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Missouri - The Springfield City Council will wait at least a month to vote on a bill that would allow people to have some marijuana offenses removed from their records. The council was scheduled to vote on the bill Monday but tabled it to allow more time to work on the language in the ordinance. The bill would allow first-time offenders to have a municipal marijuana possession or paraphernalia charge removed from their records. It would apply only to municipal violations involving 35 grams of marijuana or less. A person would have to complete community service or probation and avoid any other marijuana-related or felony charges for two years before the record could be expunged. Councilman Craig Hosmer, who supports the ordinance, made the motion to table it to "look at some different language (and) make sure it does what we want it to do and not anything else."
City Attorney Dan Wichmer has said he does not believe the city has legal authority to expunge marijuana convictions. However, Hosmer, who is an attorney, has argued that the city has the authority unless it's expressly taken away. He noted that Columbia has an ordinance allowing some marijuana convictions to be expunged. Hosmer said the delay will allow the city to discuss the ordinance with the Missouri Attorney General's Office and to make any needed changes to the language before bringing it back to council. At the earliest, the bill could come back to council Dec. 16.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Bnd.com
Author: Associated Press
Contact: Contact Belleville News-Democrat or bnd.com in Belleville, IL
Website: SPRINGFIELD, Mo.: Springfield delays vote on marijuana offenses | Missouri News | News Democrat
City Attorney Dan Wichmer has said he does not believe the city has legal authority to expunge marijuana convictions. However, Hosmer, who is an attorney, has argued that the city has the authority unless it's expressly taken away. He noted that Columbia has an ordinance allowing some marijuana convictions to be expunged. Hosmer said the delay will allow the city to discuss the ordinance with the Missouri Attorney General's Office and to make any needed changes to the language before bringing it back to council. At the earliest, the bill could come back to council Dec. 16.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Bnd.com
Author: Associated Press
Contact: Contact Belleville News-Democrat or bnd.com in Belleville, IL
Website: SPRINGFIELD, Mo.: Springfield delays vote on marijuana offenses | Missouri News | News Democrat
