Posted on 10/03/2004 7:19:07 PM PDT by Quick1
CHICAGO — Mayor Richard Daley (search), a former prosecutor, runs the nation's third-largest city with a pragmatic, law-and-order style. He wears his hair short, and you'll never catch him in a Grateful Dead T-shirt.
So when he starts complaining about the colossal waste of time and money involved in prosecuting small-time marijuana cases, people take notice.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Stupid idea but what the heck. We just can't downgrade our national character fast enough.
I'm all for it if Daley puts in a statute of limitations on unpaid (and undeserved) parking tickets. I'm getting bothered for stuff from the 1980s. No, I'm not making this up!!!!
What a stupid proposition from another liberal nut.
When 94% of the criminal cases involving possession are thrown out it makes sense to decriminalize simple possession and make it a ticketable offense. Get caught with a small amount of pot... pay a fine.
Prioritization needs to take place. We can't have cops spending time on non-violent drug crimes that are thrown out 94% of the time.
He must have been smoking when he tore up Megs Field in the middle of the nite, that little gem is going to cost him bigtime. He should worry about that instead! He makes me sick!
Libertarian druggie hat off now....
Only in America is alcohol legal and you end up serving a massive prison sentence for drinking and driving (which one shouldn't do anyway) but carry around a joint or more (which by the way is illegal) and you get slapped on the wrist!
Does this seem a little backwards to anyone else?
Until I drive across the median and kill you and your children because I am in possession of a joint, as opposed to being obliviously drunk, no, I don't see any oddity at all.
Whatever. Like I said, why not. There's not much morality left in this country anyway.
You're right, even getting a slap on the wrist for possessing a joint that doesn't hurt anyone makes no sense.
The way that I see it if you are high on pot or drunk on booze and kill an entire family driving a vehicle, it should be a criminal offense and sentencing should be:
PRISON for life!
But that wasn't the point I was making, the point is if someone is carry a joint they should only be fined. If someone is carrying a beer they should go straight to jail.
Go figure!
In which case, I agree completely.
I used "only in America" as a figure of speech! Please don't take it literally! Thanks.. I should have clarified a little better.
Still suckin up to the Chi unions.
Do they put you in jail in Chicago for just carrying a beer? Or is it that they put you in jail for public intoxication, which of course they could do no matter what substance you were intoxicated on? I think you have to distinguish between mere possession, consuming the substance in public, and public intoxication. There are important differences between the three. It does make sense in many cases to arrest people for public intoxication who are either dangerous or just a real annoyance to the public. Simple possession while one is in public does not warrant an arrest. As for consuming in public, I guess it depends on the circumstances. It seems like a ticket and confiscation, if that, would be enough in most cases.
Thank God we don't have Daley operating at the National level anymore.
That's ANOTHER reason to NOT elect democRATS!
Gore would have probably made him a cabinet secretary
This makes sense to me, the only racket to lose out is the drug/alcohol counseling places. Why tie up the courts and cops for some dude busted with a couple grams, fine him a couple hundred bucks and let him go about his business. The poor guy is still getting slapped down by big brother but hey, as long as uncle sam get get a few more dollars out of him all the better right.
Whats the matter? don't like the way it used to be when our constitution meant something?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.