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21 December 2007 For Immediate Release Chicago, IL- Drug charges are killing Cook County courts! A new study done on the Criminal Courts Building at 26th St and California Av, which handles felonies, found that not only are the facilities inadequate but also that the entire criminal justice system is over burdened by nonviolent drug offenses. The report conducted by the Appleseed Fund for Justice was based on over 100 interviews with judges, lawyers and experts in criminal justice, 160 hours of observations in more than 550 proceedings in 25 courtrooms, plus surveys from state’s attorneys and public defenders, along with interviews with defendants and victims. More than half of the cases handled by the court were for nonviolent drug charges the report found. One prosecutor stated, “Drug cases have crippled the system.” Also the report illustrated that drug cases were handled in an assembly line fashion of plea-bargaining if they were heard at all, since first time offenders’ cases were usually dropped due to the vast amount. Not one public defender interviewed felt that drug cases were being handled properly. The report recommended that more money be allocated for the probation program, additional drug courts focusing on diversion/treatment programs and establishing a “post juvenile” category for young defendants age 18-25. Further recommendations include those found with small possessions of controlled substances should be averted from entering the court system through means of warnings and interventions. There was a brief mention of the difficulty, from a political standpoint, in decriminalizing small amounts of drugs for fear of being soft on crime. This report makes it clear that the current system is not working and now is the time to make small possessions of cannabis a citation similar to a parking ticket. This would benefit the courts, the public and the cannabis consumer. Cannabis prohibition is no different than alcohol prohibition and any problems related to cannabis abuse should be a public health issue, not a matter for the criminal justice system. If someone breaks a law under the influence of cannabis it should be treated the same as if they were under the influence of alcohol. Contact Dan Linn Executive Director, Illinois NORML
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847-341-0591 The Illinois chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Free Membership Offer to anyone arrested for a cannabis offense or lost opportunity from a drug test
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