“If no substantial countervailing concern is raised, judges must grant the petition for expungement,” justices on the Supreme Court concluded.
Category: Expungement
“I have repeatedly called on our Republican-led General Assembly to support the legalization of adult-use marijuana, but they’ve yet to meet this call for action from myself and Pennsylvanians. Until they do, I am committed to doing everything in my power to support Pennsylvanians who have been adversely affected by a minor marijuana offense on their record.”
“Millions of citizens unduly carry the undue burden and stigmatization of a past conviction for behavior that is no longer considered to be a crime. Our sense of justice and our principles of fairness demand that officials move swiftly to right the past wrongs of cannabis prohibition and criminalization.”
“Saddling people with the lifelong collateral consequences of even a low-level marijuana arrest or conviction is unjust and provides no legitimate benefit to society. Facilitating the expungement of minor federal marijuana offenses is a necessary step that will allow impacted people to reach their full potential.”
“Adults should no longer be stigmatized and disenfranchised because of convictions for marijuana-related activities that are no longer defined as crimes under the law.”
NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano called the legislation “a common sense fix. Those seeking to expunge their records should not be penalized simply because they have recently engaged in behavior that is now perfectly legal under state law.”
“Far too many citizens unduly carry the undue burden and stigmatization of a past conviction for behavior that many jurisdictions, and most Americans, no longer consider to be a crime. Our sense of justice and our principles of fairness demand that officials move swiftly to right the past wrongs of cannabis prohibition and criminalization.”