221.10

221.10, a section of the New York State Penal Code dealing with possession of marijuana, is a typical charge for Bronx Community Solutions and for the Bronx court system as a whole, representative of the high-volume, low-stakes business that makes up the major bulk of criminal cases processed in New York City. This article in the NYT gives a good snap shot:

"He had been caught with $30 worth of marijuana after his car was stopped on Riverside Drive, an offense against Section 221.10 of the New York State penal code. His case involved surveillance by an unmarked car and two officers who then stayed late into the night processing their prisoner, fingerprinting him, writing a complaint and taking his mug shot.

The court proceeding lasted about 45 seconds. The charges would be permanently dismissed if he stayed out of trouble for a year, which did not appear to be a big challenge, since he had never been arrested before."