Abe George, a candidate for Brooklyn District Attorney next year has already said he’d like to bring a little “Manhattan” to the office if elected. This week he issued a statement declaring how he’d prosecute marijuana possession cases:
Politicker: “As a career prosecutor who spent considerable time investigating and prosecuting drug crimes, I have seen first hand how valuable resources have been wasted enforcing antiquated marijuana laws rather than fighting crimes that directly impact the public good,” Mr. George said in a statement that also noted anti-marijuana laws’ disproportionate effect on young minorities. “Brooklyn, which has long led the city in homicides and shootings, cannot wait until the New York State Legislature acts at some unknown time to finally decriminalize marijuana possession.”
George adds the he believes the resources of the DA’s office would be better spent, “battling gun violence, stemming the rising tide of cybercrime and identity theft, and restoring integrity to the criminal justice system by ensuring that those convicted are actually guilty.”
George’s faces incumbent Charles Hynes and Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s lawyer Ken Thompson in next year’s race.