MORE POT CASES COMING TO COURTS

Marijuana Prosecutions Rose By 60% In 2008, With Average Of 2 Cases
Filed Each Day

Marijuana prosecutions in Mendocino County increased by 60 percent
last year, further eroding the county's reputation as a haven for pot
growers and swamping the criminal justice system.

"It's a challenge," said Mendocino County Assistant District Attorney
Beth Norman. "We're filing an average of two cases a day every day."

The number of people being prosecuted for marijuana crimes increased
from 460 in 2007 to 734 in 2008, according to figures provided by the
Mendocino County Superior Court and District Attorney's Office.

Mendocino County Court Administrator Ben Stough said an increase was
noticeable to judges, who asked for the figures. The case surge has
not yet caused serious problems for court scheduling, but there's
concern that the number of people being sent to jail could cause
overcrowding, he said.

Marijuana advocates also have noticed the increase.

"Everyone has been saying things are rougher in Mendocino County,"
said Dale Gieringer, California coordinator of the National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

The spike in prosecutions coincides with growing public animosity
toward rampant pot cultivation in the county.

Voters in early 2008 approved a ballot initiative repealing Measure
G, Mendocino County's landmark 2000 ballot initiative decriminalizing
the growing up to 25 marijuana plants for personal use.

While Measure G did not have legal standing, its passage has been
credited with pressuring local officials to ease marijuana
enforcement and attracting pot growers from around the world to the
county.

That, combined with the statewide legalization of medical marijuana
in 1996, led to the proliferation of pot cultivation. Illicit pot
production in the county has been estimated at well over $500 million
a year.

Once-tolerant area residents increasingly began complaining about the
stench of ripening marijuana buds and increased traffic from apparent
pot sales. They also feared a rise in pot-related home invasion robberies.

Last week, Fort Bragg joined Ukiah, Willits and the county in placing
restrictions on medical marijuana growing.

A shift in law enforcement leadership also affected prosecutions,
said defense attorney Don Lipmanson.

He first noticed an increase in his marijuana cases in mid-2007, a
few months after newly elected Sheriff Tom Allman and District
Attorney Meredith Lintott were sworn into office.

"I was seeing this change of attitude and encouraging people to
reduce their numbers pretty drastically if they wanted to avoid
problems with the law," Lipmanson said.

Former District Attorney Norm Vroman and former Sheriff Tony Craver
were more lenient than the current administration, he said.

Judges also are making things tougher for his clients, handing down
stiffer sentences than before, he said.

Jail terms for some clients have increased by 30 to 60 days on
comparable offenses, Lipmanson said.

Marijuana growers cultivating large numbers of pot plants are at
least partly to blame for the backlash, Lipmanson said.

"The growers have been pushing the envelope awfully hard," he
said.

Law officials, however, said they haven't changed their
policies.

Allman said the enforcement focus remains on larger, commercial
production. But he said there have been more arrests, spurred largely
by public complaints.

Deputy District Attorney Katherine Houston said prosecutors also
haven't changed the way they treat marijuana cases.

What has changed is public attitude, she said. "We've never had that
support before."