Gothamist: NYPD Will Stop Arresting SOME People For Smoking Pot

“It’s not really clear what they’re trying to accomplish with this policy—either marijuana should be something that brings people through the criminal process, or it shouldn’t be.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s new marijuana arrest policy will issue a criminal court summonses—$100 for a first offense—to those caught smoking marijuana, rather than making a misdemeanor arrest. However, the new policy will not apply if the person caught is on parole or probation, has a misdemeanor or felony warrant, does not have identification, is categorized as a violent offender, or is behind the wheel of a car.

“Issuing criminal summons is still sweeping all of these cases into the criminal justice system, so our clients’ experiences on the street won’t change much at all,” said Scott Levy, Special Counsel to our Criminal Defense Practice.

Read the piece here.