Connecticut prosecutors have dismissed more than 1,500 pending marijuana cases, while modifying about 600 others, following a review as part of the state’s post-legalization criminal erasure program.
Chief State’s Attorney Patrick Griffen submitted a report to members of the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee on Friday showing that the review involved individualized examinations of 4,248 cases involving controlled substances.
Prosecutors in each of Connecticut’s 13 judicial districts were tasked with identifying and clearing convictions for activity made legal under the cannabis bill that Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed into law last year.
As Griffen pointed out, state statute previously did not distinguish marijuana cases from other drugs that remain prohibited, so there wasn’t a simple way to automate the process. The case-by-case review ultimately led to 1,562 convictions being eliminated. Another 624 cases that involved multiple crimes were modified to remove marijuana charges.
“With 4,248 cases statewide containing this charge (2,139 pending and 2,109 in re-arrest status) this was no small task, and quite labor intensive,” the letter to lawmakers, which was first reported by Hearst Connecticut Media Group., says. “Nonetheless, given the Committee’s expressed concerns, I represented to you that resolving these cases would be treated as a priority by
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