Dallas County approves marijuana ‘cite and release' plan

People caught with small amounts of marijuana in Dallas may soon get a ticket instead of a ride to jail.

Dallas County Commissioners okayed the plan by the city. It will allow Dallas police to “cite and release” those people and people caught driving without a license.

They could go to jail if they have warrants or face other more serious charges. But, the idea is to quickly get officers back on the streets for more serious crimes.

“In Dallas County, they’ll still arrest people and take them to jail but they’ll give them a cash bond. And then in the city of Dallas they’ll be cited at the scene. They’ll have to wait there until a sergeant comes to verify the authenticity of the alleged drugs and then they’ll have to go through the booking process when they go to court to deal with their citation,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

Commissioner John Wiley Price voted against the change saying while it may be good for people caught with pot in Dallas, it’s unfair to people caught in other cities.