On March 29, 2021, the Kansas Medical Marijuana Regulation Act was passed by the House Federal and State Affairs Committee, which means the Kansas House will soon vote on medical marijuana legalization.
What Happens If Passed?
If passed, Kansas will join Missouri and thirty-five additional states that now have legal medical marijuana in the United States. Further, sixteen states have legalized recreational marijuana sales and soon Mexico will be joining Canada as two North American countries with recreational marijuana laws.
While increased laws either decriminalizing and/or legalizing marijuana use are building momentum across the United States, there are still thousands of Americans with drug convictions on their records, currently incarcerated or on probation and parole who still have this scarlet letter following them around every time, they apply for a job, or try to lease an apartment.
Marks on your record for something that is now in one form or another legalized in a majority of the United States is a lasting reminder of some of the failed drug policies that still have communities stuck in this turbulent wake.
Removing the Aging Blemishes
At Hale Robinson & Robinson, LLC, we believe that removing these aging blemishes from your record is a path to move on with your life and save you the continued repercussions for something that now many Americans are able to use legally.
Expungement is the process of sealing your criminal record of convictions from not only drug crimes, but many crimes. Our firm of experienced criminal attorneys can put you back into the position you were in prior to your conviction. We are here to help you review your options to determine if expungement is an appropriate course of action for each individual.
If you decide to pursue an expungement, our experienced attorneys will file a petition with the courts in both Kansas and Missouri to seal your criminal convictions and allow you to that negative history behind you.
Eligibility
Expunging your criminal record is not an option for some individuals, and some convictions are not eligible to be expunged. The attorneys at Hale Robinson & Robinson, LLC can review your situation to evaluate how to best approach to see if you are eligible for an expungement.
In Kansas, depending on the crime it can take three to five years since you served or satisfied your sentence to get your record expunged. With higher-level felonies requiring a five-year wait.
Additionally, you will have to have satisfied all restitution, fines, and/or court costs, along with the petitioner not being charged with any felony offense in the preceding two years. If your criminal record is expunged in Kansas you are permitted by law to answer “NO” when asked by an employer if an individual has any prior arrests and/or criminal convictions.
What About Missouri?
In Missouri, depending on the crime it can take three to seven years since you served or satisfied your sentence to get your record expunged. Once a petition is filed, the State has 30 days to file an objection to your request and a court must hold a hearing within 60 days following the objection, or 30 days after filing no objection.
If your criminal record is expunged in Missouri you will not be found guilty of perjury, or otherwise giving a false statement to acknowledge an arrest, conviction, or expungement if asked about any information relating to expungement.
So What’s Next?
You do not have to let charges from your past follow you around, waiting to prevent that dream job offer, or securing a lease.
As states move on from the criminalization of drugs, it is our goal to allow our clients to move on from the negative impacts of prior convictions. Doctors are now prescribing what was once illegal to help patients.
Allow our team of experienced criminal defense law attorneys allow us to aid you from the costs of a criminal conviction, and be confident that your past no longer has to impact your present.
