Cops & Courts

(HuffPost) // Governor Jerry Brown has told the federal government  to back off on marijuana policy, calling it a states’ rights issue. Here’s a link to the CNN video.

(SFGate) // And this editorial by a former U.S. attorney agrees that it’s up to the states to decriminalize cannabis.

One of the areas hit hardest by state budget cuts is California’s judicial branch. Governor Jerry Brown and the Legislature cut $350 million from the court system this past fiscal year.

In response, courts across the state have had to reduce hours and lay off staff. In San Diego, San Bernardino, Tulare, and Fresno counties, whole courthouses have closed down. That means people who have civil and family court proceedings like restraining orders, custody cases, and divorce will have to travel further, wait longer, and pay more to use the legal system.