marijuana expungement Archives - JDP https://www.jdp.com/blog/tag/marijuana-expungement/ Employment Screening, Background Check Fri, 03 May 2024 18:38:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Missouri Circuit Courts Request $3.7m For Processing Marijuana Expungements https://www.jdp.com/blog/missouri-circuit-courts-request-3-7m-for-processing-marijuana-expungements/ Tue, 02 Apr 2024 18:44:55 +0000 https://www.jdp.com/?p=18548 April 3, 2024 Missouri’s circuit courts have been busy processing expungements to comply with the 2022 constitutional amendment. The constitutional amendment created a June 8 deadline for expunging misdemeanors and December 8 for felonies. The state’s courts have successfully cleared over 100,000 marijuana-related charges from residents’ criminal records. However, court officials have discussed requesting additional […]

The post Missouri Circuit Courts Request $3.7m For Processing Marijuana Expungements appeared first on JDP.

]]>
April 3, 2024

Missouri’s circuit courts have been busy processing expungements to comply with the 2022 constitutional amendment. The constitutional amendment created a June 8 deadline for expunging misdemeanors and December 8 for felonies. The state’s courts have successfully cleared over 100,000 marijuana-related charges from residents’ criminal records. However, court officials have discussed requesting additional funding to complete these expungements.

The court officials commented on their challenges when determining how many marijuana records they still need to expunge. According to the officials, many records are not in digital format. As a result, they confirmed that they had to physically sort and review the physical documents to determine which records qualify for expungements.

The state began the expungement process by identifying which digital records qualify. After determining the appropriate information, they sent it to the circuit courts for expunging. This process allowed the courts to expunge 103,558 by January 2, 2024. However, many court officials believe they need more funding to continue. This funding would help them complete the detailed work required to complete the expungements under Amendment 3.

Court officials intend to request an additional $3.7 million for the upcoming budget year. They will soon make a case before a House appropriations committee. During the last budgeting year, state courts provided state courts with an additional $4.5 million. This budget paid for overtime and temporary workers to process the many expungements that Amendment 3 required. On May 5, the state also approved an additional $2.5 million supplemental budget.

The law explains how they use the revenue from taxes collected on recreational marijuana sales and fees paid by regulated businesses. According to the law, this revenue would cover the costs of regulating the program. Any additional revenue would go to the court system to cover the expenses associated with the expungements guaranteed under the law.

To access the additional funds, the courts must request reimbursement for incurred expenses related to performing additional work for the Circuit Court Budget Committee. According to the Missouri Supreme Court’s communications counsel, Beth Riggert, the committee has provided the courts $4.2 million in additional funding. These funds have often helped pay for overtime and further assistance to complete the expungement processes.

Greene County received $940,000 and used it to complete the most expungements, 4,306. However, the amount of funding and size of the county do not dictate which counties expunge the most records. For example, Laclede County expunged the second-highest number of records despite having a population of 36,000 and receiving roughly $35,000 from the assistance program.

Disclaimer:
Information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only and should not constitute as legal advice. We recommend you contact your own legal counsel for any questions regarding your specific practices and compliance with applicable laws.

Source

 

The post Missouri Circuit Courts Request $3.7m For Processing Marijuana Expungements appeared first on JDP.

]]>
Second Missouri Marijuana Expungement Deadline Is Approaching https://www.jdp.com/blog/second-missouri-marijuana-expungement-deadline-is-approaching/ Wed, 06 Dec 2023 21:43:20 +0000 https://www.pre-employ.com/?p=17748 Second Missouri Marijuana Expungement Deadline Is Approaching December 06, 2023 In November 2022, Missouri voters passed Amendment 3. This amendment required the expungement of all nonviolent marijuana-related misdemeanors and felonies. It included two deadlines for processing these deadlines: June 8, 2023, and December 8, 2023. Before the first deadline established by Amendment 3 passed, it […]

The post Second Missouri Marijuana Expungement Deadline Is Approaching appeared first on JDP.

]]>
Second Missouri Marijuana Expungement Deadline Is Approaching
December 06, 2023

In November 2022, Missouri voters passed Amendment 3. This amendment required the expungement of all nonviolent marijuana-related misdemeanors and felonies. It included two deadlines for processing these deadlines: June 8, 2023, and December 8, 2023.

Before the first deadline established by Amendment 3 passed, it quickly became clear that the state could not meet it. As such, many marijuana-related misdemeanors still exist despite the expungement order. It remains unclear how many cases still await expungement.

Furthermore, the second date set by Amendment 3 is rapidly approaching. This deadline has also proven impossible to achieve, so it will pass without the state fulfilling its obligation to expunge all nonviolent misdemeanor felonies. It is also unclear how many cases will remain once the deadline passes.

The Cause of Delay

The issue causing the state’s inability to meet these deadlines concerns the sheer amount of work required to process these expungements. According to the state, the Circuit Clerks in county courts must process these expungements. However, they must individually examine each record to determine eligibility. 

This process includes reviewing Amendment 3’s requirements and sorting through records’ listed offenses. Many cases involve multiple violations, slowing the expungement progress as clerks meticulously compare the conditions and contents. Furthermore, many documents have yet to transfer into digital formats, forcing clerks to search and shift through paperwork.

One clerk described the process and struggles that followed Amendment 3’s inception. They explained how they must work through each record individually, which can take more than an hour per record. After noting the obstacles, the state also attempted to assist the clerks with clearing the expungements. It provided additional funds to pay overtime to circuit clerks working to achieve these deadlines.

Progress So Far

So far, Missouri’s Supreme Court has shown that 97,148 cases have cleared the expungement process. Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine how many records remain. Many misdemeanor cases still await expungement months past the deadline. This unknown number has further hampered the chances of expunging felony cases on time. As such, many do not expect the state to clear the remaining nonviolent marijuana-related misdemeanor and felony records before the upcoming deadline.

In the meantime, employers should consider reviewing their policies concerning these nonviolent misdemeanor and felony records. They should ensure that their background screening process does not include this information during the hiring decisions. The best way to ensure a fair employment screening process is to partner with an experienced background check provider. The right partner can deliver timely and accurate screening reports, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.

Easily verify your employment qualifications when you switch to pre-employment background checks. Keep your business compliant with new laws and regulations with Pre-employ’s reliable background checks. Contact a sales rep today.

Source

The post Second Missouri Marijuana Expungement Deadline Is Approaching appeared first on JDP.

]]>