February 20 2007) 

Celia Rivenbark is one mom who has hit her breaking point with the shrinking fashions. She wrote a book called, Stop Dressing Your Six Year Old Like a Skank. "The moms are buying it, the dads are buying and maybe on some level the parents think, 'Oh that's cute, that's harmless, that's innocent' -- but I don't think it is," Rivenbank said. "The children are wearing them down."

And psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere warns that how a child dresses as young as age three can have serious consequences. "You can be doing real damage to your child," Gardere said. "They are forming their taste at a very young age. They can hurt their futures. They can hurt their reputations, their chances for success." ("Are Young Girls Dressing Too Revealing?" Good Morning America, ABC News, October 27 2007)

Deborah Roffman, a Baltimore-based sex educator. "I think it begins by 4 now." While some might argue that today's belly-baring tops are no more risque than hip huggers were in the '70s, Roffman disagrees. "Kids have always emulated adult things," she says. "But [years ago] it was, 'That's who I'm supposed to be as an adult.' It's very different today. The message to children is, 'You're already like an adult. It's okay for you to be interested in sex. It's okay for you to dress and act sexy, right now.' That's an entirely different frame of reference." (Stacy Weiner,"Goodbye To Girlhood," The Washington Post, February 20 2007) 

  
Influences of the Young Girl Fashion Movement

In the United States, TV's influence is incontestable. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, for example, nearly half of American kids age 4 to 6 have a TV in their bedroom. Nearly a quarter of teens say televised sexual content affects their own behavior.Children are more vulnerable than adults to such messages.

Stacy Weiner of The Washington Post relates that such sexual content is growing: In 2005, 77 percent of prime-time shows on the major broadcast networks included sexual material, according to Kaiser, up from 67 percent in 1998. In a separate Kaiser study of shows popular with teenage girls, women and girls were twice as likely as men and boys to have their appearance discussed. They also were three times more likely to appear in sleepwear or underwear than their male counterparts. ("Goodbye To Girlhood," The Washington Post, February 20 2007)

And Now, New Findings on Puberty


Puberty is defined as "the period in children's lives when they experience physical changes by which their bodies eventually become adult bodies that are capable of reproducing." Puberty is triggered by hormone signals from the brain to the ovaries and testes (gonads). The ovaries (in girls) and testes (in boys) respond to hormone signals from the brain by producing a range of hormones that stimulate the growth, function and change in various parts of the body, including the reproductive organs, breasts, skin, muscles, bones, hair and the brain.

To take a long-term look at the impact of puberty and other factors on breast cancer, researchers under Dr. Frank Biro, director of adolescent medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, enrolled 1,239 girls between the ages of 6 and 8 from three sites in the U.S.: New York’s East Harlem, the greater Cincinnati metropolitan area and the San Francisco Bay area.

The study, published in medical journal Pediatrics, revealed a surprisingly large bump in the number of girls going through puberty between the ages of 7 and 8. For example, the researchers found that 10 percent of 7-year-old white girls had some breast development as compared to 5 percent in a study published in 1997. Similarly, 23 percent of the 7-year-old black girls had started puberty as compared to 15 percent in the 1997 study. (Linda Carroll, "Growing Up Too Soon? Puberty Strikes 7-year-old Girls," www.msnbc.msn.com, August 9 2010)

What Is Causing the Early Puberty?

Nobody’s sure exactly what is driving the declining age of puberty. But the rise in obesity could be at least partly to blame, says Dr. Biro.

Another finding from the study may back that concept up. Biro reported, the rate of early puberty was much lower in the San Francisco group: 7 percent among white 7-year-olds from northern California versus 14 percent among Ohioans of the same age. Among black 7-year olds, 27 percent of Californians hit puberty early as compared to 31 percent of the New Yorkers. Northern California’s temperate climate fosters more outdoor activities and the emphasis on healthy foods results in a better diet. (Linda Carroll, "Growing Up Too Soon? Puberty Strikes 7-year-old Girls," www.msnbc.msn.com, August 9 2010)

In a 2007 report for the Breast Cancer Fund entitled “The Falling Age of Puberty in U.S. Girls: What We Know, What We Need to Know,” ecologist Sandra Steingraber argued that unfettered access to computers and TVs over the last 30 years has led to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle among kids in the U.S. and beyond. Active kids produce more melatonin, a natural hormone that serves as the body’s internal clock and calendar. ("The Environmental Effect on Puberty," Scientific American, July 17 2008)

Other external causes for early onset of early puberty are blamed. For example, in some ares of the USA, local water supplies show higher levels of hormones (either testosterone or estrogen, or both) because of medicines that people consume or throw away (e.g., "the pill"). Some milk products also have hormones, because some dairy farms use steroids or hormones when raising their cows.

Beef and pork and poultry producers in the USA frequently inject hormones into their animals to make them bigger before slaughter, so that they can earn more money. When people eat non-organic or at least non-hormone meats, they also get some of these chemicals in the bargain. 

“Shortening childhood means a shortening of the time before the brain’s complete re-sculpting occurs,” says Sandra Steingraber. “Once that happens, the brain doesn’t allow for complex learning.” She adds that the brain can only build the connections used to learn a language, play a musical instrument or ride a bike before it gets flooded with the sex hormones that come with the onset of puberty.

More surprising, perhaps, is that across several studies, researchers are finding that one factor accelerating pubertal onset is a father's absence. Darby Saxbe reports, "Women whose parents separated before they reached the age of 6, for example, were nearly twice as likely to report younger-than-average menstruation as those who grew up with both a mother and father at home." ("Early Puberty: The Dad Effect," O, The Oprah Magazine, December 16 2008)

"We know kids from divorced families are more likely to experience teen-age pregnancy, drop out of school or become delinquent. But we have no idea whether divorce causes that," said Professor Bruce Ellis, who, along with a colleague from New Zealand, studied the the issue and recently published their results in the journal Developmental Psychology. "This study can show the effects of different exposures to divorce." Family stress and poverty are possible triggers. (Jeff Harrison, University of Arizona News, September 9 2008)

There may be other environmental factors at work, too, says Dr. Stanley Korenman, an endocrinologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. For example, Korenman says, environmental exposure to estrogens in plastics, chemicals and foods has been going up. “And estrogens do stimulate breast development,” he adds.

Effects Of  Early Puberty

As reported, the studies have linked girls in early puberty to increased risks of breast cancer.

Observers also say eating disorders seem to strike younger today. "A decade ago, new eating disorder patients at Children's National Medical Center tended to be around age 15," says Adelaide Robb, director of inpatient psychiatry. "Today kids come in as young as 5 or 6."

According to an article in Health.com, Dr. Biro said doctors are also worried about the overall psychological health of girls who hit early puberty. Not only have these girls been linked eating disorders, but also they have been linked to poor self-esteem, depression, as well as cigarette and alcohol use and earlier sexual activity. (Amanda Gardner, Health.com, August 10 2010)

Links have also been reported to pregnancy and poorer performance in school—"small effects," says University of London professor Jay Belsky, PhD, a leading child development specialist, "can have big implications."

"For the 11-year old that looks like she's 15 or 16, adults are going to interact with her like she's 15 or 16, but so are her peers," Dr. Biro said. "It doesn't mean that they're psychologically or socially more mature."  

Dr. Biro also said that some studies show that children who mature early don't grow as tall as those who don't.

It seems as if everywhere you turn these days--outside schools, on soccer fields, at the mall--there are more and more elementary schoolgirls whose bodies look like they belong in high school and more and more middle schoolers who look like college coeds   --Michael D. Lemonick

"The average age for adoring the impossibly proportioned Barbie has slid from preteen to preschool." --Sharon Lamb

What is Your Addiction?

I sincerely believe we all are addicts. All of us are "physiologically or psychologically dependent" on an activity, habit, or substance. As we live our lives, we form addictions, many times unknowingly, that shape our personalities and our actions. 

For example, I am addicted to music. I love outstanding recordings and great sound. Many other values and related activities in my life have sprung from my continuing addiction to music. A fine recording from a talented artist is my fix. I crave the experience of listening to these recordings to the point that my body and soul feel dependent upon their delivery. 

Just as any addict uses his habit or substance, I use my music to my advantage. With the vehicle of recordings, I am able to adjust my moods and my desires. I know most people around me do not feel the need to hear music in the manner I do. But, that is not important to me because my audio addiction is so great.To hear a good recording played on a great audio delivery system, to me, is to experience euphoria. For that reason, if I hear a system that sounds superior to mine, I immediately want to possess the same ability to make my recordings sound equally euphoric. I guess, in terms of addiction, I reached a new level of "high."


I have often considered music to be a good addiction, but others believe music is frivolous and amusingly entertaining at best. Although costly at times, collecting and listening to music brings me great personal satisfaction without physical harm (although I do like to listen to relatively loud volume levels). I consider myself lucky not to have a physically harmful addiction, and, in my mind, I justify my musical expenses as the expenses of a creative addiction. Still, others would contend buying too much music is wasteful and not that important to sustaining my bit of space on the planet. I acknowledge any "good" addiction may be seen by a significant number of others as "bad."


The addict can choose an addiction that allows time spent in its activity as mainly constructive and positive. With such an addiction, the person can encounter meaning that furthers understanding of a knowledge base that provides limitless opportunities for refinement and pleasure. In contrast, negative addictions eventually lead to dead ends and painful consequences. I believe such a deadly addiction can result from one unfortunate choice and escalate uncontrollably toward self destruction. Often others blame hurtful consequences solely on the desire of the addict to enter the addictive activity. Yet, I know no drug addicts who began their suffering by saying I intend to continue to use poisonous substances to kill myself unless, of course, they were suicidal at the outset.


Do we choose all addictions or do some addictions choose us? I believe humans have a propensity to drift toward addictions presented in their closest environments, and, I think, a potential addict may have an attraction to behaviors deemed self gratifying that fill missing needs. Therefore, I find it unlikely many Buddhists will spring from the ranks of a Christian upbringing while many violent criminals are products of abusing parents. 

Also, many an experimental stroll by a predisposed, addictive personality has lead to increased harmful behavior.

Is all addiction disease? Many would say "no," but I think all addictions are diseases in the sense that all are conditions or tendencies that hold potential to harm the addict. Almost all addictions resist easy cure. Whether people gossip or people chain smoke cigarettes, an addiction will meet change with considerable opposition. Those stricken with the "disease" of addiction may require repeated medical help, psychological help, or both to recover fully. To declare oneself completely free of all addictive habits and behaviors is to claim immortality.

Let me state what you fear I am claiming: All human beings are addicts affected by diseases of their mortality and their environment. Yes, that is what I am saying. We are flawed individuals -- some with deep scars and terminal status, and some with less abrasive dependencies and tolerable status. No one is really "the bomb" or "the idol" or "the gift to mankind." As we examine our addictions, whether we consider them to be good or bad, we can be assured many around us do not suffer from our same afflictions. Only through grace, goodness and common understanding do we dare accept each member of this motley crew of imperfection.


Casting a lifeline of understanding toward the most harmfully addicted should be a duty of life. Instead, most would consider these people refuse and gladly watch them being tossed aside as waste products of society. Imagine not caring about those suffering from physical ailments such as cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. Imagine not responding to those with psychological illnesses such as depression, retardation, or Anorexia nervosa. To do so would certainly be negligent and abhorrent. When we consider those unfortunate individuals who are addicted to drugs, shouldn't we show them the same human compassion and be certain they are treated with proper prevention, intervention, and treatment? 

"Just 'cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town."  --George Carlin

Good or Bad Biatch

Have you ever wondered what makes a man want to marry a particular woman? Is it about timing? Sex? Money? In her new book, Why Men Marry Bitches: A Woman's Guide to Winning Her Man's Heart, Sherry Argov shows women how to transform a casual relationship into a committed one. On a recent Today Show interview, she explains that being nice to your man won’t make him more devoted. In her interviews with men, Argov found that men want to commit to women who exude confidence and are in control of their lives.("Want a Man to Propose? Be a Bitch," today.msnbc.msn.com, May 1 2008) So, is Argov contending that men want to commit to bitches?

Bad Bitch, Good Bitch?
According to Kate Figes, author of the Big Fat Bitch Book, (The Guardian, January 26 2007) any girls are still so constrained by conventional stereotypes of how women should be - selfless, kind, enabling of others, calm and supportive - the good girl essentially, that the real girl inside gets denied. Figes says, "We (girls) take insults on the chin and say nothing. We find it hard to compete or ask for that pay rise because we are not sure we deserve it. We are not supposed to shout or get angry about all the inequities we face as women. We become the bitch, the bad girl, when we want more, when we are not prepared to make do with what we have and when being heard is more important than being liked. That is a liberating feeling. If we fear being labelled as a bitch, we still seek validation from men on their terms rather than ours."

Figes sites a huge difference between the "strong" bitch, the woman who happily flouts conventional female stereotypes, and the "weak" bitch whose persona proceeds from vulnerability and who manipulates others to make herself feel stronger.

For example, "weak bitch" practice seems to include teenage girls who bitch to bond when they feel vulnerable, and she believes such bitching to bully is rife in our schools. Rarely detected because it can be very subtle, bitching from a position of sheer envy and vulnerability can have devastating effects. The youth culture is full of this kind of weak bitching, and girls have little guidance as to how to move from that ugly, bad-bitch stereotype to being a strong, good bitch who stands up to the world with courage. Whereas boys may fight to settle arguments, girls have much more subtle and hurtful ways that may continue into adulthood.

Figes believes that girls "still grow up squeezing themselves into stereotypical "good" girl notions of femininity (and their feet into uncomfortably high-heeled shoes)." When they are not aware of how fettered they are by these stereotypes, they veer towards being the kind of weak bitches who put other women down simply to make themselves feel better. But there is a much stronger bitch inside each one of them just bursting to get out. "A strong bitch is not afraid to say what she thinks, rather than what she feels she ought to say to be liked. She is not afraid to stand up for herself and ask for that pay rise because she knows she deserves it, and she is not afraid to stand up to injustice and abuse," states Figes.

An article in Elizabeth-Baruch College's publication College Candy (September 23, 2008) poses questions about the present popularity of girls acting catty and criticizing each other without much apparent loyalty. Some believe most girls have a pageant mentality to life.To such pageant-oriented girls, there can only be a limited amount of slots to things, particularly social influence and men. Also, many girls may become bitches because being judgmental makes them feel better living in a world where women are supposed to be “beautiful,” so it’s always like one big competition. Here are the questions posed:

1. Why do girls call another girl pretty or skinny with a tone of disgust? 

2. Why do girls call other girls "sluts"?   

3. Why are girls so judgmental?  


4. Why do girls assume that every girl their boyfriend and/or aspiring lover is friends with is either having sex with him or wants to have sex with him?

5. Why do girls gossip?

One answer may be exposed in the influences prevalent to forming girls' self image.The fragile self image of a girl seems to be very vulnerable to nasty tactics to undermine its value. Girls are clever and know where to "hit their targets where it hurts." One constant supporting bad bitching is that girls see it celebrated on television by admired celebrities. Also, while growing up they hear their mothers bitching about each other on the phone or at the school gate. Naturally, they emulate both. Few are offered any insights as to why they might do it.

Another consideration is that girls are still expected to be kinder, more supportive and more enabling than boys. Figes says, "Girls grow up with contradictory and confusing messages. They are expected to look good and be good. They want to look sexy and are as interested in, and as in need of, sexual experimentation as much as boys, but their reputation still hangs upon abstinence. 'Good' girls don't." ('Girls Are Under Pressure -- And Bitch Culture Is the Result,' The Independent, January 12 2009)

Big Busts = Big Money = ?

What Happens to Confiscated Drug Money and Property?

The money is transferred to the agencies under the equitable sharing agreement, which holds that any cash, property or other proceeds forfeited to the federal government as part of a joint law enforcement investigation are then equitably shared with law enforcement agencies that participated in the case. (Ted Hart, "More Than $3.2 Million Recovered in Drug Trafficking Investigation Distributed to Law Enforcement," ohioattorneygeneral.gov, June 11 2010)

“The transfer of these funds demonstrates that federal, state and local law enforcement not only work together to lock up major drug dealers, but we also share the benefits when the case is over,” Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said. “It’s our hope that this money will help these agencies continue their mission.”

Reporting Stolen, Lost or Illegal Property

Each year many Ohio police departments scramble to meet a spring deadline to submit reports to the state attorney general’s office detailing how much stolen, lost or illegal property they received and disposed of. Other departments ignore the state law entirely, and maybe for good reason: It seems that few in government ever look at the documents.

The reports, from law-enforcement agencies statewide, are collected in boxes at Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation headquarters in London.The state requires three such reports: mandatory drug-fine collections, proceeds from the sale of property and an inventory of property seized.

When asked whether anyone looks at them, Maura O’Neill Jaite, an attorney for the agency, smiled and shook her head "no." According to her, there’s no penalty under the law for not filing. "The attorney general is merely abiding by state law in receiving the documents," O’Neill Jaite said. The law also requires the office to notify members of the legislature when the reports arrive.

Dean Narcisco of the Columbus Dispatch ("Ohio Law Requires Busy Police Work," July 11 2010) reports, "Money collected through drug raids or property auctions is kept in law-enforcement trust funds to be spent for guns, radio equipment or other police use as authorized by local governments.

The law helps to promote responsible record-keeping and internal auditing procedures at the local level by tracking what happens to seized, forfeited and converted property, said Ted Hart, spokesman for attorney general Richard Cordray. Hart said his office expects local authorities to comply with the law but has no authority to enforce it.

For example, a Reynoldsburg form indicated that no property was seized or disposed of in 2009. Reynoldsburg Police Chief David Suciu said that because many of his department’s drug busts are conducted at the federal level, they might not show on local forms. Still, Suciu signed and submitted three single-page forms. “If it’s a law that says we have to do it, we have to do it,” he said. “It’s not ours to reason why.”

Review of Ohio Forfeiture Statutes

Against this backdrop, the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission began its comprehensive review of Ohio forfeiture statutes in 2000. (Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer, Chair; David J. Diroll, Executive Director; A Report of the Ohio Criminal's Sentencing Commission; March 2003)

 The new forfeiture chapter would begin by stating these purposes
(proposed §2981.01 A):

• To provide economic disincentives and remedies to deter and offset the economic effect of offenses by seizing and forfeiting contraband, proceeds, and certain instrumentalities;
 
• To ensure that seizures and forfeitures of property are proportionate to the offense committed;
 
• To protect third parties from wrongful forfeiture of their property; and
 
• To prioritize restitution for victims of offenses.

Gains from the sale of property forfeited as contraband, proceeds, or instrumentalities would continue to go largely to law enforcement agencies. Here is the proposed allocation (§2981.13 B). It tracks current contraband law (§2933.43 D, 1, c), except, as noted, it gives high priority to victims’ interests.

• Costs. First, pay costs incurred in the seizure, storage, maintenance, security, and sale of the property and the costs of the forfeiture proceeding;
 
• Victims. Second, in a criminal forfeiture case, pay any restitution ordered or, in a civil case, pay any recovery ordered for the person harmed, unless paid from other assets.
 
• Security Interests. Third, pay the balance due on any security interest;
 
• Juvenile Treatment. Fourth, if the forfeiture is in juvenile court, pay 10% of the residue to certified alcohol and drug addiction treatment programs (see §2981.12(D)), as now.
 
• Law Enforcement. Pay the remaining 90% in juvenile cases—or the remaining 100% in adult cases—to the appropriate fund of the prosecutor and of the agency that substantially conducted the investigation:
 
• To the relevant Law Enforcement Trust Fund, if it was the sheriff’s department, municipal police, township police or constable, or park district police;
 
• To the relevant Contraband, Forfeiture, and Other Fund, if it was the State Highway Patrol or the investigative unit of the Department of Public Safety;
 
• To the Drug Law Enforcement Fund, if it was Pharmacy Board officers;
 
• To the Medicaid Fraud Investigation and Prosecution Fund, if it was a Medicaid fraud case;
 
• To the Ohio Treasurer for deposit in the Peace Officer Training Commission Fund, if it was another State agency.