New Jersey has become the 12th state to legalize recreational marijuana. NBC New York’s Brian Thompson reports.
What to Know
- New Jersey has vacated or dismissed nearly 88,000 cases related to marijuana convictions, following the decriminalization of certain marijuana offenses in the state.
- The New Jersey Courts announced Monday that these thousands of cases are the first of about 360,000 identified by superior and municipal courts as eligible to be vacated, dismissed, and expunged under the Marijuana Decriminalization Law that went into effect July 1.
- The decriminalization law Gov. Phil Murphy signed assigns the Administrative Office of the Courts the task of vacating guilty verdicts, pleas and placements in diversionary programs in cases before Feb. 22, 2021, which was the day Murphy signed the legislation.
New Jersey has vacated or dismissed nearly 88,000 cases related to marijuana convictions, following the decriminalization of certain marijuana offenses in the state.
The New Jersey Courts announced Monday that these thousands of cases are the first of about 360,000 identified by superior and municipal courts as eligible to be vacated, dismissed, and expunged under the Marijuana Decriminalization Law that went into effect July 1.
The decriminalization law Gov. Phil Murphy signed assigns the Administrative Office of the Courts the task of vacating guilty verdicts, pleas and placements in diversionary programs in cases before Feb. 22, 2021, which was the day Murphy signed the legislation.
The law vacates convictions, remaining sentences, ongoing supervision or unpaid court fines for those convicted under previous law.
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The attorney general’s office has a list online of the former crimes affected by decriminalization, including possession and being under the influence of marijuana.
Additionally, according to the state's courts, New Jersey is creating an electronic system to allow staff to provide a certification of expungement to members of the public seeking to determine whether their case has been expunged.
