In response to Grewal’s memo, Prosecutor McCoy said Tuesday she postponed the prosecution of a case in Madison last week. “All the court is doing is doing is accepting ‘not guilty’ pleas.
“My perspective is any possession cases that come into court will be adjourned until Sept. 4,” she said. “We’ll put off any penalties until Sept. 4.” But once that date arrives, she noted, “The penalties won’t be different. Nothing has changed; simple possession will come back to court sometime after Sept. 4.”
And in the interim, she added, “the police are not doing anything differently” in making arrests and filing charges for marijuana possession.
The Attorney General’s memo was sparked by Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop’s move in July to decriminalize marijuana in the city by ending prosecutions. Grewal voided Fulop’s decision to dismiss marijuana possession charges in Jersey City, calling it “an improper exercise” of the municipal prosecutor’s authority.