Sacramento, CA: Officials in two additional California counties, Sonoma county (population 502,000) and Yolo county (population 213,000), have announced that they will proactively review and vacate thousands of past marijuana convictions.
Sonoma county officials estimate that some 3,000 cases are eligible for either a sentence reduction or expungement. In Yolo County, the District Attorney’s Office has identified an estimated 700 cases that may be eligible for legal relief.
Their actions follow those of district attorneys in Alameda county, San Diego county, and San Francisco – each of whom have pledged to automatically review and dismiss thousands of past marijuana-related convictions.
Provisions in the state’s 2016 voter-approved marijuana law allow those with past marijuana convictions to petition the court for expungement. Legislation is pending in the California Assembly, AB 1793, to make this process automatic for anyone with an eligible past cannabis conviction.
For more information, contact Justin Strekal, NORML Political Director, at (202) 483-5500, or visit California NORML.