KTLA News: "California District Attorneys Association takes position on victimless crimes..." (1975)

Would you sit down please? >> We are not endorsing any particular bills but we feel that marijuana for personal use possessed should be no more than a misdemeanor. It should not be legalized. However, the consenting adults, it's impossible to prove such a case in a court of law because you don't have any independent witnesses. If that were possible in some way of even invading the privacy, you would have to have corroboration because there's an accomplice rule. So, the existence of that law from a legal standpoint has no efficacy or enforcement possibility. And with reference to the charitable lotteryies and bingo, we feel that the communities have accepted in certain areas where churches and other charitable organizations do this that if that's what the community accepts that we not be put in the role of trying to have to prosecute people in those areas. I'm just giving you a little background because I don't want to this is going to be my statement. I'll be very brief because this is this is just so you'll understand. And so obviously it's not binding on any in the country. We're in the process of staffing an executive director, but that's just a little background. As president of the California District Attorneys Association, I have been authorized to release to the public the position that the officers and board of directors of the organization took with reference to certain matters that of our particular concern in the field of law enforcement. We are particularly concerned about concentrating on crimes of violence and many of the serious criminal activities that are occurring throughout the state and which we're confronted as a nation. The areas that we pass the resolution are because there has been interest in this is that we take a public position that possession of marijuana for personal use be no greater than a misdemeanor. We've taken a position that we take a public position in favor of the rem removal of criminal penalties for consenting sexual conduct by adults in private and also an official position of the California District Attorneys Association is that we support controlled charitable lotteryies in bingo. And by this require strict control so that we wouldn't we wouldn't have somebody coming in and declaring themselves a charity and have organized crime open it up. >> Mr. Bush, what kind of effect do you >> uh I think the chief and I agree that marijuana shouldn't be legalized. Uh I was I've been out of the city and I did see I just saw a quote that uh he was concerned about the Muscone bill. I too would be I am concerned about the Moscone bail and I don't believe in legalizing marijuana. So in those areas we agree. Now what the penalty should be with reference to it uh if we're at a disagreement I I I would imagine it has to do with quantity. >> You you expect to get the cooperation of Ed Davis on these suggestions? >> Well, I don't know. I'd like to talk to him about him and explain our position with him and I I would believe that he would understand our rationale and that we're not out to to legalize uh uh possession of marijuana or any other type of drugs. >> Well, let me say uh this. I'm not speaking for the association now. Uh we have taken no position with reference to that. that if we're going to recognize the problem of handguns in the United States of America, there's only going to be one solution. You're either going to confiscate them or you're going to recognize that guns are in existence and will be there. I don't believe in the confiscation of all the weapons in the United States. And if you don't have that, how are you going to control? >> But then you do you concur with Chief David that Americans have the right to possess and bear arms? >> Sure. I I I think that they cause a lot of tragedy. I think that they're misused. I think it I think punishment should be increased, but we can't we can't recognize that problem in simplistic terms. It's a it's a problem of such major dimension that just registration and licensing and all that doesn't answer the real problem. >> Chief Davis says he advocates this because the police