Detroit Voters Looking To Weigh In A Ballot Proposa

[bobandtorey]

Published: Tuesday, February 14, 2012, 1:30 PM Updated: Tuesday, February 14, 2011

By Jonathan Oosting | joosting@mlive.com<brhttp://www.mlive.com...eal_mariju.html

Detroit voters looking to weigh in a ballot proposal that would decriminalize possession of a small amount of marijuana may have to keep waiting.

Krystal Crittendon, corporation counsel for the Detroit law department, says the city plans to file an appeal with the Michigan Supreme Court, likely delaying attempts to place the measure on the August primary ballot.

 

The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 last week that Detroit illegally kept the proposal off the ballot despite the fact that organizers had collected far more signatures than needed to put it before voters The city had argued that they could not enact an ordinance that conflicts with state law and, therefore, could not place the "symbolic" initiative on the ballot.

 

But in their majority opinion (http://coa.courts.mi...300516.OPN.PDF), judges Henry Saad and Elizabeth Gleicher wrote that the Detroit Election Commission had a "clear legal duty" to put the proposal before voters, noting the city could legally challenge the legality of the measure if approved.We respectfully disagree with the Court of Appeals," Crittendon told MLive.com this morning, noting that a trial court judge previously upheld the city's position.

 

The ballot proposal in question, put forth by a group called The Coalition For a Safer Detroit, would have amended the city code to decriminalize possession of less than one ounce of marijuana by adults on private property.The coalition acknowledges that state and federal law both trump city code. As a result, Detroit police could still residents for marijuana possession under state law if they choose.

 

But organizer Tim Beck, who previously spearheaded Michigan's medical marijuana referendum, told MLive.com that approval of the proposal would send a message to local officials."The City of Detroit has so few resources to deal with real crime -- robbery, murder, vandalism, breaking and entering -- we don't have time for this," he said last week.

Detroit plans to appeal marijuana decriminalization ballot proposal to Michigan Supreme Court

[bobandtorey]

who would think that they would do that

 

ME!

[Reaper]

They "reapectfully disagree wth the coa"!!! how gives a crap what they "disagree" with. I'm sure every patient thats been convicted wrongfully "respectfully disagrees" with the judges decision but still have to sit thier a#! in jail!!! These people need to be put in jail They're above the law! This is what I would call terrorism!!!