District
Attorney Kenneth Thompson announced back in July a new policy
in regards to marijuana possession. Under the new policy, the Kings County
District Attorneys Office in Brooklyn, New York will no longer prosecute
first-time offenders who were arrested for low-level misdemeanor marijuana
possession. Low-level possession is twenty-five
grams or less. DA Thompson’s policy reasons for this change
included making better use of limited resources, and preventing otherwise good
young men from being saddled with a criminal record due to a minor, non-violent
offense. Before the policy was in effect, seventy
percent of those arrested for marijuana possession in New York had no prior
criminal record. Furthermore, eight-five percent of those who were arrested,
were minorities, specifically blacks and
Hispanics. In 2012
alone, more than 12,000 people were arrested for small amounts of marijuana
possession. The District Attorney also
cited that most judges in the county already tended to dismiss Class B misdemeanor
marijuana possession, and that the focus should be on more serious crimes.
