CHICAGO MAYOR URGES EASIER POT LAWS

Says Ticketing Would Save Police Resources

CHICAGO (AP) -- Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, a former prosecutor, runs the
third-largest U.S. city with a pragmatic, law-and-order style. So when he
starts complaining about the colossal waste of time and money involved in
prosecuting small-time marijuana cases, people take notice.

"This is absolutely a big deal," said Andy Ko, director of the Drug Policy
Reform Project for the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington state.

"You've got a mayor in a major American city ... coming out in favour of a
smart and fair and just drug policy."

What Daley did was to say late last month that a police sergeant was on to
something when he suggested that it might be better to impose fines of
between $250 and $1,000 US for possession of small amounts of marijuana
rather than prosecute the cases.

Sgt. Thomas Donegan determined that nearly 7,000 cases involving 2.5 grams
of pot or less were filed last year in Chicago. About 94 per cent were
dismissed.

Daley wondered if ticketing offenders might be smarter.

"If 99 per cent of the cases are thrown out and we have police officers
going (to court to testify in the cases), why?" the mayor said.

There was no public pressure for the mayor to speak out. He was asked by
reporters who had gotten wind of Donegan's findings and simply answered
their questions.

"While officers are doing everything to keep the streets safe, the offender
gets arrested and is walking the street in just a few hours," Donegan wrote
in his report. "To me, this is a slap in the face to the officers."

It's rare for anyone arrested for a small amount of marijuana to get the
maximum penalty in Illinois: 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine

Chicago wouldn't be the first U.S. city to reduce the penalty for
possessing a small amount of marijuana.

In Seattle, voters passed an initiative requiring law-enforcement officials
to make personal-use marijuana cases their lowest priority. In California
and Oregon, possession of a small amount is punishable by a fine of $100 to
$500. In Colorado, it's a petty offence with a fine of no more than $100.