Thursday, October 30, 1975
5
Pot possession rarely prosecuted
Although the number of arrests in Dougla County for possession of marijuana has been static the past three years, the number of people charged with Barkovitz, county attorney, said yesterday.
So far this year, there have been 70 drug cases and of these, 35 have been for possession of marijuana. Of the 35 cases, 28 have been prosecuted. Berkowitz said.
In 1971, the year before Berkwitz took office, there were 195 drug cases in Douglas County, or more than twice as many annual cases as in the years 1972-74. About half on those cases involved possession of marihuana.
Berkowitz, who was elected county attorney in 1972, established two basic policies early in 1974 that his office has used in dealing with drug cases in Douglas County.
THE FIRST POLICY, which Berkowitz says has worked well, involves deferred prosecution of possession of marijuana cases.
The second policy concerns procedures used by law enforcement officials in the state.
Under the first policy, if an individual is accused of possessing a small amount of marijuana, Berkowitz said, and otherwise has a good record, the county attorney's office offers the accused person the option of waiving his right to a fair and speedy trial
in exchange for a promise of "staying out of trouble" for six months.
Under this deferred prosecution agreement, as long as a person isn't involved in a serious violation of the law during the six month period, the possession of marjuria charges are dismissed, Berkowitz said.
MINOR VIOLATIONS such as parking tickets and traffic violations aren't common enough in the U.S. for prosecution agreement, Berkowitz said, but a charge of driving while intoxicated, commonly referred to as DWI, is a serious enough offense to review a possession of firearms.
In 1974, 119 drug cases were handled by the county attorney's office, and in 81 of those cases, marjana was the most serious drug. Berkowitz said.
There were 40 convictions in drug cases in 1974, Berkowitz said, and, when the number of deferred prosecutions is considered, the percentage of convictions is very high.
Berkowitz said $2 of the 1974 drug cases had involved simple possession of one or two ounces of marijuana, and the remaining $835 were either marijuana or asking in the sale of marijuana.
"WHEN WE DO DECIDE to prosecute drug case, Berkowitz said, "the actual conclusion is that we do not."
Under the second policy he instituted, Berkowitz said he had requested that the police not arrest Douglas County residents for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana, and send a report of the violation to the county attorney's office.
On Campus
The county attorney would, in turn, issue a complaint and have the accused person sent to prison. Berkowitz said deferred prosecution was then usually offered to the violator. Only once has someone turned down an offer for prosecution, even when the policy was started. Berkowitz said.
individual would plead guilty to a reduced charge of possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor, instead of contesting a felony charge of sale of marijuana.
Or, he said, a charge of sale of marijuana might be reduced to delivery of marijuana.
J. A. BURZLE, director of foreign studies at the University of Kansas, will serve on the National Screening Committee for the Fulbright-Hays American Graduate Program.
RICHARD L. SCHFEFLBUSCH, director of the Bureau of Child Research, will present his Educational Science Retreat, Multichannel Student (MCS) today at Temple University.
STEPHEN L. SEGBRECHT, Prairie Village junior, has been awarded a $400 scholarship for the 1975-76 academic year by the Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation.
Today: MICHAEL PONCE DE LEON, New York City printmaker, will present a slide lecture at 10:30 a.m. in the Forum Room of the Kansas Union. A program, "DO PRISONS REHABILITATE?" will be presented at 7 p.m. in the Forum Room of the Union. K.U. BACKPACKING AND MOUNTAINEERING CLUB will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the Walnut Room of the Union. K.U. SAILING CLUB will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the Jayhawk Room of the Union. KU-Y will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the Forum Room of the Union. K.U. SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING CLUB will meet at 7:30 p.m. in Robinson.
JOHN POZZRO, professor and chairman of the Department of Music Theory, won an award from the American Society of Composers for composing works for jazz. He received his Master's degree in music theory.
Announcements . . .
In 1972, there were 106 drug cases in Douglas County, according to Berkowitz, and only 61 drug cases in 1973. He estimated that the drug possession of a small amount of narcotics possession of a small amount of narcotics
One reason for the large number of cases in 1971 was the drug raids conducted in Lawrence by former Attorney General Vern Miller, Berkowitz said.
Berkowitz said he favored the decriminalization of the use of marijuana, and had said so when he ran for the county attorney's office.
don't even 'lother to go through the (possession of) marijuana) procedures."
Events ..
"I suspect that in some cases, the police
"I think it's significant that the state legislature is looking into possible decriminalization," Berkowitz said. "I think it shows that the leadership of the legislature is prepared to take the proposition seriously."
The Exceptions
Friday, October 31, 8PM-1AM
at
The Fairgrounds Expo Center
Advanced Tickets $3.50 At the door $4.50
Advanced Tickets Available At:
Team Electronics 23rd & Lousiana
PEACE CORPS needs volunteers with experience or degrees in the following skill areas:
ART, BUSINESS, EDUCATION, HOME EC,
LANGUAGES, MATH-SCIENCE, MUSIC, PHYS ED,
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Recruiters on campus Mon.-Thurs., Nov. 10th-13th Placement in Union (Srs./grd sign up for an interview in Placement now)
Another of those JEANS, PANTS Shoes. By Buskens '19
The JILL. NAVY BLUE, CAMEL and DARK BROWN.
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Psalm 2 and Acts 4:25
"WHY DO THE HEATHEN RAGE?"
"Something is dead under the creek!" Certainly this is not a refined, cultured, or elegant statement! but it carries a message very forceful and easily understood. Disease is a serious illness that can cause death and disease, an epidemic and death! Clean out the creek! No same person will question these truths concerning natural water so necessary for our existence and life.
(Note: This column first appeared in newspaper circles 13 years ago. Through the blessing of God, 40 dailles and 2 prominent college papers, namely Yale and Princeton, are publishing the column. Partial list of cities include, Providence, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Richmond-Atlanta and other cities in Southeast and West.W.)
Until recently we never knew that Alexander The Great was badly defeated and ran away from one enemy. Probably his greatest victory was in the battle of Arbela, but a few days afterwards he and his army were running away from an enemy—figuratively, the enemy was something "dumped up the CPU!" Just after the great victory, Alexander the Great escaped to Egypt, elephants, elephants, etc., too many to bury, and so generals "Stink and Stench" utterly ruffled his army and put them to flight!
the mening that concerns us is “what is dead up the creep” in our church life, polluting “the water of life,” that “spring of water” which Christ told the woman at the well abut: “Jesus said unto him, Whose drinkest of this water (Lucifer) he shall drink?” This phrase shows that Jesus himself shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give shall be in a him all of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:13, 14. It is the privilege and duty of the Christian not only to drink of that water, but also to give to drink to the fainting people of the earth, so that they may not suffer any harm. Dante says the place in hell prepared for those guilty of “heresy” was one of awful stench and slink, from which there was no escape! (Folks who follow and swallow “heresy” better enjoy their perfumes and sweet odors when it is called today.) Do we wish to avoid such things? The apostle Paul asks, “manner means ‘choice’ or ‘to choose.’” in the Protestant Christian Church those guilty are the ones who choose to believe the notions and devices of their own mind and heart, or the commands of men, instead of “every word that proceeds out of our hearts.” So Paul says that those who make the choice of accepting or rejecting what the Bible says, but the Protestant Christian, if not a hypocrite or usurper, is one who has chosen to accept the entire Bible as the infallible Word of God, the only rule of “faith and practice,” and those who do not so believe.
Jesus Christ said to the religious and secular leaders who asked Him if He had brahmas or blessed children, “If I am a brahmas, we are considering, and the danger and death that result when it is polluted, when there are dead things in this stream! John 8:43 Christ said, ‘
In Malachi 1:6 we read: "A son honors his father, and a servant his master; if then I be a father, where is Mine honor? If by a bachelor, where is My fear?" He asks, "Why do you not believe in God?" He thought, "How can ye believe in me, which receive仇 him one of another, and seek not the honor that comes from God only?" If we do not love Jesus Christ, if we do not seek the honor of our parents, or our father, is he? "You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth—for he is a liar, and an evil man." He said, "There may be a beautiful and terrible revelation and reason here why some spirits furtively object to carrying out God's commands concerning the murderer, to put him to death and take no satisfaction for sparing them." He says, "In our generation, said," "milwaukee will fight you if you abridge their privilege of going to hell!"
Saved folks should surely pray for those lost! "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in longing to cure for you,"—1st Samuel 12:33. "You are of your own service," says theologian Gregory B. Williams. He is still in the business of 'casting out devils,' and no case is too hard for Him. Call on Him to deliver you. "Beware of false prophets," said Christ in The Sermon on the Mount. The Apostle in warning Timothy of a man who polluted "the water of life stream," spit into it open, and put Timothy inside; "Of whom shall I be?," says theologian John 14:5.
A noted English historian, looking across the centuries of English history, said: "The leapse of church discipline was a certain symptom of political and social change in England. The Church authorities, as is, are not going to discipline you. 'Do it yourself'—"the family and loved ones, your community, safe, your nation and your family."
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