Republican State Senator Michael Young’s decision to stall his own bill is likely only temporary.
The bill would have given Indiana’s attorney general the power to appoint a special prosecutor for types of crimes local prosecutors opted not to pursue. Young says the bill wasn’t targeted at, but would impact Marion County’s decision to not pursue charges against simple possession charges.
If passed, the legislation would have sweeping consequences and likely erode power of local prosecutors.
In Marion County’s case, Prosecutor Ryan Mears says the move would only exacerbate tensions between police and minority communities, while adding unnecessary costs and pulling police officers off the street.
"I’m hopeful that the legislature will actually address [marijuana] as opposed to doing this bill which is basically just an end-run around the true issue and true challenge," Mears says. "[Which] is how do we deal with possession of marijuana in 2020."
Young argues the move would create consistency in the state’s justice system, and says he plans to introduce revised legislation next year.
