Willie Nelson's recent arrest for marijuana possession has again spotlighted the infamous border checkpoint on Interstate 10 at Sierra Blanca, Texas, about 110 miles west of El Paso.
I represent a lot of folks who are stopped and searched at this Federal checkpoint, which is a functional equivalent of the U.S. border; that is, cops can search any vehicle they stop for drugs or other contraband with only a "reasonable suspicion" on the part of the officer that drugs may be on board.
Most of those arrested here face up to 48 hours in the Hudspeth County jail before they are brought before a Justice of the Peace and bond is set. This tiny town of 850 people has sprouted a new motel, and has a large jail adjacent to the courthouse as well as a larger detention center across the interstate which houses Federal prisoners and immigration detainees.
People arrested with small amounts of drugs or marijuana are handed over to the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office and are charged locally with felonies or misdemeanors, depending on the quantity and the substance.
Two state district courts are supported by the Sierra Blanca checkpoint, and the two J.P.courts and the County court have large dockets resulting from the flow of arrests from the checkpoint.
The attitude of the local sheriff is reflected in his interview by the El Paso Times after the famous singer's bus was searched: . "He could get 180 days in county jail, which if he does, I'm going to make him cook and clean. He can wear the stripy uniforms just like the other ones do."
There is a lot of that attitude reflected in the cops who make these arrests. I often have reports of clients who are driven from the checkpoint at high speeds by local DPS or sheriff's officers, who quickly dump their human cargo off for processing at the jail and speed back to the checkpoint for more arrests.
Most of these unfortunate folks are not criminals; they are good hard working citizens who are caught with small amounts of marijuana or drugs by a Border Patrol system which rarely stops major drug trafficking: most professionals know to avoid the checkpoints. Its the little guy who gets stopped; and occasionally, somebody famous like Willie Nelson.
