SENATE OPPOSES DRUG-OFFENDER BILL

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 29, 1992                   TAG: 9201290225
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short
SENATE OPPOSES DRUG-OFFENDER BILL
The state Senate on Tuesday voted to kill a statewide rehabilitation program for first-time drug offenders which permits their arrest to be erased from the record.
By a 29-11 vote, senators sent the House a bill that would prevent judges from putting first-time offenders' cases on hold pending drug treatment and drug tests. Under the law, the records can be expunged if the defendants meet a judge's requirements.
Sen. Edward Holland, D-Arlington, said passage of the bill "will be the loss of a valuable tool in jurisdictions where judges are using it."
But Sen. Virgil Goode, D-Rocky Mount, sponsor of the bill, argued that there are no similar provisions in the law for those arrested for other crimes, such as assault. "Why should the drug users get the special privilege?" Goode thundered. "I hope you will vote to take out the special privilege given to drug dealers."
Sen. Kenneth Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, a former policeman, called for toughening the law toward first-time users. "The fact of the matter is, the problem starts with the user," he said. "Without the user, there are no suppliers."
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by Archana Subramaniam by CNB