NYC borough won't prosecute low-level pot offenses-Brooklyn

[hrmjustin]

AP

NEW YORK — Many of the thousands of people arrested on low-level marijuana possession charges in Brooklyn will likely get the cases dropped before even having to go to court, District Attorney Kenneth Thompson announced Tuesday in a novel move to address the heavy toll of pot arrests in the nation's largest city.

Many such cases have historically gotten dismissed anyway. But Thompson's new policy marks a departure by nixing the cases upfront, sparing arrestees time in custody and court — and sending a message that a DA is pushing forward a public discussion of pulling back from a spike in marijuana arrests citywide in recent decades.

"Given that these cases are ultimately — and predictably — dismissed, the burdens that they pose on the system and the individual are difficult to justify," he said. "We are pouring money into an endeavor that produces no public safety benefit."

Critics of the arrests have long made that argument, and some of the city's four other DAs have also expressed reservations. The Bronx and Manhattan DAs have backed legislative proposals to ease the bottom-tier pot possession law. But some DA offices, including Staten Island's, note that they're tasked with enforcing the laws.

http://online.wsj.com/article/AP3ebdb44d4ddc46a3a502c28f1b35fed9.html?mod=WSJ_NY_LEFTAPHeadlines

[In_The_Wind]

1. Excellent decision.