On Tuesday, July 27, Eric Gonzalez, the District Attorney for Brooklyn, New York, spoke before Criminal Court Judge Keisha Espinal. Attorney Gonzalez asked the Judge to dismiss 3,578 pending cannabis cases that date back more than 40 years. Judge Espinal agreed. She dismissed and sealed all requested cases, meaning any previous charges won’t show up on any background checks. All requested cases became dismissed and sealed, meaning that the charge won’t show up on someone’s background check.
“I am gratified that the New York Legislature legalized marijuana earlier this year in a bill that included an automatic expungement provision,” Attorney Gonzalez said in a press release. “Since its passage, my Office has moved to dismiss open cases and stated we will no longer bring pending marijuana charges before grand or petit juries. Today, I asked the Court to dismiss over 3,500 warrant cases that remained in the system, effectively clearing the Brooklyn docket from these vestiges of previous models of policing and prosecution. I hope that these actions will help strengthen community trust in the justice system and allow us to continue moving forward with more fairness and equity.”
There are eight cases that remain open in Brooklyn, as the charges involve impaired driving. For those in criminal court cases, cannabis charges will be dismissed over the course of court procedures. Cannabis possession and consumption charges will no longer become presented before a jury.
Continued Expungement
In addition to Attorney Gonzalez, Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah also received permission from courts to dismiss cases. Westchester County sits north of New York City in the Hudson Valley. There, Attorney Rocah received permission to dismiss stand alone possession cases of three ounces or less.
Because Westchester County has fewer residents and the cases dismissed were more specific, only 184 cases received dismissal. “The decriminalization of low-level marijuana-related offenses will prevent people from getting unnecessarily involved with the criminal justice system,” Attorney Rocah said after the dismissal announcement. “Having to disclose an arrest and record can impact many facets of their life, including limiting employment and housing opportunities.”
Future
With expungements taking place, New York citizens will have access to better opportunities. Now, they can start to feel the benefits of legalization. These dismissed cases could lead to citizens applying to better jobs and receiving loans for homes and businesses to help themselves and family members create a better life.
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