La Crosse DA Gruenke on rise in gun crimes and upcoming Citizen Prosecution Academy

La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke in studio discussing the rise in shootings and gun incidents, his upcoming Citizen Prosecution Academy — an interactive program giving residents a closer look at the criminal justice system — plus a look at felonies and drug crimes here. We began the show discussing gun-related activity in La Crosse County, including several road rage incidents and how there’s a rise in situations with teens — that were simply fights in the past. We then turned to Gruenke’s upcoming Citizen Prosecution Academy, which gives participants a chance to learn about the criminal justice system and understand how cases are evaluated and prosecuted. The academy is very interactive, helping people better understand issues like bail, sentencing and prosecutorial discretion. The program runs 6-8 p.m. over three Tuesdays (Oct. 14, 21 and 28). The deadline to apply is Oct. 10. Apply here. We also discussed marijuana enforcement, as the county is currently debating changing an ordinance for 25g of marijuana possession to a $1 fine. Gruenke briefly explains the current approach to marijuana-related offenses and how the state should move in a legalization direction based on neighboring states doing the same and how law enforcement is already trained in dealing with marijuana.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.