foothills/Eldorado Cnty Helicopter questions

In Eldorado County CA there is a law for medicinal growers which states that it is illegal to have both an indoor and an outdoor garden at the same time. I am wondering how they would inforce this? Also if a grower were to shut down an indoor grow and grow outdoors, what is preventing them from coming and searching your property anyway? They're lots of helicopters in the area and they fly all over looking for gardens. Some people put them out in the open and don't try to hide. Others hide them in the trees. What is smarter?
I have a few friends who got raided this past fall. They were growing what they were legally allowed to grow. They had there prescriptions displayed at the garden and visable from the sky. They were arrested anyway.
The Sheriff department suggests contacting them and letting them know what you are doing. That is clearly a bad idea from mny point of view as i have heard they will raid people even after doing that.

What do ya'll think. Anyone from the area?

Well I'm not saying I'm from that area.....but what happened to these people AFTER they were arrested.....were they prosecuted or did the sheriff just give them shit? How much WERE they arrested growing with?

PS....Quieter is better imo....I personally keep things on a "need to know" basis with leo.

They were arrested on the day of the raid with 11 lbs. they were legally allowed to have 8 lbs. according to the county laws. They confiscated everything, medicine, lights that were not being used indoors, and various paraphernalia......

They showed up at there court date over a month later and the case was not on the docket. So they assumed it was dropped. Then a few months later they get a letter in the mail telling them they have a new court date. WTF is that.

To make this story even weirder their neighbor is the guy who flies the copter for the feds.
The story goes this agent/friend of theirs helped to make it disappear.

So in the open with nothing to hide from the sky, or in the bushes....?

Yes I'd believe that.....a personal vendetta in the old boy network is pretty common in that area.....in MY humble opinion only.

I've never grown successfully outdoors (killed off all my plants) so I hesitate to offer you any specific ideas since it's your freedom on the line here....I will only say you can't be too careful and good luck.

I live in Placer county (directly north of Eldorado, and they generally cut down grows, but never charge medical users.. sometimes they cut the plants, and leave em, sometimes they cut em take em, and then if you go complain they'll give you X amount of dried cannabis. I know two people who have had grows busted in placer county only to be given a bunch of pot by the sheriff later on. They both had to file a civil suit to get the pot... but they got it... and their lights back... in one of the cases the grower was not satisfied with the product given to him so thew judge made the sheriff dept buy him better herb from a dispensary. i think due to this they are leaving grows alone more... but i would not have the medical cardfs or the grow in the open... medical cards give away grows that would otherwise go undiscovered.