D.C. cops arrest Israeli reporter on pot charges

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WASHINGTON (JTA) — Washington police arrested a veteran correspondent for an Israeli newspaper and her husband on charges of intention to distribute marijuana.

District of Columbia Police arrested Orly Azoulay, the Washington correspondent for Yediot Achronot, Israel’s largest print daily, on Saturday morning, The Washington Post’s breaking news blog Post Now reported.

The Post Now account led with the arrest of Azoulay’s husband, Howard Arenstein, a correspondent for CBS Radio news, and noted that the couple was arrested together at their home. It was not clear if one or both were formally charged. D.C. Police spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.

Post Now reported that police, acting on a neighbor’s tip, found 11 marijuana plants and six two-ounce marijuana bags in the home in northwest Washington.

Applicable laws in the District of Columbia suggest that "intent to distribute" charges may be triggered merely by the quantity in a suspect’s possession. Additionally, authorities do not have to prove that a suspect intended to profit from the distribution of the controlled substance.

Azoulay is known for her intrepid, in-depth reporting. She is among a handful of Israeli correspondents to have reported from Saudi Arabia, Iran and North Korea.

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