Don't Go The F*ck To Jail: An Illustrated Guide To Your Drug-Related Rights

Illustrator Ricardo Cortés (who you may recall from projects like this) is back with a new, very different project about an issue near and dear to him: America's war on drugs. Inspired by a Time article by the creators of The Wire, Cortes has released Jury Independence Illustrated, a booklet explaining (in an easy to understand fashion) how jurors can use their power of nullification to fight the problems of "skyrocketing" nonviolent drug convictions. The best part? It's totally free, and you can even get a copy from Cortés himself. We spoke to the Brooklyn-based artist about this latest project and the time he verbally smacked down Mayor Bloomberg.
"I've always been interested in drug policy," Cortés explains. "I did a stint on jury duty about two years ago and was actually really impressed with my fellow jurors and their critical thinking about the case. Then I saw that Time article saying 'we will not participate in the machinery of drug war,' and I thought it was amazing. I wanted to keep the ball rolling and talk about this issue more. Particularly in New York, where Bloomberg has had a record number of marijuana arrests, despite his own admittance that he's used and enjoyed the drug..."
Cortés then recounts this tale, which is found in an "author's note" footnote in the pamphlet:

I confronted Bloomberg once at a Gracie Mansion BBQ, where I asked him to reconcile his administration of record marijuana arrests with his own admission of personal use and enjoyment. He hemmed and hawed. I asked why he wouldn’t arrest himself for the past use, and he said “That’s not how the law works.” I said, “So, really you’re just saying ‘I got away with it.’” At that point he said, “You and I have nothing in common,” and walked away from me. True story.

Earlier this week, Cortés handed out copies to jurors outside of the Brooklyn Supreme Court, which he plans to do periodically over the next few weeks. The book is available as a free download on Cortés's site, and he'll also be distributing copies of it at this event next month.
Jamie Feldmar @'gothamist'