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Hooray for the Cook County Board! Boos to Todd Stroger!

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* You won’t see that headline too often here, or anywhere else. But credit where credit is due…

If you’re busted carrying a small amount of marijuana in portions of Cook County patrolled by the sheriff’s police, you may get off with just a ticket.

In a move that caught the sheriff’s office off guard, the county board on Tuesday voted to decriminalize possession of less than 10 grams of pot in unincorporated areas of Cook County. Those are the parts of the county not claimed by Chicago or its suburbs.

The measure, which needs to be approved by Board President Todd Stroger to take effect, gives sheriff’s police and sheriff’s deputies patrolling the unincorporated areas the latitude to arrest a suspect on a misdemeanor charge or, under the new ordinance, hit them with a $200 ticket if they’re carrying 10 grams or less. […]

The ticket option also means a bust won’t result in a criminal record. It was unclear, however, what might happen to repeat offenders.

I’d rather see them just forget the ticket altogether, but that’s at least some progress. What’s the point in locking somebody up solely for possessing a small amount of marijuana?…

“Why bog down the courts with that kind of thing when we can just charge them a little fine instead? That’s what this ordinance in the state allows us to do, to charge them a little fine, and then we will collect the fine rather than them charging them, taking them to the jail lockup, having them the next morning show up in court, and then bogging down the system, and they take the fine,” said Commissioner Earlean Collins, chief sponsor of the measure

I don’t often agree with Commissioner Collins, but she’s right.

*** UPDATE *** Cook County Board President Todd Stroger reacts this morning…

“Off the top of my head, I don’t think it’s such a great idea. I’m not really an advocate of trying to decriminalize the drug that people start before they move on to the higher stuff.”

The man is clueless. But we knew that already.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 5:25 am

Comments

OK, for all practical purposes, and for the benefit of guys like me….how many joints would 10 grams make? Trying to get some context to this.

Comment by You Go Boy Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 7:21 am
Is there a map of the areas that are patrolled by Cook County Sheriff’s police?

These will now be the safest places to ‘hook up’ with like-minded people.

So if you are living in an unsafe area (where this measure isn’t in effect), like the city…it will be better to commute and take your business to an area where this is safer & more accepted.

Comment by Leroy Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 7:26 am
According to Google, there are 28 grams in an ounce.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 7:28 am
If they are worried about clogging up the court systems with these violations, try banning red light cameras. I’ve heard from a number of folks who have contested these tickets at administrative law hearings who have had their court experiences last an entire day.

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 7:51 am
For one, I cringe whenever hearing the “pot is a gateway drug” canard. Anecdotally, I’ve neither seen nor heard of evidence indicating such a link. I think it’s way overblown.

Furthermore, I’m surprised that the Chicago and Cook Co. tax eaters would be so reluctant to, at a bare minimum, consider decriminalization. And if it eases the burden on law enforcement and the judicial system while adding a few bucks into the system, it’s a trade off I’m willing to accept.

Our societal views on marijuana are simply too archaic and Puritanical, considering the times.

Comment by The Doc Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 8:15 am
The Toddler: “I’m not really an advocate of trying to decriminalize the drug that people start before they move on to the higher stuff.”

Is he suggesting that we criminalize alcohol again? Because booze is the drug he’s describing.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 8:51 am
This makes sense simply from a practical matter. In 2003, there were approximately 14,000 cases of marijuana possession involving amounts of 10 grams or less. Just under 88% of those cases (yeah, 88%) were thrown out.

Oh by the way, for amounts of 2.5 grams or less, over 90% of those cases were thrown out in 2003. I guess my point it, its already common practice, now it’s just being written down.

Comment by Obamarama Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 8:54 am
Wow! Live near a Cook County Forest Preserve? Guess what? Everyday is going to be Farmer’s Market Day from now on!

If you don’t like the impact enforcing the law has, let’s see how well you like the impact when it isn’t enforced.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 9:07 am
The law is being enforced, implying it is not is just factless fear mongering.

We are enfrocing the law here the same way we do for most traffic violations, with a ticket and a fine. This way the enforcement action costs a lot less, has the potential to generate more income, and is proportional to the problem.

More people are killed by cars then from marijuana use, so if we want to protect the public with proportional response to offesne, we need to start by getting rid of tickets and instead moving to arreast everyone for traffic violations - improper turns, lane useage etc.

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 9:16 am
===More people are killed by cars then from marijuana use===

More people are killed by falling icicles, lightning, and Chupacabra attacks than from marijuana too.

Comment by Obamarama Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 9:21 am
according to an earlier story Commissioner Collins decieded to legalize pot after her grandson was arrested for possession and had his car impounded. Will crook co be legalizing rape if Collins grandson commits that crime next. As usual with crook co its just bad goverment. I do think decriminalizing pot is a good idea I just really think the fact that her grandson was arrested for weed so lets make it legal is a terrible way to run goverment.

Comment by Fed up Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 9:23 am
write tickets for a fine, pay for the really bad dudes in the Jail. come on Dart, do the right thing and just ticket! get caught with
10 grams or less, Raise County Revenue!

Comment by Amy Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 9:26 am
It’s hard to believe we’re having this conversation when the South and West sides are nightly shooting galleries, revolving largely around the crack cocaine and heroin trades.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 9:28 am
Rich, thank God only policy wonks and political nerds read your blog. The vitriol that comes from you and your media drinking buddies is an unfair shame before God. Stroger has the best financial standing of any government in the state. You are so blinded by your bias that you, the newspaper writers, the TV outlets and all Stroger opponents would not give President Stroger credit if he was Jesus Christ. How about some fair coverage, you do not have to drink the kool aid or tow the any thing that Stroger does is bad line.

Comment by Malcolm Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 10:05 am
Vanilla Man,

Earlean Collins has many forest preserve areas in her district, maybe she will get kickbacks on the Farmers Market days, she may also have higher incidents of people being caught with pot. (or may be tied with Deborah Sims District, or a close second)

Todd Stroger most likely will veto the tax rollback, he still has not found the money to pay for the estimated $200K of overtime (now the actual amount is $365 and climbing) for the Burr Oak Cemetery investigation, and this could be his reasoning sympathy card

Comment by Third Generation Chicago Native Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 10:13 am
For what it’s worth, many of the suburbs in Cook County already have local ordinances identical to the standard that the county would now enforce.

So all this does is bring those unincorporated areas into compliance with the incorporated areas.

The idea that the county board took some radical action here is ridiculous.

-30-

Comment by Gregory Tejeda Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 10:31 am
It Stroger had come up with this idea in the first place Rich and the others would ridicule him for trying to decriminalize pot. Perhaps some imput from the sheriff might be in order? give the guy a break for a day. If you feel the need to pick on someone why don’t you start with Pat Quinn. He makes Stroger look real good. He wanted to raise our income taxes by 50% and did not catch too much flak from the media. Give the guy a day off. It really gets old after a while. Spend a little more time examining the time bomb awaiting the taxpayers of our fair state and you will forget about Stroger.

Comment by steamer Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 10:34 am
This is poor public policy.

Comment by Broadsword Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 10:43 am
it passed the county board, people are talking about it, this is not an invitation to bash Stroger for the sake of bashing. it’s government and we talk about it. so….

have not read the legislation (if you can call what the County passes legislation and not words on paper passed around a room), but, this is a cost effective way of dealing with the problem. diverts people from any jail time, raises the money needed to pay for law enforcement that is doing a job.

come on Mr. Stroger, get smart, and DO NOT veto it!

Comment by Amy Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 11:38 am
so Dart says he found out about the legislation from a reporter.
doesn’t he have someone watching Board legislation for him?
Also, he’s questioning whether pot is a gateway drug. it’s legal for medicine in many places, mr. sheriff…..

Comment by Amy Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 12:07 pm
Fed up, they did not legalise anything, so the foundation of your entire point is wrong.

Since you jumped to the whole rape thing you might toss in hitler and drowning puppies to further distarct form getting the facts wrong.

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 12:28 pm
Just out of curiosity…are there any drawbacks to smoking pot?

Everything I read on the internet makes it sound like there are only benefits, and keeping it from people is the real detriment. Are there any long term health issues that result from long term smoking? Or is it all just solid upside?

Comment by Leroy Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 1:17 pm
Emerging science has concluded that people in their 60s, 70.s and 89,s who have and do smoke pot are old.

Comment by A Citizen Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 1:27 pm
==I’m not really an advocate of trying to decriminalize the drug that people start before they move on to the higher stuff.==

You mean milk? White bread? Which starter drug are you talking about?

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 3:05 pm
- Anon -
My problems began over six decades ago with Mother’s Milk. It’s been downhill ever since.

Comment by A Citizen Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 3:27 pm
obviously you do not have teenagers. just wait!

Comment by mother of teenagers Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 4:25 pm
mot, my daughter is 22.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 4:32 pm
Now that Mayor Daley has basically voiced his disapproval of this new county law, are you anti-Stroger people going to beat up the Mayor as you do Todd Stroger. If you want to know who is clueless its Earlean Collins, basically that was said in May when she flip-flop on the sales tax. However, we are going to continue to use Stroger as the punching bag to everything wrong with Illinois Government and its subdivisions?

Comment by me Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 4:34 pm
The Mayor Daley’s beef (as he has been all over news radio today) is that there is no smoking in this State, so why should we be supportive of smoking anything. He went on to say “Where are they going to smoke?”

By the way before Cook County, then Illinois a little later became non smoking, Springfield was smokeless well before then. It was nice to eat out in Springfield and not have the stench of smoke to get out of your clothes.

Comment by Third Generation Chicago Native Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 5:00 pm
mayor daley you are just wrong on this one. ask a cop, who would you rather pull over, a drunk or a stoner? the drunk is way more likely to be violent. the stoner will ask for food.

Comment by Amy Wednesday, Jul 22, 09 @ 6:36 pm
Amy, my friend who was a deputy sheriff in Montana says the same thing!! He would much rather arrest a stoner (who will ask you NINE MILLION times if you can stop at McDonald’s on your way to the jail) than a drunk who thinks he’s going to kick the cop’s @*$ and teach that cop a lesson!

Comment by Lynn S Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 11:24 pm