Drug Caseload

Your Dec. 29 editorial, “Coping With the Great Flood,” about the overburdened federal courts, gives three solutions, including the suggestion of increasing the number of judges from 846 to 4,000.

You overlook the most obvious solution: Cut the caseload. Cut the caseload by the decriminalization of drugs, cut drug cases, i.e., sales and possession and drug-related cases, like burglaries, robberies, etc.

We have spent $150 billion in a futile attempt to stop drugs and have more of them than ever. Cut the profit out of drugs by European-style government sales or prescriptions and use billions for education and treatment. Decriminalization would cut the use of drugs.

ROBERT CLIFTON

Retired Judge, Superior Court

Granada Hills