City Hall is apparently doing its research. When word initially got out about the impending proposal to issue tickets for small cannabis possession in Chicago, no distinction was drawn between juveniles and adults. As I outlined at the time, juveniles would be harmed by the change because convictions for ordinance violations would not be expungeable, while criminal charges are expungeable. Juveniles in counties that passed similar measures have been victimized by this oversight.
The Mayor’s office will not make the same mistake. When Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s official plan was released, it included the addition that juveniles must still be arrested and processed as they were under the old plan. This is certainly preferable because then the City and police can still send the message they want to send, without leaving the youths with a permanent black mark on their record.
The so-called “decriminalization” of cannabis will still likely lead to an increase in the number of convictions and criminal backgrounds for adults, as I have explained previously. However, at least the plan won’t strip juveniles of the opportunities that Illinois expungement law is designed to protect.
The Mayor’s office will not make the same mistake. When Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s official plan was released, it included the addition that juveniles must still be arrested and processed as they were under the old plan. This is certainly preferable because then the City and police can still send the message they want to send, without leaving the youths with a permanent black mark on their record.
The so-called “decriminalization” of cannabis will still likely lead to an increase in the number of convictions and criminal backgrounds for adults, as I have explained previously. However, at least the plan won’t strip juveniles of the opportunities that Illinois expungement law is designed to protect.
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