Why it matters: The state of Missouri has expunged over 100,000 cannabis-related cases, but many older court records are not digitized, leading to a time-consuming process of manually searching for expungements. The courts are requesting $3.7 million in the 2024 budget to fund the expungement process.
What they are saying: A court clerk from the Missouri Supreme Court reported that 10% of cannabis-related cases have been reviewed and deemed eligible for expungement so far. However, it is unclear how many more cases are left to be processed. Circuit courts have requested fund reimbursement from the Circuit Court Budget Committee, but some have been unable to find qualified personnel or willing clerks to work on expungements.
The big picture: Missouri law mandates that cannabis tax revenue primarily goes back into cannabis regulation agencies, with any leftover funds allocated to the court system for expungements. The process of locating and expunging cannabis-related cases is slow and tedious due to the lack of digital records, requiring clerks to manually review each case.
What to watch: The courts are expected to complete expungements of cannabis-related misdemeanors by June 8, 2024, and all felonies by December 8, 2024. It remains to be seen if the requested $3.7 million in the 2024 budget will be granted and if more circuit courts will be able to find qualified individuals to work on expungements.
My take: The expungement process for cannabis-related cases in Missouri is facing significant challenges due to the lack of digitized records. It is crucial to allocate sufficient funding and resources to ensure efficient and timely expungements, allowing individuals with cannabis convictions to move forward without the burden of a criminal record. Additionally, efforts should be made to digitize court records to streamline future expungement processes and improve overall efficiency in the legal system.
