Pubdate: Fri, 01 Aug 2014
Source: Seattle Times (WA)
Copyright: 2014 The Seattle Times Company
Contact:  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/409
Page: 16

CITY ATTORNEY SPEAKS OUT ON OFFICER'S POT TICKETING

Advocate of Legalization Discusses Enforcement of Ban

'It's About Getting People to Stop Smoking Marijuana in Public'

In the wake of news stories about a Seattle police officer under 
investigation for writing 80 percent of the tickets this year for 
using marijuana in public, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes on 
Thursday issued a statement outlining his position on enforcement of the ban.

In some cases, the officer added a notation to the tickets requesting 
the attention of "Petey Holmes," a strong advocate of pot 
legalization. Here is Holmes' statement: "In the wake of reports that 
a single Seattle police officer issued the bulk of tickets for 
smoking marijuana in public, I want to make sure that the public 
understands how this civil infraction came to be and why it must be 
applied fairly. I leave it to SPD's Office of Professional 
Responsibility and Chief Kathleen O'Toole to sort out the facts about 
the officer's conduct.

"When I-502 passed voters were promised that public marijuana use 
would remain illegal, but as a civil infraction rather than a crime.

"As an I-502 sponsor I also consider this my promise, which is why I 
supported writing the civil infraction into Seattle law.

"This isn't about fining people; it's about getting people to stop 
smoking marijuana in public, especially in crowded areas and places 
where families and children congregate. "At the same time City 
Council wisely recognized that even civil infractions can be issued 
in a racially disproportionate manner, much like the War on Drugs itself.

"That is why we have a reporting requirement to receive early 
indicators of any disproportionate enforcement.

"And I'm absolutely concerned about the numbers in the report showing 
disproportionality.

"I'm also concerned about inconsistent citywide enforcement with both 
warnings and tickets across the five precincts, which may also be an 
underlying factor in the first report.

"I support enforcing the law, I support warning people before 
ticketing them and only issuing a ticket if the warning doesn't work, 
and I support spreading enforcement efforts equitably across the city."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom