The Rhode Island judiciary has expunged over 23,000 marijuana possession records. This is the first phase in the cannabis relief program directed by the state’s legalization act and an executive order of the state Supreme Court.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, the judiciary stated that “3 015 individual cases have been expunged from the Superior Court; 10,650 cases from the District Court and 9,952 in the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal.”
The state’s adult-use legalization law was passed last year . State Supreme Court Chief Judge Paul Suttell issued an executive directive in January setting up a procedure for mass expulsions.
In a recent announcement, State Court Administrator Julie Hamil stated that “the automatic expungement” of marijuana charges was an organizational feat. The process was executed in a timely, holistic manner because there has been coordination on every level of the Judiciary.
The second phase of the expungement will clear cannabis possession records in cases that involve multiple criminal offenses. This is currently being planned. This phase must be completed by July 1, 2020.
Mavis Nimoh is the executive director of Center for Health and Justice Transformation . She said that the RI Judiciary had executed the auto-expungement in a seamless manner. As the state moves into an economy that is booming, a common sense approach to criminal record relief will be needed.
The court’s executive order allows people to submit requests for expedited expungements. The court will waive the fees for anyone who makes a request.
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Several states and territories have taken steps to offer relief to those who have had prior marijuana convictions.
For instance, The Louisiana Senate passed a bill Monday that would streamline expungements of first-time marijuana possession convictions. It was sent to the Governor’s desk.
This year, the governor of Ohio signed a criminal justice reform law which will allow cities to facilitate mass expungements of people who have certain drug-related convictions. These include marijuana possession up to 200 g.
In a report released by NORML late last year, it was revealed that over the past few years, state officials had granted nearly 2,000,000 pardons or expungements for people with minor marijuana convictions.
In Rhode Island, the Senate Committee recently approved Gov. Dan McKee (D) has appointed a group of people to a Cannabis Commission that will oversee the legal cannabis market.
A House committee approved a bill on Tuesday that would allow the possession and cultivation psilocybin mushroom. The bill also took steps to prepare for regulated access therapeutically pending federal reform.
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The original Marijuana Moment article Rhode Island Courts expunge more than 23,000 marijuana possession records as part of the legalization law’s mandate for relief first appeared.
