Legislation encouraging police to stop arresting Hoosiers for nonviolent misdemeanor crimes, such as marijuana possession, is advancing at the Statehouse.
House Bill 1076 (http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2020/bills/house/1076) was unanimously approved Wednesday by the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee, and next week will go to the full, Republican-controlled House for a decision on whether to advance it to the Republican-controlled Senate.
The measure clarifies an existing statute by authorizing police who witness a misdemeanor to simply issue the alleged perpetrator a summons to appear in court within seven days, rather than immediately arresting the person and hauling them off to jail.
State Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, the sponsor, said her proposal will help reduce county jail overcrowding across Indiana and save misdemeanor offenders from losing their jobs or suffering other consequences due to being locked up for a day or two.
The Lake County Council is among those paying close attention to this legislation, specifically in regard to marijuana possession.
With Illinois and Michigan recently legalizing recreational marijuana, Lake Council members want local police allowed to issue tickets for possession instead of forcing taxpayers to bear the costs of jailing people nabbed in Indiana for marijuana they legally purchased elsewhere.
© Copyright 2024, nwitimes.com, Munster, IN