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© Jesse Ward/for New York Daily News
District Attorney Kenneth Thompson released a statement Tuesday saying that those busted in Brooklyn with little or no criminal record for small amounts of marijuana will have their arrests dismissed before even seeing a judge

The order came from on high. Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson on Tuesday said he won't prosecute people with little or no criminal record who get caught with small amounts of weed.

While the majority of such cases already are eventually dismissed, those arrested from now on - with some exceptions - will be released before seeing a judge, according to a DA memo. The revised approach is not shared by cops and could even cause tension between the DA and the NYPD.

"This new policy is a reasonable response to the thousands of low-level marijuana arrests that weigh down the criminal justice system, require significant resources that could be redirected to more serious crimes and take an unnecessary toll on offenders," Thompson said in a statement.

The new DA, who took office this year, had promised to change pot policies and has been negotiating the approach with police officials for months. But Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said Tuesday the "policy change will not result in any changes in the policies and procedures of the NYPD." He added that police "appreciate many of (prosecutors') concerns" and understand their prerogative to decline prosecutions.

"However," Bratton said, "in order to be effective, our police officers must enforce the laws of the State of New York uniformly throughout all five boroughs of the city." Thompson noted that his office handled more than 8,500 low-level marijuana misdemeanors in 2013, which mostly affect people of color. More than two-thirds were thrown out or dismissed under the condition that the defendant stay out of trouble for a year.

Young offenders, ages 16 and 17, will not be let go under the new policy, but sent instead to a drug program. Other exceptions include those who smoke in public places or around children, those with open warrants, violent criminals, suspected dealers and repeat possession offenders.

"It's really case-by-case," a source said of how the practice will be applied. "This policy does not express approval for the use of marijuana and should not be interpreted as such," Thompson said. He added that "as district attorney, I have the additional duty to do justice, and not merely convict, and to reform and improve our criminal justice system in Brooklyn."

With Rocco Parascandola