Johnny Depp’s recent trial comes to mind – he openly admitted to doing cocaine but as far as I’m aware no action was taken
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Because people can say anything. If someone brags about taking drugs to their friends to try and impress them, when they haven’t, is it fair to arrest them? Where do we draw the line?
One important distinction here is that it IS against the law to POSSESS these drugs, and in many cases to be under the effects of drugs (including alcohol) in public, but there is a lot of grey area when it comes to the act of USING said drugs.
Because many people are above the law as long as they have enough popularity, influence or money. Look at how many years it took to charge someone like R.Kelly when evidence of his criminal activities came out as early as 20+ years ago.
Because many people are above the law as long as they have enough popularity, influence or money. Look at how many years it took to charge someone like R.Kelly when evidence of his criminal activities came out as early as 20+ years ago.
It isn’t illegal to use drugs, it’s just illegal to possess them, or in some cases to be under the influence of them, such as while driving, or while causing a nuisance in public. Saying “I did coke a week ago,” isn’t an admission that you currently posess coke, or even than you did a week ago, as presumably it could have been given to you by somebody one line at a time as you were using it. Admitting to being high on coke in public is usually fine as well, because in most jurisdictions misdemeanors like that are only prosecuted if an officer is there when the crime is committed. Since the burden of proof in criminal cases is “beyond a reasonable doubt”, bringing such flimsy cases for minor crimes to court just isn’t worth it, since they almost never succeed.
How do you want them to be punished?
*Why* do you want them to be punished? You feeling shitty about your own life or something?
It isn’t illegal to use drugs, it’s just illegal to possess them, or in some cases to be under the influence of them, such as while driving, or while causing a nuisance in public. Saying “I did coke a week ago,” isn’t an admission that you currently posess coke, or even than you did a week ago, as presumably it could have been given to you by somebody one line at a time as you were using it. Admitting to being high on coke in public is usually fine as well, because in most jurisdictions misdemeanors like that are only prosecuted if an officer is there when the crime is committed. Since the burden of proof in criminal cases is “beyond a reasonable doubt”, bringing such flimsy cases for minor crimes to court just isn’t worth it, since they almost never succeed.
How do you want them to be punished?
*Why* do you want them to be punished? You feeling shitty about your own life or something?
There will be more nuances to this but in its essence it’s not a crime to have taken drugs in the past.
It is a crime to have a prohibited substance/drug in your possession or be under the influence of them in a public setting.
I’m making my own conclusions here but certain crimes will carry more weight after the fact.
Murder I believe doesn’t have a time limit for prosecution and if you admit to murder you’re getting arrested & investigated.
I don’t think the same would apply if I walked into a police station and told them I broke the speed limit last November.
There will be more nuances to this but in its essence it’s not a crime to have taken drugs in the past.
It is a crime to have a prohibited substance/drug in your possession or be under the influence of them in a public setting.
I’m making my own conclusions here but certain crimes will carry more weight after the fact.
Murder I believe doesn’t have a time limit for prosecution and if you admit to murder you’re getting arrested & investigated.
I don’t think the same would apply if I walked into a police station and told them I broke the speed limit last November.
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