Russell’s attorney, as well as other defense lawyers, applauded the decision by the appeals court saying that defendants across the state who have minor marijuana convictions staining their criminal records will now have hope that their offenses could be removed. Russell herself said that the criminal conviction had impacted her life and her ability to find work and was thrilled that she would be able to move forward with a clean slate.
Unsurprisingly, not everyone was pleased with the ruling. The state’s Attorney General issued an announcement saying that he thought the Court of Appeals was wrong to apply the new law retroactively and said he intended to take the matter all the way to the state’s supreme court.
Some have said that the ruling could now be used as precedent by others who appeal similar low-level marijuana convictions. Beyond those who were cited for possession of marijuana and marijuana concentrate, the new ruling could also be interpreted to offer hope for those convicted of other minor marijuana crimes that are now legal under Amendment 64, such as growing marijuana.
Though the ruling is undoubtedly good news for those in Colorado with criminal infractions to contend with, it is unlikely that the ruling will lead to anyone getting released from jail. That’s because the kind of crimes that are now legal under Amendment 64 would not have resulted in jail time in the first place.
Source: “Colorado court: Some marijuana cases can be overturned,” by John Ingold, published at DenverPost.com.