Pubdate: Thu, 21 Apr 2016
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI)
Copyright: 2016 Journal Sentinel Inc.
Contact: http://www.jsonline.com/general/30627794.html
Website: http://www.jsonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/265
Author: Joshua Uller

STOP PROSECUTING MINOR MARIJUANA CASES

Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm has announced he is running 
for re-election ("Milwaukee County DA Chisholm announces re-election 
bid," April 19).

To kick off his campaign, he hosted a campaign fund-raising event on 
April 20, or 4/20, a day heralded by the movement for reform of our 
country's marijuana laws. Perhaps Chisholm can celebrate both his 
campaign kickoff and 4/20 by announcing that his office will no 
longer criminally prosecute marijuana possession cases or 
distribution cases involving small amounts of marijuana.

For too long, this country's draconian marijuana laws have allowed 
police to prey on minority and disadvantaged communities and turn 
good, normal people into criminals. I've seen too many 18-year-olds 
without prior records saddled with felony convictions for selling a 
$20 bag of weed. For many of these people, the deck is already 
stacked against them. That felony conviction makes it nearly 
impossible for that person to live a normal life on a living wage, 
let alone accomplish the American dream and achieve great success.

These laws have facilitated this era's Jim Crow. The mass 
incarceration crisis and the disparate treatment of minorities in the 
criminal justice system is the civil rights issue of our generation. 
As the district attorney, Chisholm can implement policies that both 
protect our communities and improve them. There are plenty of laws 
the district attorney chooses not to enforce - did you know adultery 
is still a felony in Wisconsin?

It's time for our leaders to understand that our drug laws, 
especially those relating to marijuana, not only do not make us 
safer, they actually destroy lives and do great harm to our 
community. I call on Chisholm to implement policies that will put an 
end to this injustice and make Milwaukee County a better place to 
live. The elimination of criminal prosecutions for possessing 
marijuana and distributing it in small amounts is a great place to start.

Joshua Uller Criminal Defense Attorney Milwaukee
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