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Racially Biased Arrests for Pot
New York Times ^ | June 15, 2013 | By Editorial Board

Posted on 06/15/2013 10:43:07 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee

Researchers have long known that African-Americans are more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites, even though studies have repeatedly shown that the two groups use the drug at similar rates.

New federal data, included in a study by the American Civil Liberties Union, now shows that the problem of racially biased arrests is far more extensive that was previously known — and is getting worse. The costly, ill-advised “war on marijuana” might fairly be described as a tool of racial oppression.

The study, based on law enforcement data from 50 states and the District of Columbia, is the most detailed of its kind so far. Marijuana arrests have risen sharply over the last two decades and now make up about half of all drug arrests in the United States. Of the more than eight million marijuana arrests made between 2001 and 2010, nearly 90 percent were for possession. There were nearly 900,000 marijuana arrests in 2010 — 300,000 more than for all violent crimes combined.

Nationally, African-Americans are nearly four times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession as whites. The disparity is even more pronounced in some states, including Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota, where African-Americans are about eight times as likely to be arrested. And in some counties around the country, blacks are 10, 15 or even 30 times as likely to be arrested. . .

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


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I suspect a lot of these marijuana arrests are related to gangs which are more prevalent in the Black community than elsewhere. In other cases marijuana charges could be secondary to the intent of the authorities' raid and warrant. The police arrest a man for murder and find pot in his house. Crime stats for 2010 had Blacks committing 14.82 murders per 100,000 populations versus 2.17 per 100,000 for whites.
1 posted on 06/15/2013 10:43:07 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
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To: Brad from Tennessee

I need a more reliable source than a blog called The New York Times.


2 posted on 06/15/2013 10:46:07 PM PDT by Mark (Obama is more confused than a hungry baby in a topless bar)
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To: Brad from Tennessee

0bama’s peeps need to get their act together.


3 posted on 06/15/2013 10:49:55 PM PDT by Paladin2 (;-))
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To: Brad from Tennessee

I’m beyond caring what happens to blacks as opposed to what happens to anyone else. That card/complaint has been played so often that it’s lost its relevance. We’ve been listening, and responding, to it for over 50 years.


4 posted on 06/15/2013 10:50:32 PM PDT by LouAvul (In a state of disbelief as to how liberals destroyed America in a mere 40 years.)
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To: Brad from Tennessee

i agree.


5 posted on 06/15/2013 10:55:49 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Brad from Tennessee

Who sells it?


6 posted on 06/15/2013 10:57:15 PM PDT by sickoflibs (To GOP : Any path to US citizenship IS putting them ahead in line. Stop lying about your position.)
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To: Mark

A blog called the NYT, how funny is that !

If 90 percent of the marijuana sold is sold to blacks, maybe they will have more arrests for it. One of my kids was arrested for it, and my kids aren’t black. Its a money driver for local townships. The fines were almost a 1000 dollars. Then add in the lawyers. About 2000 bucks for a joint. NYT can kiss my .....


7 posted on 06/15/2013 10:57:45 PM PDT by PA-RIVER
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To: Brad from Tennessee

Racially biased arrests for murder...assault ...robbery.....


8 posted on 06/15/2013 11:03:23 PM PDT by VanShuyten ("a shadow...draped nobly in the folds of a gorgeous eloquence.")
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To: Brad from Tennessee

A lot of drug busts are used merely to violate the perp’s parole on another matter, so it is disinginuous to say this total number of people are behind bars just for drugs.


9 posted on 06/15/2013 11:04:23 PM PDT by umgud (2A can't survive dem majorities)
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To: Brad from Tennessee

During law school, possibly the most informative bit of instruction in a substantive criminal law seminar was during a visit by an undercover narcotics squad member. He explained methods of operation, surveillance and interdiction of drug gangs in the Janesville WI/Rockford IL area. In typical fashion, one student asked the officer how he liked oppressing people of color by arresting so many blacks for being involved in the drug trade. The officer carefully explained that there was no conscious effort to arrest more blacks (than Hispanics, whites or Asians), but that because their business methods were so unsophisticated, it was much easier to apprehend blacks engaged in the same type of drug trade. He said the kind of transactions that white and Hispanic organized crime would conduct discretely, black drug merchants would do out in the open, making them exceptionally easy to arrest.


10 posted on 06/15/2013 11:15:13 PM PDT by Wally_Kalbacken
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To: Brad from Tennessee

Frankly Brad I don’t care

From what I have seen black criminals have crap IQs and get caught...a lot even their communities tolerate drug commerce....largely

If it helps...I saw dozens of profile stop Bonnaroo busts last week on 24....840....and ...65

All whites kids....cops in my opinion... acting like JBTs looking for concert dope

Not one black


11 posted on 06/15/2013 11:15:56 PM PDT by wardaddy (wanna know how my kin felt during Reconstruction in Mississippi, you fixin to find out firsthand)
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To: Secret Agent Man

Ha! Love that new tagline of yours!


12 posted on 06/15/2013 11:25:53 PM PDT by JennysCool (My hypocrisy goes only so far)
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To: wardaddy; Brad from Tennessee
Bonnaroo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


13 posted on 06/15/2013 11:30:34 PM PDT by BBell (And Now for Something Completely Different)
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To: Brad from Tennessee; All

In Washington, DC this spring, a white lawyer who mainly defends young black men for marijuana crimes was running for office. He pointed out that many of these were first time arrests, and that there were 2 1/2 time as many youth arrested for MJ as are graduating from High School in DC. He said a lot of these were simple possession for personal use arrests. Now there is a move in the DC Council to decriminalize MJ. I don’t know how typical this is of other cities with significant black populations.


14 posted on 06/15/2013 11:31:27 PM PDT by gleeaikin
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To: Wally_Kalbacken
but that because their business methods were so unsophisticated, it was much easier to apprehend blacks engaged in the same type of drug trade. He said the kind of transactions that white and Hispanic organized crime would conduct discretely, black drug merchants would do out in the open, making them exceptionally easy to arrest.

Yep, a casual dude selling Cocaine powder to secretaries, versus a Crack House with barred windows, a special metal door with a slit that says ARMED CRACK DEALERS, GUNS, PSYCHO KILLERS, PIT BULLS, EXPLOITED HOOKERS AND UNDERAGE GIRLS, DEATH, VIOLENCE, AND DRUGS!!!!!!!! all at this little house that this entire neighborhood is terrified of.

15 posted on 06/15/2013 11:45:05 PM PDT by ansel12 (Social liberalism/libertarianism, empowers, creates and imports, and breeds, economic liberals.)
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To: Brad from Tennessee

Re: “ Nationally, African-Americans are nearly four times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession as whites.”

I’m surprised it’s not higher.

I’ll bet 90% of possession arrests involve some other crime like DUI, outstanding warrants, or parole and probation violations.

My family was in the beach hotel business for 30 years in Florida.

Unless a serious crime has been committed, the beach cops just make kids dump their marijuana in the street or in the toilet.

But if you curse the officers or get physical, then it’s straight to jail.


16 posted on 06/15/2013 11:55:43 PM PDT by zeestephen
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To: Brad from Tennessee

From someone with a background in subprime auto finance I can guarantee you....blacks are 4 times as likely as whites to be driving with unlicensed, unregistered, uninspected cars that get pulled over and become drug charges. Not racism, reality.


17 posted on 06/16/2013 12:07:02 AM PDT by When do we get liberated? (A socialist is a communist who realizes he must suck at the tit of Capitalism.)
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To: Brad from Tennessee

I wonder if they’ll clue us in to the abortion rate of Black Women to White women and point out the Racism there.


18 posted on 06/16/2013 12:31:33 AM PDT by Usagi_yo
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To: Brad from Tennessee

A Canadian is 10 trillion times more likely to get his teeth knocked out by a hockey puck than an Egyptian mummy.


19 posted on 06/16/2013 1:23:36 AM PDT by haroldeveryman
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To: Mark

The New York times is the publicly agent for the DNC.


20 posted on 06/16/2013 1:27:12 AM PDT by NoLibZone (None here can be puzzled by why Jews walked into the cars so quietly-we are walking up the planks.)
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