Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez at a press conference today announced his intent to vacate over ten thousand low-level marijuana convictions. “It’s a little unfair to say we’re no longer prosecuting these cases, but to have these folks carry these convictions for the rest of their lives,” Gonzalez said.
Members of the California Assembly and Senate have approved legislation to facilitate the review and expungement of past marijuana convictions. Regulators estimate that some 220,000 cases would be eligible for erasure or a reduction under the measure.
The District Attorney’s Office for Sonoma County, California (population 502,000) is directing staff to review and vacate thousands of past marijuana convictions. County officials estimate that an estimated 3,000 cases are eligible for either a sentencing reduction or expungement.
The District Attorney for Alameda County has announced her intent to automatically vacate thousands of past marijuana convictions. Alameda County, which includes Oakland, is the 7th-most populous county in California.