Source: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2017/S3809
Timestamp: 2018-12-14 13:04:59
Document Index: 7644150

Matched Legal Cases: ['§221', '§160', '§ 221', '§ 221', '§ 221', '§  2', '§ 3']

NY State Senate Bill S3809
senate Bill S3809
Relates to sealing records for certain proceedings
Get Status Alerts for S3809
This bill is necessary to limit the stigma and collateral consequences associated with a conviction for basic marijuana possession.
S3809 - Details
Amd §221.05, Pen L; amd §160.50, CP L
S8047, A10092
S3809 - Summary
Relates to sealing records for certain proceedings that terminate in favor of the accused where the charges relate to the possession of marihuana.
S3809 - Sponsor Memo
BILL NUMBER:  S3809
TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the penal law and the criminal
procedure law, in relation to sealing records for certain proceedings
To permit the sealing of certain marijuana-possession convictions
under section 221.10 of the Penal Law.
Section 1 of the bill amends section 221.05 of the Penal Law, New
York's basic possession of marijuana statute. It provides that a
previous conviction under subdivision one of section 221.10 of the
penal law shall not result in an increase in the maximum fine for a
subsequent conviction under PL § 221.05, the basic marijuana statute.
Subdivision one of PL § 221.10 prohibits knowingly and unlawfully
possessing in a public place marijuana that is burning or open to
Section 2 of the bill adds 221.10 of the Penal Law to the list of
offenses included in paragraph (k) of subdivision 3 for which sealing
of records is required upon conviction. Further, it prohibits a waiver
of sealing as part of a plea agreement.
Section 3 of the bill makes retroactive certain aspects of this bill
by providing a mechanism for persons convicted under 221.10, and in
certain circumstances 221.05, prior to the effective date of the bill,
to have those records sealed.
Under New York law, possession of 25 grams of marijuana or less is a
violation, treated under PL 221.05 as essentially a traffic offense.
However, often individuals possessing a small amount of marijuana are
charged with a misdemeanor offense under section 221.10 of the penal
law. This is largely due the requirement in current law that the
marijuana not be burning in a public place or in public view. It has
been widely reported that police officers sometimes request or demand
that suspects empty their pockets or purse-- and then charge them
under the misdemeanor law based on "public view" exposure of the
substance"*
Many of the cases brought under § 221.10 (1), charging small-quantity
possession of marijuana in a public place and open to public view,
could be handled effectively with an appearance ticket and a potential
fine, and without the stigma and consequences that may follow a
misdemeanor- level conviction. However, instead of achieving
decriminalization of marijuana, as was intended in the 1977 statute,
individuals throughout New York are still facing misdemeanor
prosecution for the simple possession of a small amount of marijuana.
According to the Drug Policy Alliance, in 2015, nearly 16,590 arrests
were made in New York City and nearly 20,992 statewide for possession
of marijuana, an average of 1,382 per month. A permanent criminal
record is the most enduring and long lasting cost of these arrests.
Records of arrests and convictions are now are readily accessible to
the public. Employers, landlords, credit agencies, licensing boards,
and student loan providers routinely search databases for background
checks on applicants. Nurses, security guards, home health aides and
others licensed by the state may be at risk of losing their licenses
and jobs based on one misdemeanor conviction. For the immigrant
population, such a conviction may, depending on the circumstances,
result in deportation from the United States. Landlords and public
housing authorities may seek to evict a person as a result of such a
conviction. While an individual misdemeanor conviction for possession
of marijuana often does not result in jail time, such a conviction may
have the effect of exposing an individual to significant legal
difficulties and a lifetime of collateral consequences.
Furthermore, these effects are disproportionately felt in New York's
African American and Latino communities. According to the New York
State Division of Criminal Justice Services, 50.36 percent of those
arrested for possession of marijuana in 2015 were African American,
and 37.76 percent of the persons arrested were Latino. While studies
show that white persons use marijuana at comparable rates, only 8
percent of those arrested for possession of marijuana are white.
Thus, the crippling consequences of such an arrest or conviction
mainly impact only the minority segment of our population.
This bill is necessary not only to limit the stigma and collateral
consequences associated with a conviction for basic marijuana
possession, behavior the Legislature has already sought to
decriminalize, but also to address the rampant disparity that exists
regarding the implementation and effect of these laws.
2015-16: S.8047/A.10092(Peoples-Stokes) - Referred to Rules
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it has become
*See People v Johnson, 2016 N.Y. Misc. LEX1S 629, 2016 NY Slip Op
26057 (N.Y. City Crim. Ct. Mar. 2, 2016) **New York State Division of
Criminal Justice Services. Ages 16 and older. All arrests where
marijuana possession was the only or highest charge.
1-Itt://marijuana-arrests.com/ May 2015.
S3809 - Bill Text download pdf
Introduced  by Sens. BAILEY, HAMILTON -- read twice and ordered printed,
relation to sealing records for certain proceedings
has  previously  been  convicted of [an offense] A CRIME defined in this
article, EXCEPT A CRIME  DEFINED  IN  SECTION  221.10  OF  THIS  ARTICLE
PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  THAT  THE RECORD OF SUCH CONVICTION DOES NOT DEMON-
STRATE A CONVICTION UNDER SUBDIVISION TWO OF  SUCH  SECTION  221.10,  or
article 220 of this chapter, committed within the three years immediate-
ly  preceding  such violation, it shall be punishable (a) only by a fine
of not more than two hundred dollars, if the  defendant  was  previously
convicted of one such offense committed during such period, and (b) by a
fine  of  not more than two hundred fifty dollars or a term of imprison-
ment not in excess of fifteen days or both, if the defendant was  previ-
ously convicted of two such offenses committed during such period.
§  2. Paragraph (k) of subdivision 3 of section 160.50 of the criminal
LBD05532-01-7
S. 3809                             2
three years have passed since the offense occurred] OF SECTION 221.10 OF
THE PENAL LAW PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE RECORD OF SUCH CONVICTION DOES
NOT  DEMONSTRATE  A  CONVICTION  UNDER  SUBDIVISION  TWO OF SUCH SECTION
221.10, OR FOR A PETTY OFFENSE OR  OFFENSES.    NO  DEFENDANT  SHALL  BE
REQUIRED  OR PERMITTED TO WAIVE ELIGIBILITY FOR SEALING PURSUANT TO THIS
PARAGRAPH AS PART OF A PLEA OF GUILTY, SENTENCE OR ANY AGREEMENT RELATED
TO A CONVICTION FOR A VIOLATION OF SECTION 221.05 OR SECTION  221.10  OF
THE  PENAL LAW AND ANY SUCH WAIVER SHALL BE DEEMED VOID AND WHOLLY UNEN-
§ 3. Section 160.50 of the criminal procedure law is amended by adding
three new subdivisions 5, 6 and 7 to read as follows:
5. A PERSON CONVICTED OF A VIOLATION OF SECTION 221.10  OF  THE  PENAL
LAW,  OTHER  THAN  A  CONVICTION  AFTER  TRIAL OF, OR PLEA OF GUILTY TO,
SUBDIVISION TWO OF SUCH SECTION 221.10, PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF
THIS SUBDIVISION MAY UPON MOTION APPLY TO THE COURT IN WHICH SUCH TERMI-
NATION  OCCURRED,  UPON NOT LESS THAN TWENTY DAYS NOTICE TO THE DISTRICT
ATTORNEY, FOR AN ORDER GRANTING TO SUCH PERSON THE RELIEF SET  FORTH  IN
SUBDIVISION  ONE OF THIS SECTION, AND SUCH ORDER SHALL BE GRANTED UNLESS
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY DEMONSTRATES THAT THE INTERESTS OF JUSTICE REQUIRE
6. (A) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW EXCEPT  AS  PROVIDED
OF SECTION 221.10 OF THE PENAL LAW, OTHER THAN A CONVICTION AFTER  TRIAL
OF,  OR PLEA OF GUILTY TO, SUBDIVISION TWO OF SUCH SECTION 221.10, SHALL
BE EXCLUDED FROM SUCH REPORT; AND (II) THE CHIEF  ADMINISTRATOR  OF  THE
COURTS  SHALL DEVELOP AND PROMULGATE RULES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO ENSURE
THAT NO WRITTEN OR ELECTRONIC REPORT OF A CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD SEARCH
CONDUCTED BY THE OFFICE OF  COURT  ADMINISTRATION  CONTAINS  INFORMATION
RELATING  TO A CONVICTION FOR A VIOLATION OF SECTION 221.10 OF THE PENAL
LAW, OTHER THAN A CONVICTION AFTER TRIAL  OF,  OR  PLEA  OF  GUILTY  TO,
SUBDIVISION  TWO OF SUCH SECTION 221.10, UNLESS SUCH SEARCH IS CONDUCTED
SOLELY FOR A BONA FIDE RESEARCH PURPOSE, PROVIDED THAT SUCH INFORMATION,
IF SO DISSEMINATED, SHALL BE DISSEMINATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH  PROCEDURES
ESTABLISHED BY THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR OF THE COURTS TO ASSURE THE SECU-
RITY  AND  PRIVACY  OF  IDENTIFICATION AND INFORMATION DATA, WHICH SHALL
INCLUDE THE EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT WHICH PROTECTS THE CONFIDENTIALITY
OF THE INFORMATION AND REASONABLY PROTECTS AGAINST DATA LINKAGE TO INDI-
7.  A  PERSON  CONVICTED OF A VIOLATION OF SECTION 221.05 OF THE PENAL
LAW SHALL,  ON  THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  HAVE  SUCH
CONVICTION  IMMEDIATELY  SEALED  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF THIS
SECTION IF SUCH CONVICTION OCCURRED LESS THAN THREE YEARS PRIOR TO  SUCH
S. 3809                             3