SALA’s Expungement Program continues to host free legal clinics and provide free legal services to individuals seeking to expunge marijuana-related criminal records. Over the past three months, the Project has hosted free clinics in Pima, Pinal, and Navajo counties, and additional clinics in Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, Pima, and Santa Cruz counties are in the works for early 2022.
In addition to our free clinics, the Program has also successfully provided no-cost direct representation to individuals seeking expungement. In December, the Project’s attorneys obtained an Order of Expungement on an emergency basis on behalf of a community member who needed immediate relief in order to qualify for a lottery providing a limited number of “social equity” licenses. These valuable licenses are available only to people negatively impacted by the war on drugs and allow the licensee to run a marijuana-related business. Also in December, the Project’s attorneys assisted with obtaining a copy of an Order of Expungement on an expedited basis for a client who had been unable to obtain housing and employment due to his marijuana-related criminal records.
Fourth Avenue Winter Street Fair: The Program’s expungement attorneys enjoyed their recent outreach work at the Fourth Avenue Winter Street Fair where we informed countless attendees about this extraordinary, first-ever avenue for Arizonans to expunge their marijuana-related records. Despite the excitement and busyness surrounding our booth, the expungement attorneys thoroughly answered questions from inquirers, listened to the stories of their arrests or convictions and the attached barriers that still haunt them, and conducted on-the-spot screening to determine a person’s eligibility for the remedy. The Program’s attorneys look forward to seeing you at more community events and continuing to spread the word about Arizona’s pathway to expungement.
Spread the Word—Upcoming Clinics:
- February 2, 2022 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m, Graham County.: Our next expungement clinic will be in Safford, Arizona at the Graham County Superior Courthouse.
- February 9, 2022 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tucson: Columbus/Ecksrrom Branch of the public library, located at 22nd and Columbus.
- March 2022 date TBA, Casa Grande: The Project will also be hosting a clinic in Casa Grande, Arizona, which is planned for the first week of March (further details about this clinic will be provided very soon).
We are ready and excited to assist eligible clinic attendees in taking the first step to reclaim their lives—filling out that expungement petition!
Arizona’s Proposition 207 allows for the expungement (i.e., sealing) of criminal records involving simple possession of less than two-and-a-half ounces of marijuana, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, or cultivation of six-or-fewer plants at an individual’s own home for personal use. Contact SALA’s Expungement Program at expunge@sazlegalaid.org or 520-623-9465 ext. 4420 today to see if you are eligible.
