Thousands of New Yorkers will be eligible to have low-level marijuana convictions wiped clean from their records under a new law.
Individuals with convictions of unlawful marijuana possession and possession of marijuana as a class B misdemeanor will have those convictions automatically expunged from their record — without having to submit applications to do so.
The state Division of Criminal Justice Services estimates 10,872 individuals from the five boroughs will automatically have no New York criminal record after the law change.
Another 13,537 people across the Empire State will also qualify.
The law change also makes weed possession of under 2 ounces a violation instead of a criminal offense and caps fines at $200.
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“What it does tomorrow is it effectively, you can no longer be prosecuted for up to 2 ounces of marijuana. It will be violation and monetary fine,” David Soares, Albany County district attorney and former president of the District Attorneys Association of State of New York, explained.
“It also automatically expunges all B-level misdemeanors and violations of marijuana. 24,000 people will have no criminal record. That has to be celebrated by everybody in the state of New York.”
Another 200,000 cases will also be eligible for expungement, and or, the sealing of records.
New Yorkers can also petition the courts to destroy their records, but this is subject to a court order.
Reference:
nypost.com
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