People convicted on drug offenses, including misdemeanors, in Henrico County will be called before a grand jury and ordered to reveal the identity of those who sold them the drugs. Those who refuse to cooperate face a contempt of court charge and jail time.
“If you get caught with a little bit of marijuana, you’re telling us where you got it,” said county prosecutor Toby Vick, who helped devise the new policy. However, reaction to the measure remains mixed.
“It makes great ink, and it makes great film at 11, but in reality I question the effectiveness of such a program,” said defense attorney David Boone. Boone argued that most individuals convicted on drug possession charges have little first-hand knowledge of those who sell them the drugs. “Small time drug dealers are nameless strangers to the people with whom they trade,” he said.
Kent Willis, director of Virginia’s American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), noted that Vick and the police have the legal authority to carry out their plan, but did not believe it would be effective.