Legal Commentary

Aspen's Favorite Sheriff Reflects on 24 Years

By Jeralyn

Bob Braudis, Aspen's (and my) favorite Sheriff reflects on his 24 years of service in an in-depth interview in the Aspen Times. (Great photos from the shoot here.)

Indisputably Pitkin County's most influential and beloved elected official for more than two decades, Braudis' outspokenness — from his positions against the war on drugs to his well-documented friendship with the late author Hunter S. Thompson — made him a giant among what he calls the “free thinkers” of Pitkin County.

For those who have known and appreciated Braudis all these years, there won't be a lot that comes as a surprise. For those who aren't familiar with him, it's a great read and highlights the difference between a law enforcement perspective like Braudis' that's smart on crime from one that is tough on crime (and destined to fail.) Some of the better quotes below: [More...]

On the drug war:

“I do believe that all substances should be legal. And believe me, if snorting Drano was illegal, but it made you feel real good, people would be snorting Drano. Humans want to change their consciousness. They're going to do it, whether it's legal or not. Illegal status drives the price up. Our laws are nothing but price support for the cartels. Sure, if we legalize it you're going to see a spike in abuse, you're going to see a spike in ODs, you're going to seek spikes in addictions, but at what cost are we preventing that? The billions we put into prosecution, incarcerations, probation, all the ‘ations,' could be put into medical research on general topics like addiction.”

On the medical marijuana movement:

“The medical marijuana thing is a mask. It's well-cloaked. It is the result of a pinch-brained government not willing to entertain the final product, which is legalization, but forcing proponents for marijuana use to create a medical cloak to take through the public opinion called referenda. These referenda across the country have largely resulted in the approval of medical marijuana. As state by state people approve medical marijuana, the question is: How come there are so many young white guys in Colorado with bad backs? You know, it is a ruse, but it has succeeded, slowly, but it is still a success. If I were God, I would say ‘let's just make it legal and see what shakes out.'”

On America's future:

"It's never going to be as good as it was. When did it start getting bad? It hasn't. Hold on to your jobs. People are getting cut and the cuts haven't started yet. We're just slicing salami ... it is a cycle of history. I think the American Century ended. We don't have respect in the world, we can't win a war, and our dollar isn't as strong as it used to be, and we're in debt up to our ass.”

Aspen's newly elected Sheriff, Joe DiSalvo, shares Braudis' law enforcement philosophy. By the way, if you're age 50 (class of '78) he's promising one free pass. From his Facebook page today, responding to a friend: "By the way everyone in the class of 78 gets one get out of jail free card. Pass the word. Love joe"

Full post as published by TalkLeft on December 21, 2010 (boomark / email).