Attorney arrested at downtown L.A. courthouse on suspicion of drug possession

A Beverly Hills attorney was arrested Tuesday in a secure area of a downtown Los Angeles courthouse on suspicion of narcotics possession after he allegedly tried to smuggle drugs into the building.

The defense lawyer, identified as Michael H. Inman, was taken into custody by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's bailiff in Department 111 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said the drugs were discovered by a sheriff's department dog brought in to check inmates for narcotics.

Inman, 48, entered the secured lock-up area, where defendants wait for their court appearances, about 9:30 a.m., Whitmore said. Moments later, the dog who was there checking inmates "focused on the attorney," Whitmore said. That led to a search by deputies.

"This was a brazen attempt to bring narcotics into an otherwise secure facility," Whitmore said. "This individual brought in about 19 grams of black tar heroin and about 2 grams of methamphetamine."

Whitmore could not say exactly where the drugs were allegedly hidden.

Inman was being held in lieu of $190,000 bail.

Records show a history of disciplinary action against Inman, including a month-long suspension in 1999, in which he was ordered to pay restitution in connection with a civil dispute. 

At the time, he suffered from serious amphetamine and marijuana problems, state records show.

-- Andrew Blankstein

Comments

[EVRYTHINGCOMESBACK]

This guy was gonna give it to a inmate... What a idiot! throw him in plz

[Mary]

How dumb of this lawyer to risk everything to bring hardcore drugs in for prisoners to make a few bucks for himself. To bad.

[TheBigPicture]

priceless...

[kathleen]

WOW , what law school graduated him ? did he really pass the bar ?

School , even low rent screw ups can get through !

[kathleen]

Sorry , I meant college , even low rent screw ups can get through .

[wayneflo]

What a joke. There's no way to have a serious cannabis problem. What he had was a serious amphetamine problem.

Cannabis is SAFER than alcohol. It is less intoxicating and does not cause its consumers to become violent. It does not have long term toxic effects on the body and is not physically addictive.

Legalizing it will wipe out over 60% of violent cartel and street gang profits and put it in a regulated market only available to adults.

[Tee]

What a moron to throw his law career away like this, and to think of all those years and money he spent on school.

Of course he was going to give it to an inmate. I wonder how much he was making on the side smuggling drugs into the jails?

[Steven M.]

Steve Whitmore - It wasn't controlled substances. It's called barter.

[Anonymous]

Obviously running drugs for a gang who most probably owned him through a drug debt, sad story, I feel badly for him but you do indeed reap what you sow.

[Ray]

Who's going to smuggle stuff in to him now?

[Diesel_Dog]

The stoner probably forgot that his pot was in his briefcase. The dog could smell the Lavender Trainwreck from 20 yards away.