New Jersey is arresting more people for marijuana than ever, ACLU report finds

[Warren DeMontague]

Last edited Fri Jun 16, 2017, 11:00 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/06/nj_is_arresting_more_people_for_marijuana_than_eve.html

The ACLU estimates New Jersey police agencies spend about $143 million per year to enforce the state's marijuana laws. Nine out of 10 arrests targeted marijuana users rather than dealers, the report found.

https://www.aclu-nj.org/theissues/criminaljustice/unequal-unfair-njs-war-marijuana-users/

https://www.aclu-nj.org/files/6614/9744/1887/2017_06_14_mj_rpt.pdf

Lee’s
story:
A Full-On Raid for Less Than an Ounce of Marijuana

It was Halloween night, and Lee’s four children,
between 5 and 11 at the time, were all at a family
party. With the house to themselves, Lee and his
wife were going to have a romantic evening.
It didn’t go according to plan.

Lee, a professional wedding singer and lifelong
Newarker in his late 40s, noticed a bright light in
the alleyway of his home in Newark, not far from
the border with Irvington. After asking through
a cracked window if everything was all right,
police officers responded that they were chasing
someone in the alley.

Seconds later, police in riot gear bashed in his
door. Lee immediately told the officers, who had
brought rifles and dogs, about the three small
baggies of marijuana in the bedroom. Together, they totaled less than an ounce.

The officers threw him and his wife, an employee of the public schools, onto the floor and
handcuffed them, both wearing only underwear. The police tore a door from the hinges and
ripped open pillows — even though the pillows had zippers, Lee said. Leaving a trail of holes
in the walls, the officers arrested Lee for marijuana possession.



(so much for "no one is being arrested in their own homes just for smoking pot" or whatever drug war apologia gibberish people like Kevin Sabet try to push)