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[I]n the coming week, state’s attorneys in two counties will hold “expungement days,” offering assistance to Vermonters looking to clear their records of misdemeanor marijuana convictions.
The initiative comes weeks ahead of the July 1 start date for the state’s new policy that legalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana.
“Why should a person be saddled with a conviction for a lifetime, for behavior that will be legal as of this summer?” asked Windsor County State’s Attorney David Cahill, who will hold an expungement clinic on Saturday at Vermont Law School. “I anticipate that it’s going to be the first of many steps that we take to get people who are entitled to expungement the actual relief that they deserve.”
According to Mairead O’Reilly, the poverty law fellow at Vermont Legal Aid, that relief could mean better opportunities for education, employment or housing.
“Employers, like landlords, sometimes see a record and feel concerned about what they think is taking a chance on someone,” she said. “We’ve definitely seen some pretty immediate results from getting that record cleared.”
One former Vermonter who’s looking to clear his charges is Josh Rowe, a lighting technician who travels the globe with touring musicians. Thanks to two possession charges from over five years ago, Rowe says his work opportunities today are limited. He has difficulty entering certain countries, including Canada.
“It doesn’t look very good on my end,” Rowe said. “They obviously want to hire someone who can be at all the shows.”
On this week’s podcast, Rowe explains what he hopes to gain from a clean slate. Plus, Mairead O’Reilly describes how the expungement process works for those looking to apply.
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