cannabisnews.com: Bartlett Board OKs Village Ordinance Against MJ





Bartlett Board OKs Village Ordinance Against MJ
Posted by FoM on September 26, 1999 at 17:36:01 PT
By Matt Arado
Source: Daily Herald Online
The Bartlett Village Board has approved a law allowing police officers to issue village tickets for minor marijuana offenses.
The ordinance, which was requested by several police officers, would enable the department to enforce marijuana laws while and keep officers on the street as much as possible, Police Chief Dan Palmer said."It gives the officers another option," he said.The driving concern behind the measure is time. Arresting and processing an offender on a state marijuana charge can take as long as two hours, Palmer said.The process involves driving to the police station, fingerprinting and photographing the suspect, going through bond procedures and possible incarceration.The ordinance can only be used in cases involving 30 grams of marijuana or less. Fines levied under the ordinance can range from $50 to $750.Issuing a village ticket, though, would take a fraction of the time, and in most cases have the same result, Palmer said."They're still being cited. They're still appearing before a judge," he said. "And the fines are usually the same. This ordinance doesn't mean we're minimizing the offense."Officers will still have the discretion to make an arrest according to state law, depending on the subject's criminal history and the circumstances of the case.The measure passed on Tuesday with a 4-2 vote. Trustee Sally Hodge voted "present" during the roll call. Trustee Dennis Nolan voted against the measure."I think issuing a village ticket for a marijuana offense has a lesser effect," Nolan said. "It doesn't seem to fit with the village's 'zero tolerance' stance on drugs."September 26, 1999Daily Herald 
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