Pubdate: Fri, 06 May 2016
Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL)
Copyright: 2016 Orlando Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/325
Note: Rarely prints out-of-state LTEs.

PASS PLAN TO SCALE BACK POT PENALTY

The Orlando City Council is scheduled to make an important decision 
Monday, one that could set the tone of law enforcement for years to 
come. A proposal by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to decriminalize 
possession of a small amount of marijuana in the city is set for final action.

The ordinance passed by a single vote in its first reading on April 
18. If the measure becomes law, it would give city police the 
authority to write a ticket to someone found with less than 20 grams 
(0.7 ounces) of marijuana rather than make an arrest. Several hundred 
people went to jail last year for just such a violation, and many may 
have ended up with a criminal record.

Dyer and some city commissioners think there is a more productive way 
to deal with those offenses. But the outcome is uncertain because 
powerful opposition has arisen and one of the prior "yes" votes might 
not be firm. City Commissioner Robert Stuart says he is going to seek 
two amendments to the proposed ordinance if it is to earn his 
continued support.

First, Stuart wants the fine to be increased from the proposed $50 to 
$100 for a first offense. Under that amended version, a second ticket 
would cost $200, and a third would require a court hearing where the 
fine could go even higher.

That should be an acceptable compromise. A larger penalty would 
reinforce the message that the city is not promoting marijuana use. 
And a $100 fine is in line with other jurisdictions that have enacted 
similar ordinances.

Stuart says his second request will be for the city to come up with a 
way to give police officers quick access to ordinance-violation 
records so that they know what kind of ticket to write. A searchable 
record of past violations already exists, so creating a new system 
should not be used as an excuse to delay implementation of the law.

This is no time for city commissioners to waver. Yes, drug use in the 
city and county is a serious challenge that arrest and incarceration 
have failed to deter. Yet the indelible stain of a criminal record 
for a minor drug offense only exacerbates the problem by erecting 
barriers on the path to rehabilitation.

This ordinance is really about appropriate punishment for the good of 
all segments of society. Once the debate focuses on that point, then 
Orlando, and we hope Orange County, can move forward.

Experimentation with marijuana is prevalent among American teens and 
young adults, according to statistics from drug agencies and 
researchers. It does not inevitably lead to addiction or use of more 
dangerous drugs. In fact, once people are past their 20s, the 
percentage using marijuana steadily declines.

So a compassionate city tries to avoid doing irreparable harm to its 
residents who make a mistake. Applicants with an arrest record even 
for a minor, nonviolent offense reduce their chances of a job offer 
or even an interview by 50 percent, according to a study by Princeton 
University researchers.

Even more troubling, there is a racial element to the statistics. 
"The magnitude of the criminal record penalty suffered by black 
applicants is roughly double the size of the penalty for whites with 
a record," the study reported.

Orlando should be helping its residents who stumble pick themselves 
up and contribute to their families and their communities. When city 
commissioners understand the stakes for getting this vote right, 
their path forward will be clear: Pass the ordinance.

[sidebar]

The Bottom Line

A proposal to allow tickets instead of arrests for small amounts of 
marijuana in Orlando deserves final approval.

A higher fine and record check are reasonable changes to the original proposal.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom