DRUG LAWS

Melton can't play judge, jury, too

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Frank Melton may have his heart in
the right place in wanting to go light on some teens arrested for drugs, but
it's really not the role of law enforcement to play judge and jury, too.

He told The Associated Press that some teens MBN has nabbed have been put
"on Plan B," as he called it, saying: "Now, I've told the kids - and this is
not legal but I'm going to continue to do it - that if they don't finish
high school, that if they're not enrolled in somebody's college in August, I
will pull those charges back up and I will prosecute them."

Admittedly, cops have some discretion in arrests. But as a policy, issues
such as equal application of the laws become involved. Anyone arrested has
recourse to legal counsel and the courts. Arbitrarily enforcing the law can
be an abuse of authority, undermining legal rights and the law.

Melton would do better to support the drug courts being set up statewide,
which actually do what he's talking about, with full legal rights and
responsibilities.