Letter: Pot use or runaway dog: Pay those fines

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April 13, 2010

Anonymous The Salem News Tue Apr 13, 2010, 05:30 AM EDT

To the editor:

The epidemic of marijuana use, particularly public use, which opponents of Question 2 wanted voters to fear, has not materialized and it appears police are encountering marijuana less ("Arrests for pot are down, but penalties prove hard to collect," Salem News, Thursday, April 8).

How ironic that the day after publishing police complaints that they have no ability to coerce payment of marijuana fines, we get to read about the handcuffing of leash-law scofflaw Judith Little in Beverly.

I urge people cited for marijuana possession to pay their fines, as an imperfect substitute for the taxes that would be collected from legal commerce in marijuana.

And I offer this free legal advice to complaining police departments: File small-claims complaints; it apparently is working for the Sterling, Mass., P.D.

Even if the fine is not collected, the judgment should show up on the scofflaw's credit report.

Steven Epstein

Georgetown

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