LANSING CRACKING DOWN ON MARIJUANA

Village To Handle Cases Involving Possession Of Less Than 10 Grams

LANSING -- People caught with less than 10 grams of marijuana in Lansing
will now face a village hearing officer instead of going to Cook County
Circuit Court in Markham.

The Village Board approved an ordinance last week outlawing the act in
Lansing, in addition to a state law regulating small amounts of the substance.

Police Chief Dan McDevitt sought the local law to give police another
enforcement tool. Markham judges view possession of less than 10 grams of
marijuana, a Class C misdemeanor in county court, as a minor crime they
would prefer not to adjudicate, McDevitt said.

"The courts in Markham would rather not get bogged down with such minor
offenses," he said. "This would give us another tool locally that we could
send to local court."

County judges did not actually request the ordinance, but McDevitt said
they and prosecutors approve of the village's new ordinance.

"I'm sure judges would find their time better spent on more serious
matters," he said. "That's why we checked with the state's attorney's
office, and they thought it was a good idea."

Under the ordinance, Lansing Municipal Court may enact fines of $50 to
$1,000 for each violation. Possession of cannabis is illegal unless
authorized by the state Department of Mental Health and Developmental
Disabilities, with approval of the Department of Law Enforcement, the
ordinance states.

Trustee Bob Ryan, chairman of the board's Ordinance Committee, called the
proposal a "great initiative."

"My understanding now is the Lansing Police Department is basically wasting
their time because these cases are not moving through the courts," Ryan said.

"This gives us something to use against small-time offenders," McDevitt said.

Trustee Jack Hoekstra, chairman of the board's Public Safety and Welfare
and Committee, said village officials have long wanted to move the
possession cases into local court.

"We've been discussing it for some time," Hoekstra said. "We're trying to
get the village court ready for this."

The supervising assistant state's attorney in Markham reviewed Lansing's
proposal, McDevitt said.

"He said a lot of villages have it," the chief said. "He saw no problem
with it."

Under the ordinance, violators will be charged with a local offense in lieu
of the state law, McDevitt said.