AZ Marijuana Arizona Marijuana Info
Three candidates are contending for the county attorney position in Southern Arizona’s Pima County, where Tucson is the most populous city.
There are no Republican candidates running for the prosecutor position, so the winner of the Democratic primary later this year will become the next Pima County attorney, Tucson.com reported.
The county attorney holds a lot of responsibility and power because, once a crime is referred to them by law enforcement, they can decide whether or not to charge the defendant(s) with the crime.
One candidate, Mark Diebolt, has been a deputy county attorney for 23 years. Diebolt supports not prosecuting low-level drug users, but instead getting them access to treatment programs instead of prison.
“I would start by not prosecuting a person arrested for under a gram of pocket drugs, or for having a personal amount of marijuana,” Diebolt said. He added that the “enormous amount of money” saved should go towards the victims of violent crimes.
“Victims’ rights need to be prioritized in our justice system to ensure a safer and more supportive community,” said Diebolt. He’d like to see more grants for funding financial support programs and counseling for victims.
Another candidate, Jonathan Mosher, has a similar view on relaxing marijuana enforcement.
Mosher believes in “restoring faith in the criminal justice system.” He said, “we need to stop prosecuting adults for personal possession of marijuana.”
