6 ms·
The judge issue is understated. Local judges who can throw out this evidence get elected without challenge and often by relatively small numbers of voters. Judg
by namelessoracle 5y ago
The judge issue is understated. Local judges who can throw out this evidence get elected without challenge and often by relatively small numbers of voters. Judges are often voted in during an off season so voter turnout is tiny. But i used to joke that if about 50 percent of a local university turned up to vote for a judge they could easily de facto make marijuana legal in their area.
- samatman 5y agoIt's no joke! Ann Arbor Michigan had the most liberal cannabis laws in the United States for a couple decades running, it was a $5 fine for personal use quantities. In the late 80s (IIRC) a Republican on the city council tried to change this, campaign promise or something. The council said "hmm, yeah, it costs us more to process this paperwork than we get in fines" and raised it to $20 or $25.
- mhh__ 5y agoIn the UK we seem to have similar problems where what is considered personal use and not worth enforcing seems to be suspiciously dependant on the users societal class. I know people literally growing the stuff next to their house, but because they have a nice big garden and some local stature they'd face no consequences, whereas in the same county I'd never get away with that because I live in a suburb. Legalise it and tax it folks.
- lifeisstillgood 5y ago>>> Legalise it and tax it folks. Can't we just enforce the law equally without fear or favour?
- EvRev 5y agoIt is just a plant
- lifeisstillgood 5y agoOk I am on the wrong side of HN on this, but question - are drug laws more harmful because they exist or harmful because of the unequal and discriminatory enforcement? If a law is used to systematically keep a section of society in its place (poverty, race, class whatever) then it kind of does not matter if the laws are repealed - the systemic abuse will continue some other way. If those in society who are not systematically on the wrong side of the law, but are otherwise inconvenienced by access to drugs, then they see only upside. If however we work to enforce the law equally, whatever the law is, we see all sorts of benefits. Kick down doors in penthouses in manhatten using ten SWAT officers and two helicopters, and we shall see re-evaluation of those tactics and those laws, but only if we apply the law equally. Justice without Mercy. My new campaign slogan
- samatman 5y agoThey exist because of the unequal and discriminatory enforcement so it's a pretty naive question.
- ticviking 5y agoThe single most important issue in the US is getting our elections to be on the same date for all levels. The nonsense that is "democratically" voted for in elections where a handful of interested parties vote for it and no one else knows it happens is astonishing. Especially for judges and infrastructure bonds.
- Larrikin 5y agoIt seems like it should be a requirement and very easy for state and local governments to publish calendars. I did a quick search and was excited that Chicago published an iCal until I looked and saw that there were zero items on the calendar going forward or backward six months https://chicagoelections.gov/en/calendar.html https://chicagoelections.gov/en/calendar.html
- mannerheim 5y agoMost countries don't elect judges or prosecutors. Seems like a case where less democracy is desirable rather than more. https://www.thedailybeast.com/its-too-dangerous-to-elect-prosecutors https://www.thedailybeast.com/its-too-dangerous-to-elect-pro...
- nhoughto 5y agoyeah seems like a strange thing to want to turn into a popularity contest.
- gnopgnip 5y agoThe alternative to being elected is they are (effectively) appointed by the elected officials. Either system has tradeoffs.
- Ekaros 5y agoWhy should elected officials have any say who is in judiciary branch any attempt should be shotdown and maybe get attempters shot. It's clear way to corruption.