All Marijuana Cases To Be Dismissed In Westchester

WHITE PLAINS, NY — All marijuana cases involving felony and misdemeanor charges of possession or sale will be dismissed in Westchester County.

Westchester District Attorney Miriam Rocah announce Monday that the courts have granted her petition to dismiss the cases.

Rocah said the dismissal of all marijuana cases and underlying bench warrants was a priority of hers.

"The decriminalization of marijuana possession is critical given the discriminatory way marijuana laws have been used to incarcerate people of color," she said.

"While Black and white Americans used marijuana at similar rates, people of color are much more likely to be arrested than white Americans for marijuana possession," Rocah said. "Our office is committed to reducing this disparity and the dismissal of these cases is an important step."

A total of 184 cases have been dismissed by the Westchester District Attorney's Office.

Despite roughly equal usage rates, Black people are 3.73 times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana.

The DA's office will not go forward with prosecuting future violations or misdemeanors. In local court, prosecutors will continue to identify warrants for standalone marijuana charges that would no longer be prosecutable and will calendar these cases, recall the warrants and dismiss the charges.

"The decriminalization of low-level marijuana-related offenses will prevent people from getting unnecessarily involved with the criminal justice system," Rocah said. "Having to disclose an arrest and record can impact many facts of their life, including limiting employment and housing opportunities."

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