offenders

People caught with small amounts of marijuana in New Mexico could get off the hook with just a fine if a new bill makes it past the state's House. The Senate passed a bill Thursday that would allow offenders to pay a mere $50 instead of spending time behind bars for possession of marijuana...

The first time Paul Fields was sentenced for a marijuana offense, he got probation. The second time, he got 100 days in jail. The third time, he got more than 15 years in prison. That astonishing escalation was caused by a federal sentencing provision aimed at "career offenders," defined as...