
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 7, 1994                   TAG: 9406070097
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

COURT STRIKES DOWN TAX ON DRUG OFFENDERS

States cannot add drug-possession taxes to criminal penalties for people convicted of drug crimes, a divided Supreme Court said Monday. The ruling was the first time the court has concluded that a tax can amount to double jeopardy.

Most states impose taxes on people already convicted of drug possession, and the 5-4 decision striking down Montana's tax cast doubt on those laws.

Such taxes are barred by the Constitution's ban on double punishment for the same crime, the court said.

In other action, the court:

Said the federal Superfund law does not allow those who clean up their environmental contamination to recover the legal fees they incur in getting other polluters to help pay for the cleanup.

Left intact a ruling that barred the Fairfax County, Va., school district from charging church congregations higher rents than other noncommercial groups for the weeknight or weekend use of school buildings.

by CNB