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March 01, 2008
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Cannabis decriminalization helping ease circuit court workloads, but increasing municipal court workloads
Posted by Gary Storck
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Last year we reported on Waukesha County’s decision to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis for first time offenders. Now, Sunday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports how counties are finding that while decriminalizing cannabis has eased congestion in circuit courts, it has added to it at the municipal level. The lesson here is if you want to ease court congestion, stop making cannabis possession a matter for the courts in the first place! Regulate it like alcohol for adult use.
From the March 2, 2008 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel click here
MUNICIPAL COURTS STAY BUSYEfforts to reduce Circuit Court congestion boost workload
By Jacqueline Seibel
Waukesha - People who work in any of the 16 municipal courts in Waukesha County can easily sum up a current trend: They are increasingly busy.
Development, legislative changes and special grants for law-enforcement crackdowns all have had an impact on municipal courts in the county, officials said.
Last November, the Waukesha County Board voted to decriminalize marijuana possession cases for first-time offenders. Those defendants now report to municipal court and face a maximum penalty of $1,000. Previously, all such cases were handled as misdemeanor offenses in Circuit Court, punishable by up to six months in jail.
Milwaukee County and several municipalities already have decriminalized first-time possession as a way to ease punishment for offenders, relieve Circuit Court congestion and keep any revenue from fines in the county.
Continues click here.
Posted by Gary at March 1, 2008 06:06 PM
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