L.A. County D.A. to dismiss 60,000 past marijuana convictions
LA TimesLos Angeles County Dist. The nation’s largest prosecutor’s office is moving to dismiss roughly 60,000 marijuana convictions, the latest step to undo what some reform advocates consider the damage caused by narcotics enforcement carried out before Californians voted to legalize marijuana, Los Angeles County Dist. About 20,000 of the convictions expected to be expunged under Gascón’s Monday order were for felony possession or cultivation of marijuana, said Jean Guccione, a spokeswoman for the L.A. County district attorney’s office. Felicia Carbajal, executive director of the Social Impact Center, a Los Angeles-based community center, said her organization first helped identify the discrepancy in Los Angeles County’s handling of case expungements, noting the potential problem with relying solely on California Department of Justice records to identify cases that would qualify for relief. Gascón said he also plans for prosecutors to work with the public defender’s office to seek a “blanket” court order to seal records of the convictions for the thousands of defendants affected by the move.
History of this topic
After Times investigation, law passed to force California to clear pot convictions faster
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New bill takes aim at California’s slow progress clearing pot convictions
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California was supposed to clear cannabis convictions. Tens of thousands are still languishing
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