Judge Noach Dear this week questioned why city police are ticketing so many New Yorkers for drinking in public.
Seems police are going up to young men and asking to smell the liquid that's in the cup they're holding.
If the officer smells alcohol he can write up a ticket.
In the process he can also see if there's an outstanding warrant against the person, who may have previously been ticketed, for example, for having a marijuana cigarette out in public or for crossing the street against the light or, yes, drinking from a cup that had a bit of beer in it.
Here's what Judge Dear wrote in an opinion last week:
“As hard as I try, I cannot recall ever arraigning a white defendant for such a violation.”
How long will you do this, Ray Kelly? How long? (See Times story.)
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