Dallas County announced that, in the near future, people charged with possession of marijuana might avoid arrest. Instead, they would face a ticket and be asked to show up in court. This is called cite and release. The threshold amount for arrest would be two ounces and under. This new ticketing system will not change the law. This is not the decriminalization that we’ve seen in places like Colorado, Washington, and others. People who are cited will still face the same potential penalties as before, they will simply avoid arrest.
Possession of Marijuana Law in Texas
Under Texas law, possession of marijuana under 2 ounces is a class B misdemeanor. A class B misdemeanor carries possible fines and jail time of $1,000 and 90 days. Generally, across Texas, people found with as little as a joint or a pipe of marijuana will be arrested. These people will crowd the jails and use up valuable resources of the police and the county. This new law aims to solve this problem: allow police to allocate their resources toward more serious police work. The cost of keeping a person in jail for one day in Dallas is around $63 a day, according to a Dallas Morning News article.
Cite and Release is Becoming More Popular Across Texas
On a national level, public attitudes about marijuana have been changing for a while. This is obvious and state laws have changed as a result. However, in Texas it is most clear in the context of the bottom line. Many Texas counties and police departments are realizing that implementing cite and release programs will save money. Travis County is the largest to begin to cite and release. Hays County and Midland County also have it in place. Tarrant County may have plans to begin to cite and release, but the program may begin to look more attractive if it becomes a money-saver for other Texas counties.
Have you been arrested for a crime? Call my office: 817-689-7002. Come into the office for a free and confidential case evaluation. Our office is downtown: 108 Main Street, Fort Worth, TX,76102
