The San Diego County District Attorney has asked the courts to reduce 25,000 marijuana convictions from felonies to misdemeanors and dismiss an additional 1,000 misdemeanor convictions entirely.
District Attorney Summer Stephan has asked the San Diego Superior Court to review the requests under AB 1793 which paved the way to reduce or dismiss past marijuana-related convictions, the office announced Monday.
The bill required the prosecution office, in this case the District Attorney's Office, to review cases and determine whether they are eligible for resentencing or dismissal by July 1, 2020, particularly if the person does not present an "unreasonable risk to public safety."
Though the DA's Office said it was already actively reducing and dismissing eligible cases before the law passed in 2018, spurred by Proposition 64 in 2016.
Since then, the DA’s Office said it has already reduced or dismissed more than 1,600 marijuana-related convictions.
“We’ve been a leader in the state and pro-active on giving individuals with marijuana convictions the opportunity to move forward with their lives without a conviction that may have been negatively impacting their lives by restricting their employment or housing,” DA Stephan said.
“This latest motion is the continuation of work that began more than two years ago. It’s clear that the law was written to allow this relief, and it’s important that we give full effect to the will of the people," she added.
California
More information about defendants who may qualify for a reduction in their sentences and how to file a petition can be found on the San Diego County Public Defender’s website. For questions about whether a conviction has been reduced or dismissed, contact the Public Defender’s Office.
