Pubdate: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 Source: Daily Freeman (Kingston, NY) Copyright: 2007 Daily Freeman Contact: http://www.dailyfreeman.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3269 Author: Hugh Reynolds, Political Editor Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) DA CANDIDATE SENNETT TAKES HEAT OVER MARIJUANA STANCE KINGSTON - Does Jonathan Sennett, the Democratic candidate for Ulster County district attorney, support the legalization of marijuana? It's not quite clear, but his two opponents don't. Sennett, an assistant Ulster County public defender, said during a Freeman interview that he favors "the further decriminalization" of the drug, but he fell short of advocating its "legalization" as he apparently had on at least two other occasions. His opponents, Republican Holley Carnright of Saugerties and Conservative/Independent Vincent Bradley Jr. of Kingston, say they heard Sennett, a New Paltz attorney, call for legalization twice - in September on a Woodstock public-access TV interview, and again on Oct. 3 at a joint appearance before the Ulster County Police Chiefs Association at the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center. Bradley was not present at the Woodstock interview with Carnright and Sennett. "Did he use the word 'legalization' (before the Police Chiefs Association)? Absolutely," said town of Ulster Police Chief Paul Watzka, who, using the Woodstock TV interview as context, posed the question to Sennett at the police chiefs' "meet the candidates" session. Watzka said he did not query Carnright or Bradley on the subject "because I knew how they stood." Bradley and Carnright were quick to inform the police chiefs they did not favor legalization of the drug. Possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use is now a violation, which Bradley called "the lowest form of crime," and subject to no more than a $100 fine. "I don't understand what (Sennett) means by 'decriminalization.' You can't get less than a violation. It's equivalent to an appearance ticket for jaywalking," said Bradley, a former Manhattan assistant district attorney. "He can dance all around it and blow smoke, but I think his message is clear, intended or not, that he doesn't think marijuana is any worse than tobacco. It is totally inappropriate for a DA to say that," said Carnright, a former chief assistant district attorney for Ulster County. "I think it's a bad idea. You can't be the DA and send out that kind of message. The message, especially to kids, is (marijuana) is bad for you. Any other message is inappropriate." Sennett, in a Freeman interview, compared the health risks of tobacco and alcohol abuse to those connected with marijuana. "The scientific evidence is pretty solid that marijuana is not more harmful than alcohol or tobacco," he said. Sennett, a former assistant district attorney in the Bronx, also observed that the alcohol and tobacco industries have extensive lobbies in Washington and Albany to protect their interests while marijuana does not. "I don't believe that a substance should be determined to be legal or illegal in inverse proportion to its lobbying effort. We don't prosecute people as felons for selling alcohol to kids," Sennett said. Sennett said it is up to the state Legislature to amend laws regarding marijuana and that he would enforce whatever laws are on the books. Watzka questioned that statement. "How could a district attorney who supports legalization of marijuana prosecute a case involving marijuana?" he said. Kingston Mayor James Sottile, a Bradley supporter, called the legalization of marijuana "a bad idea." "Here we have a candidate who says we have lost the war on drugs and gangs (which Sennett denies), and who wants to make marijuana legal," he said. "We're trying to take drug dealers off the street. Making it legal would only makes things worse." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman