The state Senate approved a bill Tuesday that would allow local governments to issue citations for repeat marijuana possession charges if the district attorney declines to pursue charges.
Under current legislation, charges of possession for over 25 grams of marijuana are sent to the district attorney’s office and often dismissed, according to a spokesperson for state Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, R-Fond du Lac. The new legislation would empower municipal governments to prosecute an offender if the district attorney drops the possession charges. Local governments could issue fines and place charges on the offender’s record.
According to Thiesfeldt’s spokesperson, it has become commonplace for district attorneys to dismiss these charges, leaving the offender with no citation on his or her record. The lack of citations have caused confusion for municipal police departments and have led to repeat offenders being charged for a first time offense.
The bill will now move to the Republican-controlled state Assembly for discussion, where a similar bill is currently pending.
