Pubdate: Tue, 17 Dec 2019
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (GA)
Copyright: 2019 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Contact:  http://www.ajc.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/28
Author: Arielle Kass

MAYOR WANTS TO RESTRICT ACCESS TO POT RECORDS

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms wants to restrict public access to
people's criminal records for convictions of less than an ounce of
marijuana - an executive action announced Monday that she said was "in
keeping with our commitment to meaningful criminal justice reform."

The administrative order requires city officials - specifically the
chief operating officer, city attorney, solicitor and chief judge of
the Municipal Court - to establish a standard process by which people
can apply to have those court records made off-limits to everyone
except law enforcement by Feb. 1.

The order also impacts criminal records of people convicted of
disorderly conduct under a city ordinance that was repealed by Mayor
Shirley Franklin in 2007. That ordinance allowed police to arrest
people for merely being "in a place where illegal drugs or narcotics
are sold or possessed."
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