A bill decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana has been approved, 67-25, by the Louisiana House.
This bill would remove jail time and reduce the maximum penalty to a $100 fine for possession offenses. Current law states that people can face up to $300 or 15 days in jail for their first conviction of less than half an ounce of marijuana. The second conviction brings a potential jail sentence of 6 months, two years in jail for the 3rd conviction, and 8 years on the fourth conviction.
In the vote Representatives Carrier, Owen, and Schammerhorn voted against the bill. Geymann and Bagley supported the bill.
Livaccari
BATON ROUGE – The attorney who represents the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police is cautioning state lawmakers to think twice about doing away with qualified immunity for law enforcement officers.
Donovan Livaccari told the
Louisiana Record that taking away such protections from civil litigation would be a disincentive for people to enter the profession, which typically doesn’t pay high-end salaries.
“I don’t know how it would be a smart decision to choose law enforcement as a profession,” Livaccari said, adding that he knew of no insurance policies that would step in and provide the liability coverage if the government revoked it.