Baltimore's top prosecutor seeks to right "extraordinary wrong" with pot convictions petition
By Brandi Kellam
/ CBS News
With a majority of Americans in favor of legalizing marijuana and more states moving toward legalizing medicinal or adult-use programs, the need to decide how prosecutors handle marijuana-related offenses has become a growing issue. Last week, Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced that her office will no longer prosecute marijuana possession cases.
"Prosecuting these cases has no public safety value, disproportionately impacts communities of color and erodes public trust, and is a costly and counterproductive use of limited resources," Mosby's office said in a press release.
Maryland lawmakers decriminalized marijuana possession in 2014, meaning that those found with 10 grams or less would be issued a citation rather than face arrest. Mosby's petition goes further by ending the prosecution of marijuana possession-related offenses regardless of weight.
Her office is also seeking to vacate prior marijuana convictions dating back to 2011. Mosby filed a legal petition last Friday that, if granted, could throw out nearly 5,000 marijuana convictions.
"What we are doing is attempting to right an extraordinary wrong," Mosby said in an interview Thursday with CBSN.
"We've reviewed thousands of cases that are a direct result of the corrupt police officers that were part of the Baltimore Police Department that were essentially planting drugs and guns on individuals, and what we've asked is that in the best interest and the pursuit of justice and equality, that these convictions be vacated," she said.
Mosby's actions follow a study conducted by her office that highlighted reports showing there is no link to marijuana possession and violent crime. She said an "exorbitant amount of resources" go into marijuana possession cases, and that she would like to instead utilize resources to go after violent individuals.
"We've had a mass increase in the number of homicides … in the past few years," she said. "I'm not going to utilize my resources, from my perspective, and my manpower for something that we're moving towards legalization."
Mosby is calling on the Baltimore Police Department for support. But she intends to push forward with her policy even if possession laws are still enforced.
"If the Commissioner wants to utilize his manpower to be able to do that, I've indicated that I will simply never be complicit in the discriminatory enforcement of laws against poor black and brown people and I will merely release individuals, if they are arrested. I will release them without charges," she said.
Mosby pointed to an ACLU report on correlations between race and marijuana arrest that found that between 2001 and 2010, "on average, a Black person is 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than a white person, even though Blacks and whites use marijuana at similar rates."
Collaboration between the Baltimore State Attorney's office and police department has been marked by friction in recent years. During Mosby's first year in office, she faced criticism when she charged six police officers with crimes related to the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American man who died while in police custody.
The Baltimore Police Department has also been involved in recent high-profile scandals. Last year, two former officers were convicted of racketeering, robbery and conspiracy in a corruption scandal.
"Unfortunately, through the past year, we've had to face one of the largest police corruption scandals in the history of the country," Mosby said.
First published on February 8, 2019
© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Whitaker testifies he hasn't talked about Mueller probe with Trump
Matt Whitaker says he will exert executive privilege over conversations with the president
updated 2M ago 
Baltimore's top prosecutor seeks to right "extraordinary wrong" with petition
Marilyn Mosby filed a legal petition that could throw out nearly 5,000 marijuana convictions
updated 4M ago 
Staffer shot at Baltimore high school; suspect taken into custody
Police said all of the students at Frederick Douglass High School are safe
1H ago 
FTC busts "phantom debt" collection scheme
Consumers were allegedly duped out of millions of dollars by debt collectors masquerading as lawyers
1H ago 
Kellyanne Conway allegedly assaulted in restaurant in 2018
The woman who allegedly assaulted Kellyanne Conway is due to appear in court next month
1H ago 
Whitaker testifies he hasn't talked about Mueller probe with Trump
Matt Whitaker says he will exert executive privilege over conversations with the president
updated 2M ago
Kellyanne Conway allegedly assaulted in restaurant in 2018
The woman who allegedly assaulted Kellyanne Conway is due to appear in court next month
1H ago 
Bloomberg to announce 2020 decision by end of month
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been publicly mulling a presidential bid
3H ago 
National Enquirer's parent company responds to Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos published what appeared to be blackmailing emails from American Media Inc. in an extraordinary Medium post
1H ago 
Reporter's Notebook: Finding the balance with "executive time"
Top executives know that free time is important to think about strategy and vision
4H ago 
Measles anywhere is a threat to kids everywhere
Homegrown outbreaks in the U.S. aren't caused by lack of access to a vaccine, but because parents in this country are choosing not to get their kids vaccinated
2H ago 
Albert Finney, Oscar-nominated actor, dies at 82
Albert Finney's family said that he "passed away peacefully after a short illness with those closest to him by his side."
5H ago 
Saudis accused of undermining Khashoggi probe amid secret trial
Kingdom quietly holds 2nd hearing for 11 facing charges over journalist's grisly killing, expert says, as she criticizes lack of transparency
8H ago 
Body recovered from plane wreckage is Argentine soccer player
Argentinian footballer Emiliano Sala and his pilot were in a small aircraft in January when it fell off radar over the English Channel
18H ago 
Discovery of WWII-era bombs temporarily shuts down Rome airport
Italy's Defense Ministry said experts had to remove the three bombs, which weighed more than 300 pounds
21H ago 
Preview: Oscar-nominee Spike Lee doesn't need awards to validate his work
The filmmaker talks about being nominated for the Best Director Academy Award for the first time, for "BlacKkKlansman"
2H ago 
Ariana Grande slams Grammys producer
"I've kept my mouth shut but now you're lying about me," she tweeted
1H ago
Albert Finney, Oscar-nominated actor, dies at 82
Albert Finney's family said that he "passed away peacefully after a short illness with those closest to him by his side."
5H ago 
Alicia Keys says 2019 Grammys will be the "sickest" yet
She will be the first woman in 14 years to take the stage as host of the Grammy Awards on Sunday night
3H ago 
2019 Grammys: How to stream online or watch on TV
Alicia Keys will host the 61st annual Grammy Awards from Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS
18H ago 
Wells Fargo outage: Customers say direct deposits aren't showing up
Banking customers complained about problems accessing their accounts, while the bank vowed to reverse fees
updated 53M ago 
Global lawmakers try again to get Zuckerberg to testify
A Facebook vice president sat next to an empty chair reserved for CEO Mark Zuckerberg when the committee met in London last year
Feb 7 
NASA and SpaceX reset Crew Dragon test flight for March 2
The Crew Dragon and Starliner spacecraft are the centerpieces of NASA's drive to resume launching U.S. astronauts aboard U.S. rockets from U.S. soil
Feb 6 
Earth could be headed for warmest period on record
The next five years could be even hotter than 2018, which was already near record territory
Feb 7 
Snap reports record revenues, but struggles to add users
Struggling social media company gets a badly needed boost in growth, while its losses narrowed
Feb 5
Measles anywhere is a threat to kids everywhere
Homegrown outbreaks in the U.S. aren't caused by lack of access to a vaccine, but because parents in this country are choosing not to get their kids vaccinated
2H ago 
Bill would require vaccinations amid Northwest measles outbreak
Cecilia Rodriguez was too young to be vaccinated when she contracted measles. 30 years later, her eye sight, speech and hearing are still affected.
5H ago 
Walgreens tops list for illegal cigarette sales to minors
FDA says the drugstore chain has racked up nearly 1,800 violations for selling tobacco products to children
22H ago 
Ozzy Osbourne hospitalized after flu complications
"His doctors feel this is the best way to get him on a quicker road to recovery," tweeted his wife Sharon
Feb 6 
New moms hit especially hard by opioid crisis
Research shows new mothers with opioid use disorder are at a higher of overdose due to lack of resources, shame and stigma
Feb 7 
FTC busts "phantom debt" collection scheme
Consumers were allegedly duped out of millions of dollars by debt collectors masquerading as lawyers
1H ago 
Amazon could scrap New York City HQ2, report says
Ecommerce giant faces fierce local resistance to its plan to build a second headquarters in borough of Queens
1H ago 
Automakers recall 1.7 million cars over air bag fears
Subaru, Tesla and five other car manufacturers will replace potentially lethal inflators from Takata
4H ago
Wells Fargo outage: Customers say direct deposits aren't showing up
Banking customers complained about problems accessing their accounts, while the bank vowed to reverse fees
updated 53M ago 
Instagram changes rules on self-harm postings after suicide
The change comes after a father blamed the social-media service for contributing to his daughter's decision to take her life
6H ago 
Staffer shot at Baltimore high school; suspect taken into custody
Police said all of the students at Frederick Douglass High School are safe
1H ago 
Suspected gunman in road rage shooting charged with attempted murder
Police said 31-year-old Kenneth Lilly fired five shots at a 78-year-old school bus driver
2H ago 
Customs officer shoots, kills driver at port of entry on U.S.-Mexico border
Authorities say truck apparently tried to run officer over; passenger arrested on Mexico side
9H ago 
Muslim inmate executed after state denies request for imam present
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had stayed the execution over the religious arguments, but the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for it to proceed
11H ago 
Body found stuffed in suitcase identified as missing woman
Her body was found in a large suitcase roughly 20 feet off a busy roadway
23H ago Original Article
