CANDIDATES SPLIT ON DRUG CASES

The Green Party's Candidate Says She Would Stop Prosecuting People For Drug
Possession.

Prosecution of drug offenses divided the two Dane County district attorney
candidates at a forum Thursday night.

District Attorney Brian Blanchard, a Democrat, said he will continue
prosecuting drug possession cases -- excluding minor marijuana possession.
But his opponent, Green Party candidate Sally Stix, said she won't
prosecute anyone for possession of drugs.

The two candidates face each other in the Nov. 2 election. The forum, held
at Edgewood College, was co-sponsored by Progressive Dane, a local
political party that is endorsing Stix.

Stix, a Madison attorney for the past 25 years, said she would prosecute
drug dealers.

But, she said, "I will not prosecute marijuana cases and I would have a
moratorium on all drug possession prosecution."

Blanchard, who has been the district attorney since 2000, said the county
needs to prosecute possession of drugs like heroin and cocaine to help
people overcome addictions. He said first-time drug offenders often can
choose treatment over a jail sentence.

"We can't decriminalize the prosecution of drugs," Blanchard said. "We have
a sensible drug policy now."

If elected, Stix said she would keep detailed records of the gender, age
and race of those in Dane County's jail in an effort to stop the
disproportionate number of minorities incarcerated.

"I want to make it a criminal justice system, not a criminal prosecution
system," Stix said.

Blanchard said his department undergoes training on race issues and is
looking for solutions.

If re-elected, Blanchard said he will continue his top priorities of
prosecuting for child abuse, domestic violence and drunken driving.

Stix said she would make it a priority to prosecute employers who skip out
on paying wages. She said Blanchard stopped prosecuting such cases in 2003,
citing budget constraints.

"These are often low-wage workers, immigrants or often people of color,"
Stix said of the affected employees.

Blanchard said he does prosecute those employers now but only if he can
prove it's a criminal case. Otherwise, those employees have to file a
complaint in small claims court.

Stix said that she would provide amnesty to anyone who called 911 to report
a drug overdose. But Blanchard said he could not promise that.

"You can't pre-judge the facts of any case," Blanchard said.