How many metro-east residents had minor marijuana convictions pardoned by governor?
More than 1,000 minor marijuana convictions, including some that were decades old, will be removed from the records of some local offenders after the governor granted pardons Tuesday, the day before legal weed sales begin.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker granted a total of 11,017 pardons for people from 92 of the state’s 102 counties on New Year’s Eve, and 1,004 of them were from the metro-east.
He said clearing the non-violent, misdemeanor offenses from individuals’ records will make it easier for them to get jobs, housing and financial aid for college.
St. Clair County had the most misdemeanor expungements locally with 377, according to Jason Sweat, spokesman for the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. It also had the fifth-highest number of expungements in the state, data provided by the governor’s office show.
Sangamon County, which includes Springfield, had the most convictions pardoned at 510.
Madison County was among the top 10 statewide with 322 expungements. There were another 153 in Randolph County, 92 in Clinton County and 50 in Monroe County, Sweat said.
The governor’s office referred to Tuesday’s action as the “first wave of cannabis expungements.” That’s because people who have been convicted of offenses involving more than an ounce of marijuana in Illinois can file court petitions to clear those records, too. Local prosecutors and legal aid organizations also can take that step independently.
State officials estimate that 34,000 records are eligible for that process.
Meanwhile, the first legal pot sales to anyone 21 years old or older will begin Wednesday morning.
Illinois Supply and Provisions, the only metro-east dispensary authorized so far to sell to recreational customers, will open its doors at 7 a.m. New Year’s Day. Return to bnd.com for live coverage of the historic day.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
