Portage County Considering Reducing Fines For People Caught With Small Amounts Of Marijuana

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Updated: 8:17 AM Aug 21, 2008 Portage County Considering Reducing Fines For People Caught With Small Amounts Of Marijuana The Portage County Sheriff's Department is recommending that people caught with small amounts of marijuana get smaller citations and avoid probation. Posted: 7:15 PM Aug 20, 2008 Reporter: Margo Spann Email Address: margo.spann@wsaw.com

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The Portage County Sheriff's Department is recommending that people caught with small amounts of marijuana get smaller citations and avoid probation.

The Portage County District Attorney Tom Eagon, says the Sheriff's Department proposed the ordinance where first time offenders with less than 5 grams of marijuana would be fined $200 plus court costs.

Eagon says it would be the officers discretion whether to give a ticket... or take the person to jail.

"The ordinance it's self goes up to 25 grams which is what the WI state statute allows. That's a fairly significant amount but the ordinance will be for a 1-5 gram situation," says Eagon.

Currently, first time offenders are fined $1,000 and receive 6 months probation.

The DA says state law allows the county to issue smaller citations for smaller criminal offenses.

"The county has a number of different ordinances that have a citation as the first offense from retail theft to disorderly conduct, so this really isn't that unusual. Plover has had this sort of thing on the books since at least 1996," says Eagon.

Eagon says the proposal has passed the Public Safety Committee, but has to pass the Portage County Board before it becomes law.

The County Board's next meeting is September 16th.

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