A judge in Lafayette has decided to resign his position rather than enforce tougher anti-marijuana laws.
“I cannot in good conscience sit on the bench while being unwilling to enforce the municipal ordinances,” Frieling said in a resignation letter to city officials. “Specifically, since you have seen fit to increase the penalty for cannabis possession from a $100 fine (which matches the state penalty) to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail, I find that I am morally and ethically unable to sit as a judge for the city.”
Frieling continues.
Frieling said he was willing to enforce the old ordinance despite a personal belief that the war on marijuana is “ridiculous.” He said it makes no sense for cannabis to be illegal for adults who are allowed to drink alcohol, and the proposed penalty in Lafayette would set a bad precedent.
Is it possible that the end of prohibition is again in the air?
There are a lot of towns/cities named Lafayette in this country. After browsing through the article, it turns out this one’s in Colorado, not in Indiana as I first thought (that one is a college town and I went to that school).
A judge resigning on principle? I can’t believe there is actually a lawyer with a conscience.
Check the question against the old Ben Franklin close:
On one side we have the weight of medical science concluding cannabis to be no more dangerous (or less) than low-alcohol beverages like beer and wine : on the other side we have the weight of ignorance, bible-thumping fools and political opportunism.
Guess who wins?
That’s because the Tobacco industry needs another source of revenue.
Well he’s absolutly right. It’s extremly hard to make a convincing argument that cigarettes or alcohol are less harmful than marijuana.
cigarettes are clearly more addictive and far more carcingenic.
alcohol is far more toxic to the body.
I can’t think additional harm marijuana causes that can’t also be caused by smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol.
It might have had more impact if he declared the ordinance unconstitutional as cruel and unusual punishment. It sounds like that is the reason he resigned.
It’s a long, slippery slope, is the problem. If they admit they’ve been completely unjust and irrational about one aspect of the drug war, people may start to realize how much of the rest of it is fraudulent, too.
A lot of people from prison guards to execs at large international banks, politicians to cherry-picking property-seizing district attorneys – oh yeah, and not a few working criminals – have a lot riding on the black market’s continued existence.
Oh, and the U.S. congress has declared there is absolutely no medical benefit to pot. And the partisan Republican Supremes have upheld their right to legislate their own version of medical reality. Since when has congress ever admitted it had its collective head up its collective fundament about anything?
#6 – Wow, is that even an option for a municipal judge? The implications of such a ruling by that level of judge making it to the current, right-biased Supreme Court kinda make me glad he made his point by quitting.
Too bad the stoners will have forgotten about this a week from now.
Forgotten about what?
7,
Well said.
10,
I was just about to ask that question myself, but forgot what you asked.
Kof! Nothin’ gwan change roun ‘ere till
entire babylon shitstem topple…
Nope… Nothing is going to change…
Why?
Because instead of doing something about the problems we see in our world, we choose instead to sit around and complain that nothing is ever gonna change…
We deserve the world we make.
#5
Marihuana can significantly damage the quality of your sperm. There are other side effects too but I forgot.
#14 – You say bug, I say feature….
#14
That’s total BS. Link?
The propagandists used to say it made Mexicans and blacks lust after white woman too. Anything to spread FUD. You should be ashamed.
Motorcycle riding is dangerous. Let’s ban that. People are injured in all sorts of risky behavior, let’s list them all and ban them. People eat too much food so let’s pass out ration cards and forcefully limit caloric intake.
After all, if we can tell people what they can or can’t put into their bodies, there’s really nothing we can’t make people do for their own good.
#14 – The reports show that frequent smokers may have lower sperm counts and that there may be no long term damage. Plenty of marijuana smokers father children but maybe a few won’t be able to. So what gives you the right to forcefully prevent others from deciding to forgo having children and smoke pot instead? What other decisions do you think you have the right to make for people?
#17 – So what gives you the right to forcefully prevent others from deciding to forgo having children and smoke pot instead?
Jump back down off that high horse… Jesus…
Angel, believing the info was correct, presented a fact (it’s actually not true, but that isn’t important). It’s just info to consider. She didn’t say a damn thing about controlling or forcing anything on anyone.
I think Angel (#14) might be onto something. We are talking quality here.
All those pot smoking hippies from the ’60s. See how their children have grown up as brain damaged Republicans, neo-cons, and Evangelicals. True, this is anecdotal and not scientific, but shoot man, look around you. Anyone have a better explanation?
Economics will drive it. The cost of incarceration will force repeals of many narcotic laws. Remember there’s a whole industry of alcoholic beverage companies that are fighting reforms, along with a vast number of other industries attached to the war on drugs teat. That will slow any repeals.
I lived in Lafayette for a few years, the place is full of good spirited friendly people. It’s part gateway to cajun country, part college town and It sometimes seemed as everyone there gets high, as though it were alcohol. I held a decently professional position and even then I was absolutely surrounded by smokers; but not what you might call stoners.
Maybe it’s why they were all so nice to me. The spirit there reminds me of how New Orleanians remember New Orleans in the 70’s and maybe early 80’s. I think all the binging tourists (and now k) have destroyed our sense of fun.
I read someone’s cost analysis and revenue generation of a 25 year old working for McDonalds vs. a 25 year old doing time for drug possesion and he concluded over five years the convict was more of a benefit to the economy than the low wage worker.Sad.
“Marihuana can significantly damage the quality of your sperm.”
Well I can’t refute that through scientific knowledge, but on a practical level it certainly didn’t effect the quantity.
All my (smoker) kids and friends (smokers) kids and friends of friends kids are not any more of a pain in the ass than those kids of parents I know for a fact never smoked.
And besides what about those of us that have done the kid thing (in fact the grandkid thing is quite possible in less than 2 years) and lead productive normal lives. We run the risk of being labeled criminals based on laws that were enacted for the benefit of chemical/oil companies in the past. Doesn’t that sound so familar.(hello Music/Movie Industry)
19 – Jeez, that puzzled me for a long time. I think you may be onto something.
23 – If “Nth of the 49th” means you’re in Canada, you might be right too. Canada’s different. Everybody knows that. 😉
#21 – Matthew
Lafayette, Colorado is a “gateway to cajun country”?
mmmm – doughnuts!
Wait, (cough, cough) what were we talking about? Oh yea, its good to see that we have another potential member for LEAP.
#25, You know he was actually stopped in lafayette, louisiana and charged. I didn’t read this particular article and just assumed it was the same one. I think there’s a Lafayette in every state and Willie must be going for guiness book record.
http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5423209&nav=menu192_2_6_5
It’s my belief that the prohibition of light drugs like pot, marijuana or haschish (dunno how to spell it in english…haxixe?) does more harm than good. Even that I know for a fact that teens (I was one) would really do nothing all day other than smoke it, especially on that hard period where everything and everyone is against you and pot comes as an easy escape. But so comes alcohol. Prohibition forces people to go underground to get it. And the time spent hangin around sleazy joints, or hovering around dealers is really harmful. It exposes people to much harder and dangerous drugs.
I’ve seen plenty of hard drugs (never touched the stuff…) on these days, and had enough of people close to me lost forever or even dead to know that there’s a difference between hard and soft drugs, and to put them on the same bag is a bad thing.
And, for Pete’s sake, grow up… the kids are on meth these days, just old geezers do pot….
I smoked it once. I never felt anything but I sure could have used a 40lb. bag of Oreo’s.
#25, Al,
C’mon, Mathew already admitted he’s been smokin. Who needs directions when you’re just mellowing.