Politics & Government
20K Pot Convictions Could Be Erased Under BK DA's New Program
District attorney Eric Gonzales is offering Brooklynites with minor drug charges on their records the chance to clear the slate.
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Brooklyn law enforcement officials plan to erase tens of thousands of low-level marijuana convictions, the Brooklyn District Attorney announced Friday.
An estimated 20,000 New Yorkers could be able to request conviction dismissals for misdemeanor possession charges that have been prosecuted in Brooklyn since 1990 under a new program from Eric Gonzalez.
“As we move away from criminalizing low-level possession and use of marijuana, we cannot forget those who carry a conviction for conduct that is no longer being prosecuted," Gonzalez said.
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"It is only fair to relieve these individuals of that burden and allow them to turn over a new leaf and move on with their lives."
The program is part of the Brooklyn District Attorney's office initiative to cut back on prosecuting low-level drug arrests. Since the policy was first implemented in January, the pot possession cases prosecuted in Brooklyn Criminal Court has dropped about 92 percent, Gonzalez said.
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The Brooklyn District Attorney's office will team up with legal groups, such as the Legal Aid Society and the Brooklyn Defender Services, to set up a court and process requests of qualifying New Yorkers who wish their cases to be dismissed.
People with more serious criminal records, such as drug sales or sex offenses, will not be eligible for the program.
Lawmakers argued strict marijuana possession laws do little to protect public safety and disproportionately harm low-level offenders — the majority of whom are black and Hispanic — for the rest of their lives.
“Far too often, arrests for committing low-level offenses follow our young people – mostly black and brown men – throughout their lives, causing them to lose out on critical resources they need to survive," said Public Advocate Letitia James, who partnered with Gonzalez on the project.
"This new initiative allows for individuals who have misdemeanor marijuana convictions to get the fresh start they deserve.”
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