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March 3, 2008

Detective's testimony expected in smoke-shop trial

PROVIDENCE -- A state police detective was expected to continue testifying in the criminal trial of seven Narragansett Indians arrested during a 2003 raid on a tribal smoke shop.

Detective Donald Devine was scheduled to return to the witness stand Monday morning.

He began testifying last week about the arrests of Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, the tribe's leader, and six other defendants accused of scuffling or resisting police who raided a smoke shop that was not collecting state taxes.

The defendants are charged with misdemeanor crimes ranging from disorderly conduct to assault. Each charge carries a maximum one-year prison sentence.

Prosecutors accuse the Narragansett defendants of attacking police officers who were doing their jobs.

But the defense says the state used too much force in a case that was about cigarettes.

Read about Friday's case testimony.
-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 7:05 AM | Permalink

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