New York City To Cut Down On Marijuana Arraignments

New York’s Mayor Bloomberg says the city will no longer book or hold for hours those arrested on marijuana-possession charges.

Starting next month, people who get picked up on charges of having a small amount of marijuana will be released with appearance tickets if they have identification and no open warrants, Bloomberg said, spotlighting the issue in his State of the City address amid debate over the tens of thousands of such arrests in the city each year.

Now, many of those arrested are booked and remain in custody until they go before a judge, a process that can take 24 to 36 hours. An appearance ticket, by contrast, means a person is freed until a future court date.

“It’s the right thing to do, and it will allow us to target police resources where they’re needed most,” Bloomberg said, adding that he continues to back a push to change state laws surrounding marijuana possession.

By: Cheston Catalano

Cheston Catalano is a Kentucky-based journalist whose work has been featured in the Chattanooga Times Free Press and the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle. He is a long-time contributor to Liberaland.