High Times

California courts would face a deadline to implement expungements for past cannabis-related convictions under a bill introduced in the State Assembly on Wednesday.  The legislation sponsored by State Assemblymember Mia Bonta would require courts to update case files for marijuana-related convictions and transmit them to the California Department of Justice by January 1, 2023, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. The state justice department would then be required to use the information from the courts to update its records by July 1, 2023. "California made a promise. I'm focused on making sure that California keeps its promises," said Bonta. "This bill would allow us to automatically seal qualifying cannabis criminal records." Proposition 64, the landmark 2016 voter initiative that legalized recreational marijuana in California, included provisions to carry out expungements of convictions for cannabis-related offenses no longer illegal under state law. Further legislation passed in 2018 required the state to take the lead on clearing past marijuana convictions. But a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed earlier this month that the courts have still not processed the records for at least 34,000 cases. Under Bonta's bill, the state Department of Justice would be directed to update the records if prosecutors or the courts fail to meet their prescribed deadlines. "By default, the record would be sealed if the case is eligible," said Bonta. "There are 34,000 people in the state of California… who are not able to truly and fully live their lives because there has been a failure to fully implement the law." No Expungements Progress in Some Counties Some counties, including Los Angeles and Santa Clara Counties, have made significant progress in clearing past cannabis convictions. But the investigation found that some counties have not yet fully processed any cases eligible for expungement, including Riverside County,…

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Source : California Bill Filed To Accelerate Cannabis Conviction Expungements

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