MONTPELIER -- Two weeks after lowering criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday approved a bill that boosts the fines and jail times for possessing heroin and cocaine. The new proposal, which passed the committee in a 5-0 vote, lowers the levels of possession for the two illegal drugs at which trafficking charges would kick in -- thereby boosting the penalties a person could face when arrested. Sen. Richard Sears, D-Bennington, the chairman of the committee, said the bill is directly targeted at stopping the inflow of hard drugs into Vermont from larger, out-of-state cities in Massachusetts, New York and Canada. [continues 743 words]
MONTPELIER -- The mayors of Barre and Rutland joined Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie in opposing a bill that lowers the criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana, warning that it is a step backward in the battle against drugs. Dubie, who presided over the Vermont Senate last week as it easily passed a bill removing jail time for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana, said Friday Vermont's prosecutors told him they worry the bill will make their jobs harder. [continues 801 words]
The debate on the state's marijuana laws and the Rutland City debate on police overtime are essentially the same. In both cases, the debate is over what the best use of limited police resources and how the state should be wielding its power. At the state level, the discussion was triggered largely by the decision of Windsor County Attorney Bobby Sands to send a case involving a judge growing and possessing marijuana to diversion. The eventual upshot is the state Senate passing a bill decriminalizing possession of up to an ounce of marijuana. That still needs to pass the House and the governor's desk to become law, but it's a sound, common-sense measure. [continues 379 words]
Vermont senators got it backward when the upper house passed a bill that reduces the penalty for possessing small amounts of marijuana and ordered a study to see if the state's drug laws are working. It makes little sense to change a law without knowing the effectiveness of current laws. The bill the Senate passed 22-7 Wednesday would send those caught with an ounce or less of marijuana to court diversion and offer them a chance to keep their records clean. [continues 404 words]
MONTPELIER The mayors of Barre and Rutland joined Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie on Friday in opposing a bill that lowers the criminal penalties for small amounts of marijuana, warning that it is a step backwards in the battle against drug use. Dubie, who presided over the Vermont Senate this week as it easily passed a bill removing jail time for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana, said Friday that Vermont's prosecutors told him they worry the bill will make their jobs harder. [continues 820 words]
MONTPELIER -- A bill that would end jail terms for first- and second-time offenders caught with small amounts of marijuana won final approval in the state Senate on Thursday. Senate action on the marijuana bill came after members rejected an amendment offered by Sen. George Coppenrath, R-Caledonia, that would have given state's attorneys the option of charging those caught with an ounce or less with a crime or sending them to a court diversion program through which they would not have a criminal record. Instead the bill leaves the decision of whether to accept diversion up to the defendant. The measure goes to the House, where the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Rep. William Lippert, D-Hinesburg, said Thursday he hadn't read it and couldn't predict its fate. [end]
This morning in my paper I read this: "More than 20 speakers took a hard look from multiple angles at Rutland's newly declared war on drugs and violent crime during a packed-house special meeting of the city aldermen on Thursday." Go, Rutland! Then I turn a few pages and read this: "The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill Thursday that strips jail time out as a possible penalty for most people arrested with small amounts of marijuana (one ounce or less) ... This version would ensure that an arrest does not appear on a person's criminal record -- thereby not putting in jeopardy their ability to secure public housing, job opportunities, or financial assistance." [continues 332 words]
ESSEX JUNCTION -- More than two dozen people -- teens, police officers, educators and legislators -- braved Thursday night's wintry weather to discuss how a law to decriminalize marijuana could affect Essex's youth. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 4-1 last week to lessen penalties for those caught with an ounce or less of the drug. Such offenders would be eligible for court diversion, a process by which their criminal record could be erased. Essex CHIPS director Ray Coffey showed a series of slides depicting the possible dangers of marijuana. The adults in the room echoed similar warnings and stressed that decriminalization was not legalization. Eventually, Essex Junction Rep. Tim Jerman, a Democrat, opened up the floor to the kids. [continues 308 words]
I would like to congratulate the mayor of Rutland on his swift action on behalf of the people of his city. It has become obvious that violent organized drug crime is making Rutland County a scary place to live. The level of the violence that has happened in the county over the last two years is unprecedented in this county. The state of Vermont and the federal government cannot expect the Rutland City Police Department, or the small local police departments, to foot the bill and provide the resources to stop or even slow the influx of organized crime coming from New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and parts beyond. Rutland City just by the nature of its location as a city located on the major east-west corridor, between New York and Maine, and the north south corridor between Montreal and major cities in southern New England, makes it the ideal area to set up distribution points for the drug cartels. This county and this city need support from the governments beyond our own local governments. [continues 119 words]
I strongly agree, the relatively safe God-given plant cannabis (kaneh bosm marijuana) should be "legal completely" (Burlington Says 'Nope' To Dope, Jan. 29, 2008) and one reason that doesn't get mentioned is because it is biblically correct according to Christ God Our Father. The Ecologician indicates He created all the seed-bearing plants, saying they are all good, on literally the very first page. The only biblical restriction placed on cannabis is that it is to be accepted with thankfulness (see 1 Timothy 4:1-5). Respectfully, Stan White Dillon, CO [end]
MONTPELIER -- Those who wanted marijuana legalized didn't get their way Thursday. Neither did those who wanted the Senate Judiciary Committee to leave the marijuana possession laws alone. The committee voted 4-1 to tweak the penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana. No longer would jail time be an option for those caught with an ounce or less. Instead, all such offenders would be eligible for court diversion, a process by which their criminal record could be erased. "I know a lot of people wanted decriminalization. We're not going to do that," said Sen. Richard Sears, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "This is better than decriminalization." [continues 433 words]
It was a mixed day for the cannabis plant in Montpelier Thursday. The Vermont House of Representatives came one step closer to passing a bill that would legalize the cultivation of industrial hemp, though the state law would have no practical effect unless a federal ban is repealed. The Senate Judiciary committee, meanwhile, voted 4-1 in favor of a bill that would decrease some penalties for the possession of small amounts of marijuana -- though the committee sawed most of the teeth off the original, wide-ranging decriminalization bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Jeanette White, D-Windham. [continues 552 words]
MONTPELIER -- In the past couple weeks, the Senate Judiciary Committee has listened to hours of testimony about decriminalizing marijuana. They've heard some people say the state is consuming valuable law enforcement time pursuing users of a harmless drug who should not be branded as criminals. They've heard others counter all those arguments. Committee Chairman Richard Sears, D-Bennington, emerged from testimony Friday thinking he's not inclined to decriminalize marijuana, as the proposed legislation that launched the debate would do. He would, however, support eliminating jail time as a possibility for first-time possession of 2 ounces or less and allowing all such defendants to go through court diversion and receive no criminal record. [continues 447 words]
The Clover Leaf Is More Than A Good Luck Symbol For Some These Days. That image, along with others like kittens and the Adidas logo, have been misappropriated by illicit drug manufacturers in Canada. The colored branding images are used to popularize a new drug being exported into the United States: Ecstasy mixed with methamphetamine. The powders of the two drugs are pressed into pill form and smuggled across the U.S. border, according to law enforcement officials. Approximately 2 million tablets a week are manufactured in Canada, federal authorities say. [continues 1125 words]
MONTPELIER -- A controversial plant moved through the Statehouse without much controversy Wednesday. Lawmakers in the House Agriculture Committee unanimously approved a bill that would allow Vermont farmers to grow hemp, a benign cousin of marijuana that boasts a variety of industrial applications. A federal statute criminalizing the plant supercedes Vermont's legislation, so Green Mountain hemp won't go to sprout anytime soon. But advocates of the hemp bill say it positions local farmers to capitalize on the potentially profitable crop if and when the Drug Enforcement Administration finally relents. [continues 349 words]
The Burlington City Council voted last Tuesday against the ballot question that would decriminalize small quantities of marijuana possession locally. Backed by councilmen Ed Adrian and Timothy Ashe, the proposal failed 7-6, which means it will not be brought to voters for the Town Meeting Day elections in March. The measure was initially introduced as a local topic, then divided to allow the legislature to consider the issue. "It could come up again," Adrian said. "We got a commitment from the council to entertain a discussion, on the local level, on how we might come up with other options, other than the criminal justice system." Ashe said. "The council did not want to go to the voters because they feel [that] the state is going to take up the discussion." [continues 342 words]
Interest in reform of the state's marijuana laws drew a sizable crowd to a Senate hearing last week, suggesting widespread dissatisfaction with current policy. But as they address the issue, senators ought to view it less as a cultural litmus test than as one piece of a larger review of state corrections and criminal justice policy. At one end of the debate are the marijuana advocates who decry the failure of "prohibition" and defend the unalienable right to get high. That is not what this debate is about. [continues 561 words]
Inside the Statehouse, mounted to a wall in the House Agriculture Committee room, is a World War II-era poster asking patriotic citizens to "Grow Hemp for the War." The framed relic harkens back to a time when hemp flourished as one of the country's premier agricultural commodities. Thomas Jefferson himself called hemp a "first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country." The first two drafts of the U.S. Constitution were penned on hemp paper. Hemp's reputation has since fallen on hard times. A victim of guilt by genetic association, hemp was outlawed after World War II in an effort to clamp down on its psychotropic cousin, marijuana. [continues 442 words]
The Burlington City Council narrowly defeated a watered-down ballot question on decriminalization of marijuana that would have asked the governor and Legislature "to explore an alternative to the criminal system for dealing with small quantities of marijuana." The measure, sponsored by Ed Adrian, D-Ward 1, and Tim Ashe, P-Ward 3, failed 7-6 in a vote late Tuesday night. Those supporting the resolution were: Adrian; Ashe; Clarence Davis, P-Ward 3; Russ Ellis, D-Ward 4; Joan Shannon, D-Ward 5; and Andy Montroll, D-Ward 6. [continues 228 words]
Senate Panel To Consider Drug Issues MONTPELIER -- What Dr. Kathleen Daye really wants is for Vermont to legalize marijuana. She'll take it one step at a time, though, and travel to the Statehouse on Wednesday to urge legislators to decriminalize possession of the drug. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing Wednesday evening of two pieces of legislation -- one that would decriminalize small amounts of marijuana and one that would toughen penalties for trafficking heroin and cocaine. "I think both are public policy issues that ought to be explored," said committee Chairman Richard Sears, D-Bennington. [continues 525 words]
Thank you for publishing Attorneys Robert Sand's and Daniel Sedon's very thoughtful essays in the Sunday Perspective section Jan. 6 on the serious legal and social harm resulting from marijuana prohibition. I am writing to encourage continued discussion and to add a few points. First, as a doctor, I know that marijuana is a safe, effective and inexpensive medication. It relieves nausea and pain. It is not addictive. There is no risk of death by overdose. Marijuana's effects on mental processes are temporary. It does not cause brain damage. [continues 150 words]
Before the "Let's decriminalize marijuana" train leaves the station here in Vermont, I think that legislators and others should think about the potential impact on Vermont should we declare marijuana to be legal or decriminalized. Advocates for the decriminalization of marijuana have argued that we are losing the war on drugs. They argue that the jails are being filled with these minor offenders and that our resources are not being used wisely. As a prosecutor of 30 years I can unequivocally state that such claims are extreme exaggerations or outright lies. These advocates cannot show me a case in Vermont where a person went to jail solely for the possession of a small amount of pot. I have sent hundreds of people to diversion for such an offense. In diversion they are asked to do some counseling and community service in exchange for their case being dismissed. [continues 504 words]
MONTPELIER - Senate lawmakers will consider a bill making it a civil, not criminal, offense to possess small amounts of marijuana. At the same time, they will also look at a second bill increasing the penalties for possessing heroin and cocaine by reducing the amount possessed that constitutes "trafficking." The moves come following months of public debate on the efficacy and social and fiscal costs of Vermont's drug policies and whether it makes sense to decriminalize marijuana. Sen. Richard Sears, D-Bennington, has scheduled a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the evening of Jan. 23 to hear from members of the public who have concerns about Vermont's drug policies. [continues 793 words]
Consider this. In your right hand you hold green, dried plant material, an illegal drug believed by many to be highly dangerous, a gateway to even more pernicious substances, a drug not suitable for alternative court processes, and one that needs a strong, punitive, criminal justice response. In your left hand you hold green, dried plant material ingested by many, recognized by state legislatures for its medicinal value, suitable for court diversion and appropriate for humor (recall how two state officials described a large quantity of marijuana as enough to keep a UVM fraternity happy for a year and then some). [continues 299 words]
WHY IS POT CULTIVATION FOR PERSONAL USE ILLEGAL? Now that the governor and Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand have essentially agreed to disagree about marijuana prosecutions in Windsor County, perhaps the time is right to toss out a much more fundamental question: Why is marijuana cultivation for personal use illegal at all? Specifically, why can't responsible, tax-paying, adult citizens of this state grow marijuana for their own use on their own property if they wish to? I realize this will strike some as a naive question and leave others spluttering mad, but in the end there really is no good, much less constitutional, reason for this conduct being prohibited. [continues 1306 words]
Now that the governor and Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand have essentially agreed to disagree about marijuana prosecutions in Windsor County, perhaps the time is right to toss out a much more fundamental question: Why is marijuana cultivation for personal use illegal at all? Specifically, why can't responsible, tax-paying, adult citizens of this state grow marijuana for their own use on their own property if they wish to? I realize this will strike some as a naive question and leave others spluttering mad, but in the end there really is no good, much less constitutional, reason for this conduct being prohibited. It's helpful to first review a recent controversy: Martha Davis, a 61-year-old attorney and part-time judge from Windsor, was found in possession of growing implements and a sizeable quantity of marijuana. Her case was sent to Court Diversion, a community-based program that allows people who have never been in trouble before to avoid a criminal conviction by taking responsibility for their offense and making reparations to the victim and the community. [continues 1238 words]
We lost the so called "War on Drugs" a long time ago and it's time to introduce a little common sense. Gov. Jim Douglas' spat with Windsor County prosecutor Robert Sand brought this issue to our attention just recently. I think that the Vermont Lottery does more harm to Vermont citizens than smoking marijuana. The Lottery Commissioner always shouts, "Please play responsibly!" while he and his staff are dreaming up more games to fleece those people who can least afford to lose the money. [continues 543 words]
When the U.S. Sentencing Commission voted recently to allow retroactive reconsideration of some drug convictions, it was wisely chipping away at the edifice of injustice put in place as part of the nation's war on drugs. The commission is the federal agency that sets sentencing guidelines for the federal courts. The commission is part of the judicial branch, but its actions are not immune to the pressures and constraints of politics. Its members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, and if the guidelines it promulgates clash too dramatically with the preferred policies of the administration in power or of the party in control of Congress, commission members could feel the heat. [continues 401 words]
Montpelier, Vt. -- For almost two decades, the Vermont Corrections Department has grappled with ever larger numbers of inmates being sent their way. New prisons have been built, cutting-edge social programs designed to keep people from needing prison have been implemented and inmates have been sent to other states for long-term, less expensive housing. Yet, despite occasional pauses in the rate of growth, the number of people in state custody has continued to grow. In an era of fiscal prudence, the Legislature has regularly funded double-digit increases to keep pace. [continues 904 words]
If the Democrats are looking for a compelling candidate to run against Jim Douglas, I suggest they put forth Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand. His position on our wrong-headed, Draconian drug laws demonstrates that he is not only a clear-thinking person but one who's willing to take a principled position, despite the potential fallout. I would like to know more about his thoughts on global warming and our illegal, unprovoked invasion of Iraq. Meanwhile, congratulations to those attorneys who signed Friday's "War On Drugs" petition in The Times Argus. Strat Douthat, Montpelier [end]
Gov. Jim Douglas on Tuesday lifted the order he gave last month for state law enforcement agencies to refer significant first-time marijuana cases away from Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand. Douglas announced that he's satisfied Sand will not treat all such cases by sending them to court diversion, as he did with a recent felony marijuana case. The truce came after an e-mail exchange Tuesday between Sand and Susanne Young, the governor's legal counsel, in which Sand clarified that he doesn't have a blanket policy for handling cases. [continues 553 words]
Gov. James Douglas on Tuesday rescinded his policy of bypassing Windsor County State Attorney Robert Sand's office for the prosecution of major marijuana possession cases. Douglas said Tuesday afternoon he was "heartened" to hear this week that Sand, who supports the decriminalization of marijuana, does not have a "blanket policy" to send possession cases to the court diversion program. Coupled with Sand's recent meeting with Windsor County law enforcement to discuss his views on drug cases, Douglas said he was satisfied the prosecutor does not have a "one size fits all" policy. [continues 900 words]
MONTPELIER - Gov. James Douglas said Friday he does not see a contradiction in his handling of two major marijuana busts - one of which he criticized for alleged leniency and the other that he didn't. This fall, when Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand, a Democrat, approved court diversion for a Windsor lawyer arrested with more than two pounds of pot and 32 growing plants, Douglas, a Republican, ordered state law enforcement to send all future marijuana cases from that county to state prosecutors. [continues 744 words]
WHITE RIVER JCT. -- Under fire over his handling of a felony marijuana case, Windsor County's pro-legalization prosecutor met with county police chiefs to discuss how they will process similar cases in the future. State's Attorney Robert Sand spent about 90 minutes with the chiefs Tuesday in what participants called a frank discussion about his handling of the Martha Davis case. Sand was criticized for allowing Davis -- a lawyer and former part-time judge -- to enroll in a court diversion program after her Oct. 10 arrest on felony marijuana cultivation charges. Davis, 61, was charged after game wardens looking for a dead deer she had reported on her Windsor property allegedly found marijuana plants and 2-1/2 pounds of the drug. [continues 389 words]
I am writing in support of Robert Sand, the Windsor County state's attorney, for offering diversion to Martha Davis, a 61-year-old woman without any criminal record. I do not know Ms. Davis, but it appears that she is not a drug dealer and is not a threat to anyone. I do know Bobby Sand. He is a good prosecutor with years of experience dealing with all types of cases. He is tough when necessary, but also fair, honest and decent. [continues 364 words]
At least two Times-Argus letter writers have made false claims lately regarding the supposed harmlessness of marijuana. Walter Carpenter claims that "marijuana does far less harm than cigarettes," and Clancy DeSmit asserts that "We all know that alcohol and/or tobacco are far more harmful to individuals and society than marijuana." We do? Actually, not. Contrary to perceived hippie lore, marijuana has been shown in numerous scientific studies to be both far more harmful to the lungs and immune system than cigarette smoke and more damaging to brain function and learning ability than comparable alcohol use. [continues 230 words]
In response to the Wednesday, Nov. 14 article titled "Lawmakers jump to prosecutor's defense," to me, it seems strange that the governor's office can respond to dozens of calls in as drastic a measure as usurping Mr. Sand's ability to reduce harm to society, financially, socially and morally as well as the cost to the voters and working folks of Windsor County. I have met Mr. Sand on several occasions and found him to be a clear, conscientious and articulate person. The good folks of Windsor County are fortunate to have a forward-thinking servant that's all about reducing costs and harm to society and better focusing on harm against persons or property. [continues 185 words]
I am writing in support of Robert Sand, Windsor County State's Attorney. It's important for our elected officials to speak out and speak truth to power. Robert Sand is courageous and people should listen to what he has to say about marijuana. We need to change the law. We need to think more progressively. State law continues to incarcerate Vermonters who use, possess, cultivate or distribute marijuana. This is a waste of taxpayer money. These people are committing nonviolent crimes, and they are contributing to the overcrowding population of our prisons. It also causes violent offenders to be let out because of this overcrowding. [continues 143 words]
Is it actually legal for a governor to order the by-passing of a county prosecutor, as Gov. Douglas did with Windsor County Attorney Bobby Sand? Or can the governor just do whatever he or she wants in regard to county attorneys and their decisions? If so, then what is the point of continually trying to pretend that we are actually a democracy? As a previous letter-writer in the Times-Argus on the same issue said, "Windsor County prosecutor Bobby Sand has opened the door to finally have an open, science-based discussion about "drugs" and "drug" policy in our state." That person is right. Marijuana does far less harm than cigarettes, for instance, which are still legal, and which kill tens of thousands of people every year (my mother was one of last year's statistics, dying of lung cancer caused by a lifetime of smoking cigarettes) and cost the states excessive amounts of money to care for people with long-term illnesses that cigarettes cause. Yet, cigarettes are legal, while marijuana is considered an illegal and dangerous drug worthy of jail sentences and criminal records for its users. After all, cigarette makers do have more lobbying clout than marijuana growers or importers. [continues 57 words]
Gov. Jim Douglas may have thought he was scoring points for next November when he jumped into the middle of the Great Windsor County Marijuana Case, but the pot and the plot are definitely thickening. Martha Davis, a Woodstock Generation lawyer and part-time family court judge who called Fish & Wildlife over a dead deer, got popped for the 2 1/2 pounds and 32 small marijuana plants the officials discovered on her property. State's Attorney Bobby Sand, a decriminalization advocate, gave the first-time offender a shot at court diversion. [continues 517 words]
MONTPELIER -- Franklin Billings Jr., a former chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, said Friday that Gov. James Douglas was wrong to tell state law enforcement officers to not take significant marijuana cases from the office of Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand. "I think the prosecutors have the sole discretion, or they should have," said Billings, a Republican and former speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives. "He certainly has a right to speak his piece," Billings said of the governor. "You don't throw everybody in jail because they are charged with a crime. You have to look at every case." [continues 441 words]
Last week Gov. Douglas demonstrated he would rather grab a sound byte than enter into discussion to change failed policy. The war on drugs is failed policy. Windsor County State's Attorney Robert L. Sand is trying to start a dialogue to deal with this failed policy. In response to Sand's efforts, Gov. Douglas ordered law enforcement officers to send Windsor County drug cases to Bill Sorrell, Attorney General for the State of Vermont, instead of to Sand. To give a sense of the dialogue Mr. Sand wants to start, I give up my column to his op-ed piece, originally printed in January and February 2007 in the Rutland Herald, the Barre Times Argus, and the Valley News of White River Junction. [continues 649 words]
Windsor county prosecutor Robby Sand has opened the door to finally have an open, science-based discussion about "drugs" and "drug" policy in our state. ("Pot possession case referred to diversion," Nov. 6) The mere reality that marijuana is in the same schedule as heroin should be enough to question our current policies. In my opinion, marijuana is in many ways the "cash cow" for many drug enforcement agencies. And at the same time is a large waste of police time and energy. I'm sure taxpayers would rather have their police force solving and preventing violent crimes instead of spending time testing and arresting someone for a "leafy green substance" as it's called in news story after news story. It takes up court time, and the arrested often ends up with only probation. [continues 63 words]
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION -- It all started when Martha Davis called authorities about the dead deer she found on her property. When a game warden responded and went looking for it, he spotted marijuana plants in a backyard flower bed, triggering a series of events that led to the arrest of the lawyer, a prosecutor's decision to go easy on her and the subsequent intervention of an outraged Gov. Jim Douglas. Now, supporters of Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand are speaking out on his behalf in a case that has renewed debate about Vermont drug policy and ignited concerns about political interference. [continues 816 words]
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION -- Most of the Windsor County legislative delegation has called on Gov. James Douglas to withdraw his directive against Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand over his controversial decision to refer a marijuana possession case to court diversion. "Our concern is based on the integrity of county government, voters' rights and the well-established legal principle of prosecutorial discretion," read a portion of the two-page letter, signed by Sen. John Campbell, D-Windsor, Sen. Richard McCormack, D-Windsor, and 11 House members, all Democrats or Progressives. [continues 480 words]
The Progressive Party had four morning breakout sessions on its convention agenda. One on "Agriculture." One on "Economic Development & Tax Reform." Another on "Health Care," and a fourth on "Drug Policy & Correcting Corrections." According to the printed agenda, the drug-policy session was to have been moderated by Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand -- someone in the news last week. But State Chair Martha Abbott informed the delegates that State's Attorney Sand had called her the night before and informed her he would not be able to make it as planned. [continues 434 words]
BRATTLEBORO -- Windham County's two Democratic state senators say they intend to push for the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana when the Legislature reconvenes in January. Sen. Jeanette White, D-Windham, plans to introduce a bill that would make possession of small quantities of marijuana a civil, rather than a criminal, offense. While she said the details of the bill are still being worked out, those caught with "a couple ounces" of marijuana would face fines rather than jail time -- and the offense would not appear on their criminal record. [continues 700 words]
Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand may catch some heat for sending a Windsor lawyer and part-time judge to court diversion rather than facing a felony marijuana charge. But the case is a good example of the useful and constructive purposes that diversion programs serve. Martha Davis is a 61-year-old lawyer who sometimes serves as an acting judge in Windsor County Family Court. Her entanglement with the law began when she notified the Fish and Wildlife office that there was a dead deer on her property. Fish and Wildlife personnel found deer guts, but not the deer, and they found something else - marijuana growing on Davis's property. Subsequently, authorities found 32 marijuana plants inside her house. [continues 437 words]
Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand has been trying for years to stimulate a discussion about how we handle crimes involving drugs. Gov. James Douglas now has obliged him. Sand gained notice last week when he decided that a 61-year-old Windsor lawyer and part-time family court judge would go to diversion rather than face felony drug charges after authorities found two and a half pounds of marijuana at her house. Douglas responded to that decision by ordering state police to direct all drug cases in Windsor County to the attorney general or to the U.S. attorney instead of to Sand. [continues 654 words]
The Court Administrator's office has rescinded Windsor attorney Martha Davis' approval to act as a part-time family court judge. Lee Suskin, the court administrator, said Friday that Judge Amy Davenport, who is the state's administrative judge, had removed Davis' name from the list of approved attorneys who may be called in to sit on family court cases in White River Junction. "She is no longer on a list of eligible lawyers," Suskin said, noting Davis had been removed because of the charges filed against her for cultivation and possession of marijuana. [continues 213 words]
Inside Vermont
