Pubdate: Sat, 20 Sep 2014
Source: Lawrence Journal-World (KS)
Copyright: 2014 The Lawrence Journal-World
Contact:  http://www.ljworld.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1075
Author: Laurie Martin-Frydman

MARIJUANA CRIMES

To the editor:

Thanks for the article (Sept. 8) on our district attorney's attitude 
towards marijuana crimes. His acknowledgement that the black market 
(prohibition) creates potential danger for marijuana sellers is spot 
on, but his assertion that sellers are targeted by law enforcement 
for their own protection seems a bit off the mark - unless those his 
office has sent to prison are thanking Charles Branson for keeping 
them safe. Unlikely.

Maybe one contributing factor to the potential danger for sellers is 
how armed home invaders fare in court - sometimes getting plea 
agreements resulting in probation. In one high-profile case, the 
defendant received probation, a waiver from the requirement to 
register as a violent offender, and a record that omitted the fact 
that a gun was used in the commission of the crime. That sends a 
stern message to would-be armed robbers!

Branson states that marijuana possession cases are not a high 
priority, but those transgressions are certainly not overlooked. 
Individuals are arrested and charged routinely. Others are not 
arrested but are instead pressured into acting as confidential 
informants. That's the way our drug enforcement unit works.

Finally, I think the policy allowing the police and the prosecutor's 
office to split the bounty of forfeitures in drug cases (85 percent 
to the police; 15 percent to the DA's office) is unethical. It also 
raises questions about how criminal cases are prioritized. Branson 
appointed an attorney to specialize in forfeiture cases (thus 
quadrupling the amount of property/cash forfeited in four years). 
That puts the DA's office and the police in the position of profiting 
from the arrests of the very pot sellers they say they are trying to 
keep safe from street robbers.

Laurie Martin-Frydman, Lawrence
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom