AND
AND SEE
AND SEE CHARLOTTE AND HOPEFULLY SHE IS FOUND SOON. HUNTER, THANK FOR THOSE UPDATES
TO THIS STORY NOW WITH A
PANDEMIC SHUTTING DOWN THE
COUNTRY AND THE BLACK LIVES
MATTER MOVEMENT DEMANDING
CHANGE, RECORDS SHOW THAT
+@
MATTER MOVEMENT DEMANDING CHANGE, RECORDS SHOW THAT CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG POLICE
DRASTIC REDUCE THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE ARRESTED AND CITED FOR
CARRYING MARIJUANA IN 2020 AND
THIS WAS A SEISMIC SHIFT AWAY
FROM A PRACTICE THAT
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTS
BLACK MEN AND WOMEN.
IN FACT, SINCE THE CHARLOTTE+@
DEFENDER NATE MORABITO
DISCOVERED EIGHT OUT OF EVERY
10 PEOPLE ARRESTED FOR
MISDEMEANOR MARIJUANA
POSSESSION IN CHARLOTTE SINCE
TWENTY SIXTEEN WERE BLACK, LESS
THAN 10 PERCENT WERE WHITE.
POLICE SAY THEY'RE NOW FOCUSED
ON VIOLENT CRIME INSTEAD OF
MINOR DRUG CHARGES.
EVEN SO, WHEN THEY CHOOSE TO
MAKE AN A+@RREST OR WRITE+@ A
TICKET FOR MARIJUANA RECORDS
SHOW MOST OF THE TIME THE
+@ PERSON IS BLACK SURROUNDED BY
PIGEONS.
SHE SAID NO FAVORS AND PEACH
TREES.
THIS IS MY MOTHER'S+@ TREE.
A COUPLE OF ALIVE ANDRE
PHILLIPS MADE ME FEEL SPECIAL A
COMPLEX MAN I'M DISABLED LIVES
A SIMPLE LIFE BIPOLAR
SCHIZOPHRENIC MYSELF STAYING
OUT OF TROUBLE AND HE'S NOT
+@
SCHIZOPHRENIC MYSELF STAYING OUT OF TROUBLE AND HE'S NOT ASHAMED+@ TO TELL Y+@OU KNOW HE
SMOKES POT TO KEEP ME STABLE
THAT HABIT NOW HAS HIS LIFE
UNSTABLE IN THE RIGHT MEDICAL
HAZARDED CMPD ARRESTED PHILLIPS
LAST WEEK HE DON'T KNOW WHAT
THE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT MAN.
HOW CAN WE DO THIS?
CAN WE DO THAT OUTSIDE HIS HOME
NEAR BETIS WARD WROTE GOD THAT
COULD SET US I DON'T KNOW WHAT
IS CONSENT.
POLICE REPORTED THEY FOUND
ALMOST T+@HREE THOUSAND DOLLARS
IN CASH ACCORDING TO PHILLIPS+@
HIS SAVINGS A SCALE HIS FAMILY
SAYS HE USES TO RATION HIS
MARIJUANA AND THREE HUNDRED
DOLLARS WORTH OF WEED.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO THAT
MARIJUANA?
NO, SIR.
NO SIR.
ONLY FOR ME +@.
THEY CHARGED PHILLIPS WITH
POSSESSION WITH THE INTENT TO
SELL HOW QUICKLY IT CAN GO
AWRY, ESPECIALLY WHEN HIS
MENTAL HEALTH INVOLVES KENNY
ROBINSON'S NONPROFIT FREEDOM
FIGHTING MISSIONARIES HELPED
BAIL OUT THE FIFTY THREE YEAR
OLD.
I THINK IT'S A CRYING SHAME NOW
FACING A CHARGE THE DISTRICT
ATTORNEY WILL MOST LIKELY
DISMISS NOT TIED TO A GUN, NOT
TIED TO VIOLENCE.
WHY ARE THEY HERE TO S+@TART?
THAT'S A COMMON QUESTION IN
OTHER CHARLOTTE NEIGHBORHOODS
TOO.
IT'S THE INTRODUCTION TO
GETTING MINORITIES A RECORD ONE
ACTION NC POLITICAL DIRECTOR
ROBERT DAWKINS SAYS GOES BACK
YEARS.
+@
ROBERT DAWKINS SAYS GOES BACK YEARS. MARIJUANA IS WHAT ORIGINALLY
CAUGHT CMPD ATTENTION IN THE
FATAL KEITH WILMONT SCOTT CASE
AND OTHER CASES THAT NEVER
BECOME HEADLINES.
+@THE SMELL OF MARIJUANA LEADS O
+@ THEM PULLING YOU OUT OF YOUR
CAR.
CMPD RECORDS SHOW THE
DEPARTMENT HAS SPENT THE LAST
DECADE MOVIN+@G AWAY FROM
ENFORCING THE LEAST SERIOUS
MARIJUANA OFFENSE SIMPLE
PO+@SSESSION TWENTY TWENTY MARKD
THE MOST NOTABLE REDUCTION IN
ARRESTS BUT EVEN SO MORE THAN
70 PERCENT OF LAST YEAR'S 18
ARRESTS A+@ND FIVE HUNDRED
CITATIONS INVOLVE BLACK
SUSPECTS.
IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE SAYING
WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO THOSE
NEIGHBORHOODS O+@F COLOR AND THT
WE'RE GOING TO TARGET
INDIVIDUALS OF COLOR.
THAT'S NOT THE CASE AT DEPUTY
CHIEF STELLA PATTERSON DEFENDS
CMPD EFFORTS TELLING US THE
DEPA+@RTMENT IS DEDICATING
RESOURCES TO VIOLENT CRIME
WHICH MEANS MORE CASES IN
CERTAIN PARTS OF TOWN.
WE'RE MAKING THE ARRESTS.
WE'RE WRITING CITATIONS.
WE'RE DOING TRAFFIC STOP IN
THOSE AREAS WHERE WE'RE SEEING
THE VIOLENT CRIME.
ANDRE PHILLIPS MAINTAINS HE IS
F+@AR FROM A THREAT, A
SELF-PROCLAIMED RECREATIONAL
USER.
HOW DID THAT MAKE YOU FEEL TO
FEEL LABELED A DEALER?
WE HAVE A BIG DEVELOPMENT TO
TELL YOU ABOUT WITHIN THE LAST
FEW HOURS WE CONFIRM THROUGH
PUBLIC RECORDS PROSECUTORS AS
TELL YOU ABOUT WITHIN THE LAST FEW HOURS WE CONFIRM THROUGH PUBLIC RECORDS PROSECUTORS AS+@
EXPECTED DISMISSED HIS CHARGES.
SO ALMOST AS QUICKLY AS P+@O+@LE
BOOKED HIM INTO JAIL,
PROSECUTORS DISMISSED HIS CASE.
NA+@TE MORABITO DEBUT CHARLOTTE.
+@ WOW.
+@ WOW.
+@ WOW. WELL, NATE ALSO TELLS US IN
+@ WOW. WELL, NATE ALSO TELLS US IN+@
RECENT MONTHS THE DISTRICT
ATTORNEY DECRIMINALIZED MANY
DRUG CASES AND NOT JUST THOSE
INVOLVING MARIJUANA.
THAT WAY HIS OFFICE CAN
+@ PROSECUTE A BACKLOG OF VIOLENT