King County Sheriff’s Office not to focus on marijuana

Following a change in filing by the King County prosecutor’s office, King County Sheriff’s Office deputies will not be directed to arrest or charge individuals caught with one ounce or less of marijuana in unincorporated King county following of the passage of I-502.

On Friday, November 9, 2012 the King County Prosecutor’s Office made a prosecutorial decision to dismiss several cases of marijuana possession. 

 “Now that the initiative has passed, and now that the Prosecutor’s Office won’t be charging the individuals, we will also not focus on behavior that will be legal under Washington State law after Dec. 6th” said King County Sheriff Steve Strachan.

There are 12 municipalities, including Shoreline, that contract with the Sheriff’s Office for police services. It remains the policy decision of the municipal attorneys and policy makers of those cities to determine how they will proceed between now and Dec. 6th. This decision only affects the deputies working in unincorporated King County.