COUNTY PANEL OKS SOFTER MARIJUANA ORDINANCE

LA Crosse County Prosecutors Soon Might Have Another Option For
First-Time Marijuana Offenders.

Whether they'd use it is another matter.

The county board's Judiciary and Law Committee voted unanimously
Tuesday to recommend a new county ordinance against marijuana that
could be used instead of tougher state laws.

But District Attorney Scott Horne, who couldn't attend the committee
meeting, told the Tribune earlier Tuesday, "We won't use it."

Tuesday's vote came after a vigorous debate between the county's Drug
Court judge, a prosecutor, a drug investigator and county supervisors
about current marijuana prosecution and diversion practices.

"I'm not trying to encourage drug use," said Circuit Judge John
Perlich, who runs the Drug Court. The current system of charging
first-time offenders with misdemeanor possession takes too much time
for police, prosecutors and court workers, he said.

Ticketing first-time offenders for an ordinance violation would keep
them from having a criminal conviction on their records, which could
prevent them from getting an education, he said. And it would keep the
fines in the county, he said.

"We have to get smarter about where we spend our money," Perlich said.
"The current system encourages the kind of behavior we want to
discourage."

Deputy District Attorney Loralee Clark said they already have an
effective diversion program for first-time offenders with Unity House,
combining education with community service in exchange for having no
criminal charges filed.

Perlich called the Unity House program a "good idea," but said there's
too much paperwork involved and no evidence it cuts repeat offenses.

La Crosse County Sheriff's Investigator Fritz Leinfelder said every
methamphetamine and crack cocaine addict he's interviewed said they
started with marijuana.

"We have to look at the message we're sending that 'It's just
marijuana,'" said Leinfelder.

The ordinance now goes to the full county board for a first reading
May 18.

Final action could come in June.