It appears drug users in Wisconsin are not the only ones passing joints. On Tuesday, the Wisconsin state Assembly also passed a joint—specifically, a joint resolution giving judges the power to decide whether drug offenders' driver's licenses should be suspended in sentencing.
The trend toward changing the federal mandate requiring judges to suspend or revoke in drug offenses regardless of circumstance is picking up momentum in numerous states. Wisconsin is now the 38th state to pass such a resolution, giving judges full discretion over license suspension or retention in the cases.
The resolution is a positive step in fair sentencing for Wisconsin's residents, especially those who need to right their lives after getting involved with banned substances. Revoking drug offenders' licenses and, by extension, their chances of maintaining a job or having access to outlets to curb their addictions is a counterintuitive punishment. Unless the judge feels the drug offender would be a danger to others on the road as a result of their drug addiction, the resolution should be utilized to allow offenders to right their situation and maintain a job.
Other state representatives noted how the bill is especially prudent given the difficult economic times.
""This is certainly not the bill that's going to bring us out of the recession, but it's one that will help people maintain their jobs,"" state Rep. Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee, said.
License revocation is a legitimate problem in many areas of Wisconsin. Around 90,000 people in Milwaukee County alone do not have a valid driver's license. Preventing more citizens from access to private transportation can only further limit opportunities to function in society.
Wisconsin should favor judge discretion over mandated penalties in areas other than drug offenses, allowing for harsher laws balanced by the assessment of a judicial figure. Judges are professionals in assessing individual cases and appropriating a fitting punishment. Freeing judges of mandated penalties allows them to better assess individual cases and produce punishments ideal for each specific case.
