You Can’t Go: The meeting that begins now is closed to the public, despite the Washington Open Public Meetings Act, because the mayor and two prosecutors and the police chief and county sheriff and a member of the city council don’t make up a specific legislative body, says Kimberly Mills in the Seattle City Attorney’s Office. The goal is to make recommendations about how to handle—or avoid—Seattle Police Department raids like the raid on Will Laudanski. The 50-year-old Leschi man had officers break down his door with guns drawn late last month for two medical pot plants that were legal under state and city rules. Mayor Mike McGinn will be joined in his office by City Attorney Pete Holmes, King County Sheriff Sue Rahr, King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, and Seattle City Council member Nick Licata.

You Should Be Allowed to Go: McGinn wants members to speak freely, which is why you can’t go, his office says. But this group of mostly law-enforcement officials have already blocked essential information, changed their stories, and provided information that’s not correct. For instance, the ACLU of Washington was denied a records request last week for the SPD’s “marijuana grow farms response protocols,” which would shed light on what the existing rules are and what needs reform. SPD told the ACLU that the document was exempt from public records because it’s tactical information. But the ACLU fired back its own letter: The city only has the right, according to state law, to block requests like these that include tactical information about specific cases or specific intelligence on a case—not procedural guidelines about handling cases overall. The Seattle Times also reported information incorrectly in an article last night (I’ll get to it in a second) that reportedly came from police, such as claiming that SPD fixed the man’s door when they didn’t. Why’s that matter? We can’t be certain that this panel’s recommendation is informed by accurate information if the meeting’s happen behind closed doors—where there’s no public watchdog or truth squad from the media, only cops that want to be indemnified—when already we’ve seen misinformation about the raid.

Here’s Some Misinformation that’s Already Come Up: The Seattle Times reported today that "And, police said, they fixed his front door" after the raid. It was dented by a battering ram, the frame broken, and the locks busted (photo). Did SPD fix the door? “I’m pretty sure that didn’t happen,” says SPD spokesman Sean Whitcomb today on the phone. Asked by phone if the SPD fixed his door, Laudanski says, “Ha ha ha ha ha. I didn’t see anything.” Another problem: Ian Goodhew, the deputy chief of staff at the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, says that officers tried to obtain electricity records (that would indicate if a big grow operation was underway, because the lights use a lot of power). “But Seattle City Light said it could only provide information about the building's power use, but not that of individual units,” Goodhew reportedly told the Seattle Times. Really? Goodhew had said the opposite in the days after the raid. He now tells The Stranger, “My information came from Ellen [the prosecutor who certified the warrant] who recalled discussing the power issue with the detective.” But the City Light story may not wash. Laudanksi says his apartment has its own City Light bill, not a bill shared with the entire building, so picking out his records should be straightforward. State law allows police to collect power records. Calls to Seattle City Light have not been returned. And there is no mention of an attempt to find power records—records that would have shown an armed raid was unnecessary—in the search warrant. Last, the Seattle Times paraphrases police saying Initiative 75 applies only to marijuana possession as the lowest priority for police; in fact, Initiative 75 pertains to all marijuana intended for personal use—possession and/or cultivation—and explicitly applies to investigation. Here’s the statute. This group doesn't have facts or the law in order. They need an expert on pot laws in their midst.

A Group Will Bill the City for Fixing the Door: The Cannabis Defense Coalition, a medical marijuana advocacy group, fixed Laudanski’s door itself—not the police. They sent out a general contractor, bought a new door, new frame, and new locks. Today’ they group will present the city with a bill for $233.26. “We are going to invoice the city for destroying Will’s door and replacing Will's door,” says Ben Livingston, the group’s director, who will deliver the invoice (seen here in this .pdf) to the mayor’s office during the meeting. “Otherwise there's no accountability. If police can raid patients and destroy their possessions in their home with impunity, that's just not right.”