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It's irrelevant if it's "bad". It's illegal, which means that at least in theory, law enforcement is supposed to pursue and prosecute it, since their mandate is

It's irrelevant if it's "bad". It's illegal, which means that at least in theory, law enforcement is supposed to pursue and prosecute it, since their mandate is to enforce the laws as passed by the legislative body, etc.

athaschangedda 9y ago
Unless you're in California, in which case you pick and choose what laws you pursue and prosecute even though as a state body you fall under federal laws.
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  > Unless you're in California, in which case you pick and choose what laws you pursue and prosecute even though as a state body you fall under federal laws. “State bodies” are not required to pursue and assist with enforcing federal laws, and are generally prohibited from prosecuting under then except when states have been granted special power to do so in federal law. These are fundamental features of the “dual sovereignty” federal system in the US (and the freedom of states to decline to enforce federal law was noted as far back as in cases related to the Fugitive Slave Act prior to the Civil War.) If the federal government wants to make laws, then it is also responsible for figuring out how to enforce them. Within certain bounds, it can bribe states to do it, but it can't command them to.
  - scurvy 9y ago
    writ of mandamus?
    - dragonwriter 9y ago
      A bare noun phrase is kind of vague as a question, but. > writ of mandamus? Yes, it exists. No, it doesn't obligate state bodies to “pursue” or “prosecute” violations of federal law.
- scurvy 9y ago
  Heroin is basically legal in San Francisco. Public injection is 100% tolerated by police (not by most citizens though). Police won't arrest you for buying heroin. DA certainly won't prosecute even if you are arrested. Hell, you can buy heroin directly in front of the Tenderloin police station. Not across the street, directly in front. de facto, I'd say heroin is basically legal in San Francisco.
merinowool 9y ago
If tomorrow there was a law to kill people listening to Nickelback. Would you support law enforcement killing those people, because it is the law?

athaschangedda 9y ago

Unless you're in California, in which case you pick and choose what laws you pursue and prosecute even though as a state body you fall under federal laws.

dragonwriter 9y ago
> Unless you're in California, in which case you pick and choose what laws you pursue and prosecute even though as a state body you fall under federal laws. “State bodies” are not required to pursue and assist with enforcing federal laws, and are generally prohibited from prosecuting under then except when states have been granted special power to do so in federal law. These are fundamental features of the “dual sovereignty” federal system in the US (and the freedom of states to decline to enforce federal law was noted as far back as in cases related to the Fugitive Slave Act prior to the Civil War.) If the federal government wants to make laws, then it is also responsible for figuring out how to enforce them. Within certain bounds, it can bribe states to do it, but it can't command them to.
- scurvy 9y ago
  writ of mandamus?
  - dragonwriter 9y ago
    A bare noun phrase is kind of vague as a question, but. > writ of mandamus? Yes, it exists. No, it doesn't obligate state bodies to “pursue” or “prosecute” violations of federal law.
scurvy 9y ago
Heroin is basically legal in San Francisco. Public injection is 100% tolerated by police (not by most citizens though). Police won't arrest you for buying heroin. DA certainly won't prosecute even if you are arrested. Hell, you can buy heroin directly in front of the Tenderloin police station. Not across the street, directly in front. de facto, I'd say heroin is basically legal in San Francisco.

merinowool 9y ago

If tomorrow there was a law to kill people listening to Nickelback. Would you support law enforcement killing those people, because it is the law?