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by kagua2 from montgomery county

Last Post 17 days, 22 hours Ago


Weed Woes
Aug 1, 2008 | 5:36 PM
Category: News
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Apparently, The Texas legislature has voted to decrease the penalty for possessing up to four ounces of marijuana from an arrest and trip to jail to a written citation. So far, Travis and Colorado Counties have implemented the law and Dallas County is preparing to do so. In Harris County, Sheriff Tommy Thomas opposes the law, stating that the offenders probably won't show up for court, resulting in an arrest warrant anyway and candidate Adrian Garcia states it sends the wrong message. District Attorney candidates, Dem Clarence Bradford and Republican Pat Lykos are not totally opposed, but haven't yet committed to a stance on the issue. Bradford believes it will free up the jails for serious offenders while Lykos believes that a person's life shouldn't be ruined by a small amount of pot. Personally, I believe pot should be decriminalized altogether, but writing citations instead of hauling people off to jail for a county sentence of six months to a year, with a possible fine is a step in the right direction. It is no secret that county jails in Texas (especially Harris) are overcrowded and poorly maintained. Most of the people that I know who partake are responsible and hard-working and use marijuana as an alternative to drinking in order to relax.
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Member Comments Total Comments: 8
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PBMom read my blog view my photos
Aug 1, 2008 | 10:42 PM

I see it as we have three issues. We want people who are committing serious crimes to serve their sentences and not be released early because of overcrowding, good behavior, etc. I believe these people won't wind up paying their citations either, but that shouldn't stop them from writing them. We could always look into a third option of ankle monitoring/house arrest/community service, especially for first offenses. However, despite prison overcrowding, no one wants to build more prisons because that usually means a bond or increased taxes. Basically we're playing the game of how many people can you put in a car; there is just so many people you can do it and even those they people committed crimes, making people sleep on top of one another, or underneath toilets is not right either. So why don't we look into creative sentencing for crimes that are less serious.
kagua2 read my blog
Aug 2, 2008 | 7:35 AM

I agree with your creative sentencing suggestion. You know what, though? After thinking about it, I thought that there is a very real possibility that someone driving around with a few joints may be impaired, potentially causing an accident. So, where does one draw the line between that and a DUI?
chassan read my blog view my photos
Aug 3, 2008 | 9:05 PM

Kagua,

I prefer to give officers the discretion to decide whether to run someone into jail, or whether to give him a ticket.

The real issue here is officer time. I don't believe an officer should be taken out of the field for two hours--that's what it takes--to write up and book an offender in the county jail for an offense like that.
Skyder read my blog view my photos
Aug 4, 2008 | 8:09 AM

It's no different than a speeding ticket. You are JUST as on the hook to pay that, or get a warrant issued against you. A ticket is just a ticket, and regardless of the offense, I still think people would pay the fine. I agree with Chassan, that it should be up to the officer to determine if the person is impaired (assuming they are driving).
If I had a choice of driving on the roads with stoners or drunks... I pick stoners everytime.
kagua2 read my blog
Aug 4, 2008 | 9:56 AM

Skyder, most stoners I know stay at home, get the munchies and fall asleep.
lanny read my blog
Aug 4, 2008 | 10:15 AM

I say write them a ticket and be done with it. WAY too much money is spent on these cases. Let It Go!
Skyder read my blog view my photos
Aug 4, 2008 | 10:31 AM

Kagua,
You forgot "and laugh at stupid TV shows". :)
kagua2 read my blog
Aug 4, 2008 | 7:02 PM

Or laugh at themselves! One time, I was at a friends house and her brother and his friends were in a bedroom, smoking. When one of the guys walked out, I asked him, " Joe, where are your feet?" He actually looked down at his feet and seemed to be pondering the question!
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kagua2

Married, 2 kids, very consumer rights-oriented. Into current events, entertainment, politics. Hard-core classic rock fan, especially music from the '60's and 70's. Animal lover. Transplanted Yankee since '89. My new avatar is a picture of my dog, Zoe, who some of you already know.

Member Since: 11/26/2007


 

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