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.