Dr. Dennis Clark is a 40-year physician in private practice and longtime resident of Long Beach, CA but on April 12, 2012, he got no respect from OCSD. Deputy Michael Thalken and five other deputies raided Clark’s home and allegedly told him to “shut up and sit down” when he asked to see if his name was on the warrant. During a two-hour search, the officers confiscated the doctor’s laptop containing patient information, copies of his tax returns and his 2011 Hyundai Sonata, and they questioned him about his views on medical marijuana.
Last November, Clark sued OCSD and Thalken at the Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse, claiming that the deputies violated his constitutional rights. According to Clark, deputies obtained the search warrant by tricking Superior Court Judge Andre Manssourian, a former prosecutor, into granting the raid. It’s true that Thalken failed to tell Manssourian the home belonged to a licensed physician or that there was no evidence the doctor violated any state law. OC Weekly has the full story.
