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chad9777
Concerned Citizen
Joined: 14 May 2008
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 9:58 pm Post subject: NYC INFO ON ARREST ,FOR BARRY |
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*** Disturbing facts
The NYPD's Secret Crusade Against Marijuana Furthers a Racist Agenda
- Nat Hentoff
I have been intermittently reporting on the NYPD for half a
century sometimes admiringly, as when I spent several weeks with a
homicide squad on the Lower East Side, learning how (in contrast to
the CIA's current methods) confessions that will hold up in court can
be obtained by detectives without laying a hand on the suspect. And
I've also written critically about the police, as well as various
commissioners. But I have never seen such systematic dishonesty and
contempt for the law as those documented in the 102-page report,
"Marijuana Arrest Crusade: Racial Bias and Police Policy in New York
City 1997-2007," by Professor Harry Levine of Queens College and
Deborah Peterson Small, executive director of Break the Chains.
In 2007 alone, there were 39,700 misdemeanor arrests for the
possession of small amounts of marijuana. But such possession hasn't
been a crime in New York State since the Marijuana Reform Act of 1977.
Under that law, which is still in effect, an offender can usually
expect to get only a ticket, punishable by a fine of not more than
$100.
But most of the 353,000 New Yorkers arrested for having these small
amounts from 1997 to 2006 got much more than a ticket: They were
handcuffed, photographed, and fingerprinted, held overnight, arraigned
in criminal court, plagued with permanent criminal records, and
charged with the crime of having marijuana "burning or open to public
view."
Since most of these people arrested had the pot hidden in a pocket,
backpack, or purse, how did these stop-and-frisks turn into an arrest
for "burning" marijuana" or having it "open to public view"?
As "Marijuana Arrest Crusade" demonstrates, this is done "by tricking
and intimidating" suspects to take out the concealed marijuana, so
that police officers can then claim they saw it "open to public view."
In fact, a longtime Legal Aid supervisor quoted in the study says that
this process happens "all the time." And such routine deception by
the police to set someone up for arrest on a criminal-misdemeanor
charge is perfectly legal.
There is much more detailed information in the report on the impact of
these arrests, which as described in last week's column greatly and
disproportionately affect black and Latino youths. Part 7, "Head
Start for Unemployment and Prison," notes that these arrests "can
limit the opportunity for young people to obtain employment and access
to some schools, and for student aid."
The report also notes something that I've pointed out in this space
before: "Mayor Bloomberg and other prominent politicians [and the FBI]
have urged collecting DNA from everyone arrested for anything
whatsoever, including, therefore, marijuana possession."
My main motivation as a reporter has never been to get "exclusives,"
but to get vital information out by all possible means. I hope this
revelation of the NYPD's continuing disgrace will be read carefully by
other reporters, legislators, and everyone else concerned with ending
this racist crusade.
The findings come as the tables and graphs demonstrate from arrest
data compiled by New York State and the FBI, along with "interviews
with police, public defenders, legal aid attorneys, private attorneys,
prosecutors, judges, and people arrested for possessing marijuana."
I don't get around much any more especially to jazz clubs because I
spend so many evenings reading investigative reports, court decisions,
and the like. And I've rarely seen such a lucid and fully documented
report (including a 26-page "Notes and Sources" section) of such
fundamental importance to the families of the young people caught up
in these outrageously dishonorable practices, which have been approved
by no less than three police commissioners, including the current one
(and future mayoral candidate), Ray Kelly.
The report points out that the "39,700 misdemeanor marijuana
possession arrests" in 2007 were "the fourth largest number of arrests
in New York history." And yet, "because the New York Police
Department has released almost no information about these arrests,
they have attracted little media attention. To this day, few New
Yorkers know that for over a decade their city has been on a
historically unprecedented marijuana arrest crusade."
Now that the report has been released and featured at an April 30 New
York City Bar discussion ("New York City's Marijuana Arrest Policy
Thirty Years After Decriminalization"), how much follow-up will there
be on this important contribution by Harry Levine and Deborah Peterson
Small to the naked truth regarding the transmogrification of this
city's police department? (I've known decent cops through the years
who should have spoken out about this. It's not too late.)
In the March 24 edition of The New York Sun in the article "Turf War
Between NYPD and FBI Centers on Terrorism," by Dafna
Linzer Commissioner Kelly, ironically enough, is quoted as follows:
"People have information, and they want to control information.
Controlling information is power, and they don't want to let it go it
is as fundamental as that."
Also fundamental is Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis's requirement
for combating official lawlessness in a free society: "Sunlight is the
best disinfectant."
Will the sunlight of public exposure finally begin to disinfect the
NYPD, which under this rancid policy promulgated by several New York
mayors and police commissioners has been contemptuously violating the
letter and the intent of the Marijuana Reform Act for 10 straight
years?
"New York City's marijuana possession arrests," write Levine and
Peterson Small, "were not of people arrested for more serious crimes
who were then found to be possessing marijuana In these arrests,
marijuana possession was always the highest charge and often the only
one." (Emphasis added.)
They also note: "For the people arrested, mostly young Blacks and
Latinos, the 24 hours in police custody and jail is a humiliating,
degrading, alienating experience."
Does anybody else in this city give a damn?
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shortyflow
M.I.A.M.I
Joined: 24 Apr 2008
Posts: 587
Location: Porter Pot in Brazil
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| Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 11:04 am Post subject: |
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| i have been busted a few times. the only time i saw any kind of jail time was when i got busted and had zigzags in the bag with the pot. All laws seem different. but we get a 100 doller fine and lose our liscense for six months in ohio. it is kind of crappy that the police can manuvuer there way into getting you a steeper charge. |
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Fresh
Antiprohibitionist
Joined: 15 Jun 2007
Posts: 40
Location: Do or Die Jersey
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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New
york
Pricks [N]
Dicks |
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socrateez
Stoned Philosopher
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
Posts: 1226
Location: I'm the person to your right.
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