By Caleb Hutton
Prosecutor Dave McEachran is not taking a stance, at this point, on how to move forward with active charges of marijuana possession in Whatcom County, he said Friday, Nov. 9.
“We’ll be looking at all the pending cases,” McEachran said. “But the law certainly is not retroactive.”
In King and Pierce counties, prosecutors announced Friday they would drop misdemeanor marijuana cases, according to the Associated Press.
Washington voters legalized possession of the drug Tuesday after passing I-502. Possession is not technically legal under state law until election results are certified on Dec. 6. The new law sets up a clash between state and federal authorities.
McEachran’s decision could affect more than 50 possession cases in Whatcom County. Almost all of those cases have other more serious charges attached to them.
Whatcom County is under quite the budget crunch. How many days was the county government closed this year?
How much money will you spend, Mr. McEachran, prosecuting people for something that is NO LONGER ILLEGAL? I’m sure the cost to prosecute pending misdemeanour offences for marijuana will be measured by the 10′s of thousands of dollars.
You already have such a limited budget that you do not prosecute theft as a felony until it is over $500 – when state law says Felony theft is over $250.
Perhaps you can provide the public you serve with an explanation of just HOW you prioritize the way you spend their money.
Well this budget master, who had a little difficulty in that older 1st Amendment Case for a couple cool million, down at that Old United States District Court, under the Ku Klux Act of 1871…also had a little difficulty at that New United States District Court, on those “Rickety Old Steps” for another $750.000.00, with that ame Ku Klux Act of 1871.
It’s hard when your a felon, to actually read any law.
RCW 9.62.010
Malicious prosecution.
Every person who shall, maliciously and without probable cause therefor, cause or attempt to cause another to be arrested or proceeded against for any crime of which he or she is innocent:
(1) If such crime be a felony, is guilty of a class C felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in a state correctional facility for not more than five years; and
(2) If such crime be a gross misdemeanor or misdemeanor, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
We may not have the volume of misdemeanor cases that they have in Pierce and King counties, but for heaven’s sake — McEachran’s office is grinding our courthouse ever slower. Even if you only toss out a handful of cases, Mr. McEachran, it’s worth it. Your political approach is hurting the community. Forest rather than the trees, please.
He should have retired 20 years ago.
It is unthinkable that our prosecutor would waste our taxpayers’ money and keep the courts clogged with prosecutions of what is no longer a crime, and should never have been a crime in the first place. Please show some deference to the democratically expressed will of the people.
“McEachran’s decision could affect more than 50 possession cases in Whatcom County.”
>>>Almost all of those cases have other more serious charges attached to them.”<<<
The devil is in the details.