Cook County, IL...."If someone is caught with a misdemeanor amount of marijuana, the state's attorney's office will no longer prosecute that case,"

Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez will hold a news conference Monday to announce reforms to low-level drug offenses, including dismissal of all future misdemeanor marijuana cases, a spokeswoman said Sunday.

"If someone is caught with a misdemeanor amount of marijuana, the state's attorney's office will no longer prosecute that case," Alvarez spokeswoman Sally Daly said. This program will be for people with less than three arrests or citations, she said.

The announcement, scheduled for 10:15 a.m. at the state's attorney's office, is part of the sweeping overhaul that will also address how the office prosecutes small amounts of recreational drugs including Ecstasy, cocaine and heroin.

Alvarez is expected to detail the creation of an alternative prosecution program aimed at diverting nonviolent, repeat drug offenders out of the criminal justice system, her office said in a news release Sunday afternoon. The program, designed for those charged with Class 4 felony possession — currently punishable by up to a $25,000 fine or one to three years in prison, or both — will attempt to address chronic drug use and addiction as a public health issue. Repeat offenders are expected to be linked with social service agencies for treatment rather than face criminal penalties.

The proposed changes will not affect pending cases, Daly said.

Last year, Class 4 felony drug possession cases made up about a quarter of all felony cases in Cook County. Prosecutors also saw more than 15,000 misdemeanor cases for small amounts of marijuana, according to Alvarez's office.

"We potentially could ask for treatment for those cases," Daly said. "Currently, our big emphasis is pushing toward treatment."

In 2012, Chicago adopted a new marijuana ordinance allowing police to issue tickets of $250 to $500 for someone caught with up to 15 grams of pot.

While the number of people found in possession of less than 15 grams of pot has remained stagnant from 2013 to 2014, police arrested 3,000 fewer people, opting for citations instead, Chicago Police spokesman Martin Maloney said.

"Mayor (Rahm) Emanuel has long believed that reducing penalties for non-violent, low-level drug offenses saves taxpayer dollars and, more importantly, keeps non-violent offenders from a lifetime in the criminal justice system," Maloney said in a statement. "The States Attorney's action is a welcome step in the work being done by the City and the County President's Office to reduce sentences for some offenses while focusing on the most dangerous gun crimes. The City's cannabis ticketing initiative has already kept thousands out of jail, and the Mayor looks forward to working with the state to further reform the lopsided sentencing guidelines."

Arrests still remain high, with 26 percent of those found in possession of marijuana being issued tickets in 2014, according to Chicago police.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart's office applauded the measure, "to find a more productive approach to low level, nonviolent drug offenses."

Dan Linn, executive director of the Illinois National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, lauded the state's attorney's stance on pot, noting the sizable racial disparity in the first year of implementing the ticketing ordinance, with more whites being ticketed and minorities being arrested.

"It sets a certain tone with individuals because so many are afraid to interact with police and don't call police when they should," Linn said.

The state's attorney's office has been working for about a year with a number of partners, including the Chicago Police Department and Timothy C. Evans, Cook County Circuit Court chief judge, to help with the implementation of the changes.

Alvarez will also discuss parameters for dealing with marijuana cases when it comes to juvenile drug possession cases, Daly said.

The announcement falls on April 20, known as a holiday for pot smokers, which was a "pure coincidence," Daly said.

tbriscoe@tribpub.com

Twitter @_tonybriscoe

Copyright © 2015, Chicago Tribune

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