Santa Clara County To Expunge Convictions For Thousands Of Cannabis Offenders

Around 9,000 cannabis defendants in Santa Clara County, California are going to be affected by the latest measures taken by Santa Clara County Superior Court.

According to High Times, Santa Clara County prosecutors are set to vacate or lessen more than 11,500 convictions for cannabis violations, after revising the list sent by the California Department of Justice.

The 2016 ballot initiative that amended California law to legalize cannabis for recreational use and sell, and the 2018 state drug law reform, allowed the expunction of adult criminal records.

Per a release from the Santa Clara County Superior Court, Judge Eric Geffon is expected to grant expungements on Wednesday.

“We hope this process will provide a sense of closure to those individuals. Having a clear record also will assist those seeking employment, an issue that is especially important as businesses begin the process of reopening,” said Presiding Judge Deborah Ryan.

Cannabis convictions that involved possession of firearms, child endangerment, or destruction of the environment are not subject to these measures.

“We certainly took a broad view of interpreting the law to allow relief but the law, Proposition 64, kind of dictates who is eligible and who is not,” Assistant District Attorney David Angel said in a statement.

Earlier this year, Los Angeles County partnered with the tech group Code for America and identified around 66,000 convictions for expungement.

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
Comments
Loading...
Posted In: CannabisGovernmentNewsRegulationsMediaCaliforniaHigh Times
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!
CCC-Oct-24-Banner-1

Click on the image for more info.

Cannabis rescheduling seems to be right around the corner

Want to understand what this means for the future of the industry?

Hear directly for top executives, investors and policymakers at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, coming to Chicago this Oct. 8-9. 

Get your tickets now before prices surge by following this link.