Colorado Judge Resigns in Protest of Proposed Marijuana Ordinance
Leonard Frieling, associate municipal court judge of 8 years in Lafayette, Colorado says he cannot enforce the city’s proposed marijuana ordinance. Though the ordinance will be voted on next week, by all indications it will pass the city council. The new law increases the maximum fine for marijuana possession (small amounts) from $100 to $1000 and a year in jail. Judge Frieling does not believe pot should be illegal for adults but is willing to enforce the current fine of $100.
It’s a shame that Judge Frieling has to step down because of such a draconian law but he is doing the right thing. A $100 fine is not enough of a penalty to ruin a person’s life but a year in jail looks much worse on a person’s criminal record. Surely Judge Frieling is not the only judge in the country that sees the lunacy that is the war on (some) drugs and its encouraging seeing that there are public servants who will put their principles above their careers.
