Pubdate: Tue, 27 Nov 2012
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2012 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: Kurtis Lee

AURORA FORGOES SMALL POT CASES

Also, the City Will Dismiss All Pending Prosecutions.

Aurora police will no longer target people for small-scale marijuana 
offenses and the city will dismiss all pending prosecutions of such 
offenses, as municipalities all across Colorado continue to react to 
the passage of Amendment 64.

In an e-mail to the Police Department, Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates 
notes that a "municipal prosecutor is not likely to be able to obtain 
convictions for activity which will become lawful as early as 
December, when the Governor certifies the election."

The measure is set to go into effect 30 days after votes in the Nov. 
6 election are certified.

Still, in Arapahoe County - where much of Aurora is located-the 18th 
Judicial District is prosecuting such offenses until the new law goes 
into effect.

"We have traffic, petty offenses, misdemeanor and felony 
marijuana-related cases. Our senior attorneys have been discussing 
the implications of Amendment 64, but we will not make any policy 
changes," district office spokeswoman Casimir Spencer said in a statement.

Spencer added that the 18th District, the largest in Colorado, 
continues to have ongoing conversations with multiple agencies in the district.

"We just want to get a complete overview of what agencies want prior 
to making a policy decision," Spencer said.

Amendment 64 passed with about 53 percent public support in Arapahoe County.

Meanwhile, in the 17th Judicial District, which includes Broomfield 
and Adams counties, officials are dealing with possession matters on 
a caseby-case basis.

Oates adds that in Aurora, any of his officers who "encounter the 
scent of marijuana" are still considering it to be an indicator of 
potential criminal activity as it's still illegal to possess outside 
the Amendment 64 guidelines.

Two weeks ago, officials in Denver and Boulder announced they would 
no longer charge people over the age of 21 for possession of an ounce 
of marijuana or less.

Under Amendment 64 - which passed with more than 54 percent support 
statewide - adults can lawfully possess up to an ounce of marijuana 
and grow up to six plants.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom