FOLLOWUP: Liquor-license suspension, arrest after ‘drug-related warrant’ served at Corner Pocket

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

We know much more today about what led police to serve a “drug-related warrant” Friday night at two locations including the Corner Pocket bar in The Junction.

And we have confirmed what emerged in a comment following our story – that the state has suspended the Corner Pocket’s license for at least six months.

The Corner Pocket employee whose name is on its business license was arrested Friday night and is accused of selling heroin. Probable-cause documents from his weekend bail hearing say Seattle Police made undercover buys from him four times.

That’s what the Liquor and Cannabis Board cited when we asked about the license situation. Here’s how spokesperson Brian Smith replied to our inquiry:

LCB enforcement officers joined a Seattle PD enforcement action at the Corner Pocket. The LCB issued an emergency liquor-license suspension of the Corner Pocket for 180 days. During that time, the Board will seek permanent revocation of the license. Emergency suspensions represent an extraordinary exercise of the state’s power and the WSLCB is mandated to ensure that an emergency suspension is reasonable, justifiable and legal in every way. The Seattle PD had done controlled buys of heroin on the promises.

Though the suspect is not yet charged, we are identifying him due to those “extraordinary” circumstances of the case, with a local business closed as a result. He is 38-year-old Michael Eugene Maine.

When a tip led us to find police at the Corner Pocket on Friday night, they would say only that they were serving a “drug-related warrant” at two “coordinated” locations. The other one, northeast of Morgan Junction, is described by police as Maine’s residence. He was booked into jail on Friday night for investigation of Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, then posted bond and was released after a judge set his bail at $25,000 on Saturday.

Today, we’ve obtained the probable-cause documents that allege Maine sold heroin to an undercover officer four times, three of those at the Corner Pocket.

The documents, written by police, says that SPD “conducted an ongoing narcotics investigation” of Maine last month. We have transcribed excerpts of the documents:

Officers from the SW Precinct have received numerous complaints about the Corner Pocket bar and the owner/bartender Michael E. Maine. There have been anonymous complaints sent in through the DEA tipline stating Maine routinely deals drugs while bartending. … Per SPD records Maine has … worked at the Corner Pocket … since 2013. Maine is on the property lease, business license, but the liquor license has his name with a different date of birth … belonging to his father … who passed away in 2011.

The document goes on to detail four different “controlled buys” in which an undercover officer was given money with the intent of buying drugs. The first one happened during the week of November 7th, police allege, writing that the undercover officer went into the bar, started talking to someone, and was introduced to “‘Mikey,’ the bartender/owner of the bar, and facilitated the sale of heroin from the bartender to the (officer).” The document continues, “Maine pulled a clear baggy out of his pocket, placed it on the bar and slid it across to the (officer),” who left shortly thereafter. The substance “field-tested positive for heroin,” police say.

The second “controlled buy” described in the probable-cause document involved the same undercover officer during the week of November 14th.

The (officer) was greeted by Maine as soon as he/she was inside the Corner Pocket. The (officer) asked if he/she could get the same as last week. Maine said yes but it would be a few minutes. The (officer) waited while Maine met with another unknown white male in the back of the bar. Maine returned a few minutes later and tossed a small condiment cup with a lid to the (officer). The cup contained what appeared to be heroin. The (officer) handed Maine the pre-recorded buy money and left soon after.

Police say that substance, too, field-tested positive for heroin.

“Controlled Buy #3” is described as having happened during the week of November 21st:

The (undercover officer) again met Maine inside [the bar] but this time asked for double the amount of the previous purchases. Without hesitation Maine went to the back and soon returned with a Chinese food takeout container and handed it to the (officer, who) looked inside and there was again a small condiment container that had heroin inside. The (officer) placed the pre-recorded buy money on the counter and Maine took it and placed it in his pocket. Before the (officer) left he/she asked if (they) could call and meet with Maine. Maine said yes and (gave them his phone number).

Again in this case, police say, the substance field-tested positive for heroin. And they say “surveillance officers” were in the bar during the alleged buys.

The final “controlled buy” described in the probable-cause document happened sometime within “72 hours” before the report was written. It says that surveillance was set up at Maine’s house and a vehicle he uses was observed as being present there. The undercover officer tried to contact him via the phone number provided during “Controlled Buy #3” but it was disconnected. The officers watching his house, meantime, saw him leave and get into the car they were watching; they followed him to Jefferson Square, where they say he went into the Safeway:

After he concluded his shopping he was once again sitting in his vehicle alone. The (undercover officer) made contact with Maine at his vehicle and after a short greeting asked if he had any “black” on him. Maine produced a quantity of what appeared to be heroin and broke off a piece for the (officer). The (officer) handed Maine the pre-recorded buy money and Maine told (the officer) he had more at his house and would be there around 4 pm. The (officer) left and was followed to the SW Precinct without stopping anywhere.

The document also mentions a gunfire incident reportedbehind Maine’s home last May in which “officers recovered eight 9mm shell casings and noticed bullet damage to Maine’s vehicle.” (We checked our archives and it does not appear to have been an incident we covered.)

The King County Jail Register showed that Maine had been booked into jail on April 21st for what was listed as a “failure to appear” warrant related to a drug case. Researching that case, we traced it to an arrest in October 2015 in which police said they found heroin on him after stopping him for running a red light near the Corner Pocket. Documents we obtained from online court files show Maine pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of “solicitation to possess heroin”; the sentence was three days in jail, credit for time served. One court document shows that he acknowledged possessing heroin, saying he “discovered it at work” and believed that it “had been hidden” by a relative and that he “was attempting to prevent (the relative’s) possession or use.”

Maine is due back in court on Wednesday. Meantime, we have made a public-records request for the LCB’s emergency order suspending the Corner Pocket’s license and will report that information when we get it.

83 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: Liquor-license suspension, arrest after 'drug-related warrant' served at Corner Pocket"

  • Alki Resident December 5, 2016 (2:26 pm)

    Wow wow wow. Keep him shut down. With heroin being a complete epidemic in this state this douche needs to go. Kudos for the bust. This is appalling.

  • Chuck December 5, 2016 (2:46 pm)

    See ya, loser. Congrats to the SPD and all who ever complained about the drug trafficking at the bar. We don’t need this crap–or him–in our community. Talk about a black eye to the local business community. Hope they throw the book at him.

  • Chris W December 5, 2016 (2:58 pm)

    I wonder if there will be fewer strung out people at the nearby bus stops now. 

  • Pookie December 5, 2016 (3:53 pm)

    Its easy to talk smack from behind a computer. Mike is a good dude. The real black eye on the community is all the rotten hipsters, millennials, and out of towners you guys keep letting screw your city over.

     But seriously, drugs are bad. 

    • Chuck December 5, 2016 (4:55 pm)

      Sorry, Pookie. But your definition of a “good dude” most definitely differs from mine.  In my book, “good dudes” don’t sell drugs to strangers (or use themselves) all under the cover of running an otherwise legit biz. Please don’t make it sound like he’s a victim of all the other undesirables who came to him for their fix. No one forced him to profit from the weaknesses of others. There is no innocence here. “Good dude” or not. 

    • JWinWS December 5, 2016 (5:24 pm)

      Pookie, “good dudes” don’t sell drugs.

    • Yaten24 December 5, 2016 (5:27 pm)

      I agree. Mike has always seemed like he was a decent guy but still decent guys can be into some shady crap. look at wall st. 

    • Coldheart Craig December 5, 2016 (5:47 pm)

      It’s easy to sell smack from behind a bar. The real black eye on the community is the black tar that these ‘good dudes’ pump into an at-risk community, not the taxpayers propping up one of the best economies in the country. 

  • Yep December 5, 2016 (4:53 pm)

    I agree Pookie. I grew up with the Maine family (specifically his sisters) and Mike was the sweetest kid. Rough times and I hope he can get the help that he needs. It makes me sad to read spiteful comments. I’m sorry folks are without jobs now but hope they will land something new. Take care!

  • Shimi Kahn December 5, 2016 (5:06 pm)

    A good guy does not destroy lives by selling Heroine. good riddance.
    All the good he might have done is diminished by the lives destroyed.

  • West Seattle Hipster December 5, 2016 (5:15 pm)

    Nice work SPD, glad to see this place get what they deserve.

     

    Checked out the Yelp reviews, sounds like heroin was the only thing that kept this place in business. 

    • Double Dub Resident December 5, 2016 (7:04 pm)

      The Corner Pocket was a cool place when it first opened,  but it started getting sketchier and sketchier to the point where my friends and I quit going.  Haven’t been there in many years so I don’t know how it was lately,  but from my experience this bust comes at no surprise 

  • Yaten24 December 5, 2016 (5:20 pm)

    I’ve known Mike since the 90’s and he always seemed like he was into some shady crap. Never though it would go this far tho. I’m sad to hear he went down this path and hope he gets some help and straightens himself out.

  • RJB December 5, 2016 (5:24 pm)

    Most of the good dudes I know deal heroin. 

  • Neighbor December 5, 2016 (5:30 pm)

    My first thought was the same as Chris’. Hopefully this will help with the issues at the bus stop in the junction… THANK YOU SPD!!!! Pookie, Mike is not a good dude if he is selling drugs… face it, 4 controlled buys makes Mike a sleazy guy that is contributing to the addictions of many and making good people in our neighborhood suffer by having deal with the mess addicts leave behind…

  • WestCake December 5, 2016 (6:06 pm)

    A lot of time and money spent to arrest one man who bonded out in a day or so. They should legalize drugs and tax them. 

    • Double Dub Resident December 5, 2016 (7:00 pm)

      Yep they should just legalize Heroin,  meth,  and crack.  I’m sure then that all the users will then get jobs, the crime rate in home break ins,  car break ins, package theft,  ID theft,  etc. will drop dramatically and the addicts will  use these drugs in  moderation,  and it’ll be happy ever after for every one 

      • Blah blah blah December 5, 2016 (7:40 pm)

        Most of the jobless addicts I know would love to have a job, it’s being given the opportunity to work that’s the problem, but, you obviously know what it is to be an addiction and know they are all exactly the same, just like I know that every douche with a stupid mustache and callus free hands is a great member of our society and we’re really lucky to have them moving to west seattle, because we can all agree that the cost to live in west seattle was just too darn inexpensive in 2006.  

        Legal or not, the problem is more the discrimination of those who partake in certain things our society has deemed “bad”

         FACT:  more lives have been destroyed by people leaving the corner pocket with alcohol in their system then with heroin in their pocket.

         but getting a DUI is no big deal, just pay a fine and take the bus for 3 months

        • Double Dub Resident December 5, 2016 (8:14 pm)

          Are you an attempt at satire? 

        • Fact checker December 5, 2016 (9:01 pm)

          Is it a fact that lives have been destroyed by people leaving the corner pocket drunk? So you are saying that not only were they selling heroin but they were also over serving people as well? You being such a great judge of good and bad people I would think you would step in or speak up and try and prevent such destruction of life. 

      • LeeRae Blaylock December 5, 2016 (8:23 pm)

        Than you could get your smack from the Dr.  Your insurance or Welfare will pay for it, and Rehab!

        • Double Dub Resident December 5, 2016 (8:41 pm)

          Yeah well the doctors already tried that.  Heroin,  which was a brand name under Bayer,  if I remember right from my pharmacology class,  was invented to help treat morphine addiction even though Heroin is 10x more potent (cause yeah,  that makes sense). 

          Sears and Roebuck used to sell Heroin kits in their catalog. It didn’t work out well then and I’m sure it won’t work out now.  

        • One who knows December 6, 2016 (5:55 pm)

          The fish rots from the head down meaning doctors everywhere//WS included purposely get patients dependent on opiates…Professionals…meaning the head of the fish and the one addicted the rest of the body… because their guaranteed return business. . .The competition for business and the temptation of easy money prove to much for many. Institutions in this country used to have an ounce of decency but no more. Medical, Judicial and Education should all be socialized because our institutions have proven  themselves corrupt Don’t get me wrong…not all are corrupt but enough have become so because there is so much money to be made in all three of these institutions. Like I said if the heads of society are rotting the society under that head follows.

          • Jax December 10, 2016 (6:23 pm)

            Amen.

  • Rick Cook December 5, 2016 (7:00 pm)

     Once ya cross the line, you’ve crossed the line. Deal with it.

  • DukeMalisto December 5, 2016 (7:17 pm)

    This article is written so well, a film could be produced from it. That is messed up.

    I have seen him so drunk so many times before that he couldn’t even see the money I handed him for beer. And drunks would get beligerent sometimes and he was too out of it to notice. 

  • Blah blah blah December 5, 2016 (7:25 pm)

    He’s a very good person all in all, so what if he sold heroin, he takes good care of his child, and never forced anyone to buy anything from him.  as for the strung out people at the bus stop, they’ll all still  be there, because mikey had nothing to do with any of them, and even if he  did, they’d still be there, because if you want to buy heroin you don’t have to go very far from anywhere you may be in Seattle, I’ve had people i don’t know offer and ask me for heroin more times than I can count in all different areas of Seattle and the surrounding cities… and quite honestly, id rather have more of them and less of the judgemental oh so beautiful residents of all these ugly condos and apartments going up everywhere, but hey, they’re obviously better people, you can tell by the way they look at, talk to, treat and talk about those who have come on hard times.  not everyone in a bad spot is at fault for the situation they are in, whether you believe that or not, just like not everyone in a good spot got there on their own, in fact, most didn’t, so next time you see someone down on their luck maybe you should call your mommy and daddy and thank them for spoiling you rotten.  

    • M December 5, 2016 (8:06 pm)

      There is no excuse or “hard times” that justify someone selling heroin to someone else. It’s “so easy” to score heroin in Seattle because unfortunately we have too many guys like “sweet Mikey” out there. 

      An example needs to be made of this fellow. It’s about time this city got hard on these criminals that are contributing our cities heroin problem. I applaud SPDs job in this case. Let’s lock them all up. 

    • Alki Resident December 5, 2016 (8:09 pm)

      My 16 year old speaks more mature than you. Nobody is to blame but ” Mikey” and clearly if he is a father, he wasn’t thinking too clearly who’s going to help raise his kid when he’s sitting in prison.

    • Double Dub Resident December 5, 2016 (8:12 pm)

      What a distorted rationalization and display of victim mentality if I ever read one, pathetic 

      • Brenda December 5, 2016 (8:54 pm)

        Thank you SPD- you are all just the BEST!

        Mike sounds like one sketchy dude. Glad he’ll be out of business. 

    • Scs December 5, 2016 (9:17 pm)

      Are you for real? He owned a business in a thriving community. No need to sell drugs & endanger his daughter’s, family & employee’s livily hood. Get a realistic grip on life. wtf… so done.

    • Seattlite December 5, 2016 (9:38 pm)

      Blah — There is something to be said about the reality of being able to choose how you live your life.  To think you have that choice is miraculous.  Coming from a volatile environment,  gave me a perspective on life that led me on the path of lightness, not darkness.  Kids should be learning from an early age at home, school, church about the dangers of drugs and alcohol which might  give them a better chance of staying away from the sh** in life.  Heroin, crack, cocaine, etc., should be obliterated from this earth because these heinous, addictive drugs destroy lives, families, and are killers. 

    • Nobody December 5, 2016 (10:40 pm)

      Your “very good person” just cost several other people their jobs. Stupidity like that is what enables people like Mikey to continue to ruin his own life and the lives of others around him. You don’t have to be judgemental to realize people shouldn’t be allowed to do dumb sh-t. 

    • Joe December 7, 2016 (6:50 pm)

      Is this a joke? If you have bullet holes in your car/house because of your heroin dealing you are most certainly not taking care of your child. These are the actions of a selfish and greedy individual who clearly doesn’t care about what’s best for his child.

    • Mud December 7, 2016 (7:25 pm)

      Amen! He’s a good person that made a mistake we’re all human and not perfect. Best of luck to him

    • Jax December 10, 2016 (6:27 pm)

      True Miley a great guy apparently most people are perfect and live in a perfect world. 

  • ScubaFrog December 5, 2016 (8:49 pm)

    Hopefully mike (and anyone who’d defend the swine) rots in prison.  I wonder how many people OD’ed because of him.

  • Rod December 5, 2016 (9:02 pm)

    “He’s a very good person all in all, so what if he sold heroin, he takes good care of his child, ”  Wow, am I really reading this? I love you West Seattle, but this could be the tipping point for me.

  • Fed up December 5, 2016 (9:05 pm)

    Unbelievable the comments…POS good riddance. 

  • Well done! December 5, 2016 (9:17 pm)

    Amazing reporting and kudos to the heroic folks at SPD.  Grateful for all you do. 

  • Alki Resident December 5, 2016 (10:22 pm)

    On a side note, I hope his child is out of harms way now. Too many things can go wrong when a parent sells drugs. I’d hate to see this child witness something horrible.

  • No BS December 5, 2016 (10:53 pm)

    Known Mikey for a long time and have known he hasn’t been quite right for years but never thought this.   Hope he gets the help he needs and owns up for his actions. 

  • Elle Nell December 6, 2016 (12:09 am)

    Waaaa waaaa to both sides here… Although, I do like pookies comment about our “real” problems .. I think I agree. glad to see some of the drugs off the street but truth is there is Sooooo much more out there. After all

    this IS Seattle…. And really not sure why folks so “mad” at this guy. Hes a drug dealer, I mean really… Waste of time..trim your tree 

    • Double Dub Resident December 6, 2016 (7:34 am)

      Your logic is sloppy.  This POS wasn’t born a drug dealer that can’t help he’s a drug dealer.  It’s not like we’re talking about one’s race or sex.  This is a result of bad decision making and one that affects the surrounding community,  so yes,  people are upset and have a right to be.  

      And your defeatist attitude that hey there is really just so much more drugs out there cause after all this is Seattle is ridiculous.  Do you not clean your house cause hey it will just get dirty again? 

      While I may  have some issues with “hipsters”  and millenials that are off topic, I usually don’t have to worry about them breaking into houses,  cars,  stealing packages, identity  etc.  to feed their habit of being what they are.  I certainly can’t say the same for drug dealers /addicts.  

      So go trim your own tree 

      • KV December 6, 2016 (8:43 am)

        Why is this so surprising. Dive bars and drugs go hand in hand. I bet we’d be shocked to find out the clientele of alleged drug dealer were not all obvious heroin addicts, but could be people we all know….hmm. they may have to venture downtown to score now, or just down to the next dive bar in west Seattle. Don’t fool yourselves folks. It’s not the only place selling drugs. Get real!

        • Mud December 7, 2016 (7:30 pm)

          Got that right!

  • Ron Swanson December 6, 2016 (8:48 am)

    Boy, everyone in here defending the war on drugs has apparently been asleep for the last 50 years: it doesn’t work!  Trying to reduce the supply side, as these sort of busts attempt to do, accomplishes nothing but create outsize profits for the dealers they don’t catch, inducing more dealers into the marketplace, and creating incentives for violence to protect those outsize profits.  Free markets always win.

    People mock the idea that legalization would reduce crime or get people to quit, but it clearly does.  Several European countries have proved the point.  Get opiate addicts in medically supervised injection sites and you allow them to live a normal life without stealing to pay for their habit, spreading disease with dirty needles, using EMT resources on overdoses, etc. 

    • Double Dub Resident December 6, 2016 (12:38 pm)

      Well let’s see.  Common crimes with drug addiction: Breaking into houses, stealing cars, identity theft, breaking into cars, package thefts, etc. Then from the illegal drug aspect, being arrested for being in the possession of the drug, doing the drug, selling the drug.

       

      Legalize the drug. Now crime is being reduced because no longer are people being arrested for being in possession of the drug, doing the drug and/or selling the drug. Yet, people who often do not have a means of income to purchase said drug  still need money in order to do the drug.  Hence there is still crime such as breaking into houses,  stealing cars, identity theft, breaking into cars, package thefts, etc.

       

       So yeah, the crime rate is fallen due to people not being arrested for possession, doing or selling drug, but this is not the kind of crime rate I particularly care about. Unless of course the plan is to burden the average middle class tax payer with yet another tax to pay for free “medicinal” hard drugs for the addicts and call that a “victory”.

       

      As far as people getting off of drugs with professional help. I took drug addiction counseling with a degree and certification. Bob Groeschell, who ran the drug counseling program at Seattle Central at the time that I went there, point blank told the students that about 87% of people (a classmate of mine insists to this day that he said 93%, but I will go low) who quit using drugs, do so on their own. Meaning that with all the facilities that Seattle already has only 7-13% of people who stop using drugs/alcohol, do so on their own. That is a dismal number. Then you have to look at what is considered stopping using a drug. This is a blurred line as one could site stats that more and more people are stopping using Heroin, without providing the stat that at the same time, more and more people are then going to methadone, which is actually harder to stop using than Heroin due in partly, because one withdrawals from methadone at a much slower timeline.  

      • Ron Swanson December 6, 2016 (4:08 pm)

        You do realize that morphine is one of the cheapest drugs possible to produce, right?  The reason junkies commit all this petty crime is that the price they pay is artificially inflated by the illegally of the marketplace.  Not much of a “burden on the average middle class taxpayer” to pay for it.  

        In fact, a significant savings for the taxpayer over dispatching EMTs to overdoses and paying for inpatient stays.  Similar to the concept behind ‘housing first’ for chronically alcoholic homeless.  Let them drink, better for society than constantly arresting them and hauling em to the drunk tank.

        • Armchair Wonk December 11, 2016 (11:13 am)

          I would grant that with legal and widely available opiates, the problems of property crime, overdoses, gang violence and destitution would largely go away. The fear is that the power of this drug will instead cause widespread corruption, falling productivity, and abuses of power by the bureaucrats who are able to administer the drug, against those who are dependent on it. Just think of what these drugs drive people to do, and it’s not hard to imagine.

          Now that the government is involved, this would no longer affect only the underworld but the whole of society, and could lead indirectly to many other problems. I think policy makers must be aware of the problems caused by prohibition, but they are more afraid of widespread addiction leading to a scenario like China’s century of humiliation, so they put up with the lesser evils of gangs and property crimes.

          Personally I think the current punitive system is not ideal and there’s a lot of inertia keeping bad policies in place, but ending the drug war is not as simple as legalizing all drugs.

  • Mike December 6, 2016 (8:59 am)

    He made a choice to sell heroine, now he deals with the consequences.  I feel bad for his kid(s) that their father decided they were not as important.

    • KBear December 6, 2016 (10:49 am)

      Mike, there’s no heroine in this story. It’s about a guy who was selling drugs.

  • BJ December 6, 2016 (9:28 am)

    Strange that they put together some expensive sting operation to stop one dude peddling small amounts of heroin.  You’d think they would have arrested him quietly and then tried to get him to flip on whoever he’s getting it from.  Amateurs.

  • Neigjbor December 6, 2016 (9:29 am)

    I find it really disturbing that people are bringing  up his child in such a public forum. His child is in this community right? Why are we victimizing her as well?  Hasn’t she been harmed enough at this point?

    @wsb-why protect other posters from being called out for obvious abuse yet allow this public outting of a child’s very personal  history?

  • Who cares December 6, 2016 (10:51 am)

    Life isn’t black and white. If you don’t want herpes.. wear a rubber, If you don’t want to got to jail… don’t be a drug dealer. None of this is affects dugs or drug abuse in the big picture. I’m sure the hipsters, homeless, and your mom will still get their drugs.

  • Pocket shock December 6, 2016 (11:12 am)

    Been reading some of these comments and I feel a need to really speak up on some of these posts.

    First of all, heroin is a sickness, people doing heroin are at the mercy of that drug.  It’s too easy for people who have never seen heroin’s ugly head first hand to dismiss addicts as just mere criminals.   They need help period.  This drug can take down any of you given the chance….you have no idea.  Empathy and treatment is what these people need, not prison.  And definitely not such violent opinions of them, by people who have never had to deal with this situation on a very personal level.

    That is not to say that what Mikey has done wasn’t terrible.  When I heard the news, I was devastated.  I’ve been going to the Pocket for 16 years, practically since I first moved to Seattle.  The staff and owners there are like family to me, and I knew Mikey.   Yes, what he did is awful and deserves punishment, but Mikey at heart was not a bad person.  He was tragic, but he wasn’t a monster.   

    “How many lives were destroyed by him?  How many people OD’d because of him?”  People doing heroin are already destroyed, if they have gotten to the point where they are doing heroin because they cannot control pain effectively or whatever other reason that set them on this path of escapism, then their addiction started long before someone like Mikey.  And I can guarantee you that he isn’t the only heroin dealer in West Seattle, if he was then what he was doing at the bar would have been more obvious to friends and family who frequent there much earlier than this incident.  

    Like I said, what Mikey has done is horrible.  My heart sank when I heard this news because the Corner Pocket and the Corner Pocket family has been a part of life.  They’ve seen me go through many changes, I’ve seen them go through many changes.  It is a cornerstone in West Seattle for artists, musicians, writers, photographers and bar and restaurant owners.  It was our home away from home, much like the tv show Cheers.  It’s a “bar fly” bar, which to some might seem a little “seedy”, it was part of this bar’s charm as it had remained the same for so long.  It is heartbreaking to think that I won’t be able to see all these people in one place if the Corner Pocket closes for good.  I feel for the staff of the Corner Pocket, who are now affected by this lapse of judgement on Mikey’s part, because they are collateral damage and innocent of Mikey’s actions.  

    There is a family in pain through all this also.  His mother, daughter and immediate family.  All of whom who have tried their hardest in the past to get Mikey back on the straight and narrow.  I am sure they are hurting also.  Mikey’s actions have changed the course of their lives.  It’s hard enough to have to go through something like that, but to have to read some of the scathing things that are being said about that bar and its patrons.  Shame on you!!!  NO ONE is safe from heroin addiction affecting their lives in this day and age when heroin use is increasing like never before.  

    I don’t care how perfect you think you are.  Look down on addicts like they are trash.  One day this could happen to you and I pray that you show that loved one the empathy you failed to give to the people affected by this tragedy.  

      

    • Double Dub Resident December 6, 2016 (12:43 pm)

      If you think I feel shame from your comments, I hate to disappoint you, because I do not. 

      • Pocket Shock December 6, 2016 (8:05 pm)

        Double dub, your opinions are your own, my post was mine.  There are a lot of conflicted feelings about what has happened.  I just put mine out there because I feel as strongly about my opinion as much as you do yours.  I’m not here to argue with anyone.  What he did was wrong on so many levels and I wish I had been more aware of it because I would have had a heart to heart with him if I had.  

  • Xana La Fuente December 6, 2016 (11:21 am)

    My fiance Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone ( Peal Jam ) died because ” good guys ” like him were always around with dope. Even though I moved him to a nice neighborhood -away from Capitol Hill/ downtown. He would not buy downtown but when it became available readily from a ” good guy ” in our neighborhood, he was off using again and dead. So good riddance! He needs help. And we all pay a lot to live in West Seattle and not have that carp right in our face. I could always tell he was high when I went in there, and like I commented on FB post, I just a few weeks ago saw him do a deal right out back in the lot behind Easy Street. I could not believe my eyes, and how brazen he was. He got sloppy and I hope they put in a nice bar with live music because that would be great right under Easy Street. Or a 24 hour diner like Lost Lakes! 

  • mfg December 6, 2016 (12:18 pm)

    Ron Swanson: Thank you for being a voice of reason and empathy.

    Also not mentioned in this discussion is the federal crackdown on physicians who are perceived as over-prescribing pain medication, for moral rather than medical reasons, and how it has fueled the demand for illegal painkillers like heroin.  For some with severe chronic pain, people like Mike are their only and last resort. As many Europeans understand, opioid addiction, like alcoholism, has been around for millennia, and treating it as a moral plague is backwards and shortsighted, benefitting no one. 

    Far more disturbing to me, though, is the comment from Scubafrog that anyone who defends someone like Mike should rot in jail. Really? Pol Pot, Joeseph Stalin, Kim Jong-un, Mao Zedong and Saddam Hussein would no doubt agree with you. Our founding fathers? Not so much. The very first sentence of the First Amendment was written and adopted to prevent exactly the kind of thing you’re suggesting from ever happening again, as it had under King George III, and many have given their lives to defend it since then. I only wish they’d given as much thought to the electoral college idea.

  • RarelyEver December 6, 2016 (12:40 pm)

    i loved having a space like the corner pocket to duck into for a few games of pool, especially if i had the run of the music box.  of course everyone who ever spent time at the CP knew mikey was dealing drugs, but the one time when i had too much to drink and thought it may be a good idea to ask if i could buy drugs, he looked at me and said, “honey, you don’t need no drugs”, and that was it.  he knew i’d never done any, and i guess he decided he wasn’t going to be the one to get me started.

    for anyone thinking that getting rid of mikey and the CP will get the drugs out of WS, you’ll be sadly disappointed.  

  • Ratpastry December 6, 2016 (1:33 pm)

    Many here have no knowledge or experience with drug addiction and definitely do not display the empathy for the lives of those entrapped in the endless painful cycle of addiction. It’s rather easy to point fingers and exclaim addicts and the likes of Mike should rot in jail and ‘good riddance!’ Yet 40 million people in the US suffer from this disease of addiction and it is a disease. That means someone you know,  a friend, family member or coworker is currently suffering from this affliction yet you (subjective you) choose to choose to stand on a very high horse and judge those who suffer.  

     Those who are helpless under this disease feel society’s disdain and scorn which makes it more difficult for them to seek the help they need to become productive members of society. People deserve as many chances as needed to get their lives back, their families back and to feel whole again. Putting them in jail doesn’t solve the addiction. Looking inward to your own pretentious contempt and discovering the lost empathy for another human being might help–through community efforts, health field involvement, and less criminalization–move society forward to a meaningful and productive solution to this  very human problem of addiction. 





     

    • Seattlite December 6, 2016 (1:59 pm)

      Ratpastry:  Tough love needs to come into the life and addict at some point.  The heroin addicts in my family are all dead.  One cocaine addict is still living but his brain is fried.  Wake up…taking drugs and becoming addicted is a choice made either from pure ignorance of not knowing the dangerous, life changing consequences or pure lack of love for one’s self.  Again, parents, schools, churches need to talk about the dangers of drugs and resulting addictions.  Who wants to live a life controlled by drugs and addiction…the answer should be no one.

  • KBear December 6, 2016 (1:51 pm)

    Also, having empathy for those who break the law does not mean you want them to get away with it. It just means you see them as human beings, even if they did screw up. If everyone were judged only by their worst mistakes, we’d all be worthless POS’s.

  • Christina Baker December 6, 2016 (3:40 pm)

     Stop commenting people. Stop talking about other people. Start talking about your stuff at your house. I’m certain that all of us have done things just as bad in different ways. Kindness, honesty,hope,faith,forgiveness,believing,giving and God are the only things that will stop the devil named addiction. Doing these things doesn’t mean you have to give a person in active addiction your personal information. Dealing with your own shit and being a kind person and telling people that you love and care about them is the only answer. I knew Mikey’s dad and he was a great guy so I’m sure Mikey is also. 

  • West Seattle Hipster December 6, 2016 (5:09 pm)

    From what I can gather, it appears that many of “Mikey”‘s customers have read this article and commented on it.  Why else would be people be defending an accused heroin dealer?

     

  • Long Time Resident December 6, 2016 (6:43 pm)

    It’s funny to see how many people try to act like he hasn’t been a huge POS for more than 20 years now. He was bad when he was a kid and he’s bad still. This was long overdue. 

  • #pocketforever December 6, 2016 (7:18 pm)

    As for me and many others in WS. We are pretty devastated at the closure of the corner pocket. Mikey deserves jail and and much  worse for selling drugs. In my head more so for getting the pocket shut down. I mean drug dealers are a dime a dozen and they will get busted and another will pop up right shortly after in another place. The pocket though there is not another one around i dont think the business itself deserves long term or permanent closure. The pocket only felt sketchy to some  people because yes its where the misfits and industry folk of WS came to BS after a long night at work. A place we came together to enjoy a game of darts or pool with a cold drink. As for people leaving drunk. Well its a bar and there are many more not quite like it where people will leave drunk that is just the nature of the bar scene. The bartenders here are like family. If you had too much you were cut off if you were having a bad day sometimes they would buy that first round. Im rambling here. My two cents is dont let the corner pocket go down with mikey. That place holds a very special place in the hearts of a large amount of the WS population.A good amount of Industry folks who work in the other bars and restaurants dont really feel like they have a place to go anymore.. Its just sad #pocketforever

  • wetone December 6, 2016 (8:15 pm)

     Makes me wonder if this place was washing a lot of drug money through the business ?  Really surprised legal system did not handle differently and work their way up the ladder going after bigger suppliers ?  Drug issues have increased hugely through out area over the last couple years such as heroin, lsd and many synthetic types. Can’t remember last time I heard of a BIG drug bust in this town ?  Seattle government is doing little to slow down increased criminal activity here and it really makes me wonder who is running the city and what groups are bringing the drugs into town ?  hum… won’t go there. Until Mayor Patchwork, Constantine and city council pull their heads out of the sand and start changing ways expect things to only get worse.  They can only hide Seattle’s problems so long….

    • WSB December 6, 2016 (8:19 pm)

      There are no allegations of that in anything that has been made public so far – the probable cause documents and also the liquor license suspension order, which I will be including in an upcoming story. If Michael Maine is charged, there may be more information in the charging papers beyond the initial narrative prepared for the weekend bail hearing.

    • Seattlite December 6, 2016 (8:37 pm)

       wetone…Thanks for telling it like it is…Seattle has so many unaddressed problems it makes one’s head spin.  Voters really need to wake up and start electing leaders who have skills.  PC has really tanked this city when comes to controlling crime, drugs.

  • Dragon in the dungeon December 6, 2016 (8:34 pm)

    There is a reason they boarded this place up for so many years when it was the Alaska Pipeline. Shootings, drugs etc… with no windows and ability to limit entrance and exit to one door it makes for a quaint little dungeon of shady behavior then and now. 

    • Seattlite December 6, 2016 (10:30 pm)

       Dragon…Does a one-door entrance/exit meet with Seattle’s fire code?  Just curious.

      • Taylor December 7, 2016 (1:48 pm)

        There are two doors in and out of that bar. The least known door is on the bus stop side. Used mainly as an exit. 

        • Dragon in the dungeon December 7, 2016 (3:07 pm)

          Hence the reason my original statement mentioned the ability to limit entry and exit to one door. Meaning the bus stop door or as you refer to it as the least known door because it more often than not remained locked over the years. Easier to know who’s coming and going and prevent walk outs on tabs when only one way in and out I figure. 

  • Already Left December 6, 2016 (10:05 pm)

    Drugs sold out of the CP???

    Only been happening on and off for the last decade plus.

    The place needed to get cleaned up. It was ok up until a couple years ago but went down hill as of late. It’s too bad, you could walk in on any Friday night and run into many long time west seattleites.

    The Junction needs a good dive bar though, hopefully something similar takes its place.

  • Dummy December 7, 2016 (9:16 am)

    R.i.p. becky odell herion kills

  • T Rex December 7, 2016 (1:08 pm)

    Addiction became a disease when it became a business. 

     By calling  any addiction a disease in my opinion is contributing to the” disease” by enabling the addict.  

     

  • E. Maine December 13, 2016 (8:51 pm)

    So many people so many opinions. What if I was to tell you after serving the search warrent for drugs at the Bar and at his residence that no drugs were found!  Mikey’s Mom who lives at the house which was raided offered up a little bit of Heroin that she had confiscated from his nephew and only had cause she did not know how to get rid of. Well the SPD at the house who she gave the little bit of Heroin was left and then found by the nephew. After finding the Heroin the Nephew went and used endimg up in a overdose. Pretty upsetting knowing they were there to arrrest  M. Maine for selling drugs, so they could help the community. The only drugs found they leave behind and end up in the hands of a addict who OD on them. M. Maine yes made a mistake from using bad judgement. Yes he had a rough time as a teenager getting into trouble but it seemed he had made a turn around and was doing better.  No one is perfect. From his mistake now the bartenders are out of jobs, J. Maine the owner and his mother are out of a buisness. J. Maine is a 70 year old teriffic person. If you know her she is one of the nicest people in the world and now is put out on the street because her son made a mistake. Now I dont know everything but nothing about that seems fare. M. Maine is being charged with his crimes and will do his time for those crimes, but for everyone else to have to pay for his bad decisions. I find it funny they call him a drug dealer and the only drugs that he sold was those to a undercover officer.

  • Anonymous December 24, 2016 (11:21 pm)

    You all sit behind a keyboard and bad mouth someone when none of you have walked in his shoes and correct me if I’m wrong which I know I am not who gave anyofyou to say your any better or cast judgment on anyone else aint one person on this blog is any better or any less then Mike so the degrading comments just make me think that you are the one with self esteem issue s

Sorry, comment time is over.