Gov. Jerry Brown returned to the Legislature a bill that would have reduced the amount of jail time offenders serve for possession of certain drugs.
Senate Bill 649, introduced by Sen. Marc Leno (D-San Francisco), would have allowed prosecutors to charge a simple possession for personal use of drugs like cocaine and heroin as a misdemeanor.
Under current law, an offender could spend from 18 months to three years in jail for possession of these types of drugs.
Proponents of the bill said it was an important step in dismantling the “war on drugs.” Potentially it would save millions of dollars, making more funds available for drugs and mental health treatment.
The Legislative Analyst Office estimated that if all counties charged possession as a misdemeanor, it would save $160 million annually.
The bill would have allowed judges to impose probation and a $1,000 fine or community service for the first offense, and $2,000 or community services for the second offense. If a defendant did not have the ability to pay the minimum fines, it specified the defendant would be ordered to do community service in lieu of a fine.
In the governor’s veto message, he wrote, “We are going to examine in detail California’s criminal justice system, including the current sentencing structure. We will do so with the full participation of all necessary parties, including law enforcement, local government, courts and treatment providers. That will be the appropriate time to evaluate our existing drugs laws.”
