DAILY NEWS: [District Attorney Seth] Williams, deluged by phone calls, issued a statement yesterday afternoon that stated: “We are not decriminalizing marijuana – any effort like that would be one for the Legislature to undertake.” The D.A. noted that people who are stopped by police while possessing marijuana would still be arrested and fingerprinted, and could face the harshest penalty by law – 30 days in jail. “They will still have to answer to the charges,” Williams said, “but they will be doing so in a speedier and more efficient process.” McCaffery said the summary diversion plan, which should take […]

INQUIRER: The city’s new district attorney and the state Supreme Court are moving to all but decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use in an effort to unclog Philadelphia’s crowded court dockets. Under a policy to take effect later this month, prosecutors will charge such cases as summary offenses rather than as misdemeanors. People arrested with up to 30 grams of the drug – slightly more than an ounce – may have to pay a fine but face no risk of a criminal record. The shift is a major move in a reform agenda being hammered […]