A House Bill (HB 218) awaiting Governor Rauner’s signature would decriminalize possession of small amounts (15 grams) of marijuana. Instead of being arrested and charged with a misdemeanor crime, individuals would be ordered to pay a fine. It would be akin to getting a parking ticket. If someone cited for marijuana possession under HB 218 also has drug paraphernalia, s/he can be fined for both infractions. In all other cases, possession of drug paraphernalia will still be treated as a criminal offense.
Read MoreSince taking office in January, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has been mum about how he feels about using his power to grant clemency . During his first six months in office, Gov. Rauner has only granted clemency to nine people, while rejecting the petitions of 201.
Read MoreIn May, I highlighted several bills the Illinois General Assembly was considering to reduce employment and licensing barriers for ex-offenders. Since then two bills have been sent to Governor Rauner. If he signs them, they will go into effect in January 2016.
Read MoreLast month a federal court judge in New York took the unusual step of expunging a federal conviction. The judge had sentenced the defendant 12 years earlier. What made the judge's decision unusual is that people who commit federal crimes don't ordinarily get to eliminate their criminal record.
Read MoreI’ve looked at hundreds of criminal records over the years. What I’ve discovered is that criminal court records contain errors. I know, we all made mistakes: dialed the wrong number, misspelled someone’s name. But when a court clerk doesn’t accurately record a judge’s ruling in a criminal case, it can have serious and long lasting consequences.
Read MoreToday, there is little information about you that can’t be found with the click of a mouse. What, then, is the benefit of expunging a criminal record? The answer to this question is going to depend on whether the arrest and subsequent court proceedings were covered by the media.
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