By coordinating legal aid within the current New Leaf cohort, it is easier for Illinoisans to access legal aid from one place – the New Leaf Illinois website. The FDLA`s role in this process is to extend knowledge of the program to as many people as possible. Many Chicagoans convicted of marijuana don`t even know that a state-funded process is underway to help them drop these charges, so we`ve incorporated New Leaf`s information into our ongoing public relations and legal education efforts to spread the word. The weed has been legal in Illinois since January 1, 2020*. But your weed-related criminal record could still hold you back. We can help you clear your recording to start a new chapter. „The process and justification [of the removal request] can be confusing, and the goal of the coordinated network is to have a place where people can work through the early stages. New Leaf recognizes that people can come with further arrests and convictions – and the legal aid agencies that are part of New Leaf can help delete and seal other records. An Illinois nonprofit provides taxpayer-funded legal services to erase cannabis-related arrests and convictions from individual records. New Leaf Illinois uses nearly $1.3 million with 18 organizations across the state providing legal representation for cannabis-related convictions. The non-profit organization erased and deleted 311 cannabis-related convictions, while 183 non-convictions and other cannabis-related records were erased and sealed. It helped a lot of people get back on their feet.

April 20, or 4/20, is a day that many people associate with smoking weed, which has been legal in Illinois since January 2020. This year, Illinois attorneys are using the „vacation“ to give those convicted of cannabis-related crimes a fresh start. First Defense Legal Aid is currently a beneficiary and partner of New Leaf Illinois, a state-funded cohort of 20 nonprofit organizations that provide legal information and legal assistance to individuals who wish to remove cannabis-related charges from their records. Since marijuana legalized in 2019, the organizations have been working together to provide Illinoisans with the free legal aid needed to erase and seal previous marijuana records, and the partnership, created nationwide under New Leaf, is a big step forward in combating the fallout from the war on drugs. which has created unfair legal conditions for many communities of color and economically disenfranchised. If you or someone you know needs legal help with a criminal record, visit newleafillinois.org/s New Leaf Illinois is a government-funded attorney network that provides criminal record assistance to people convicted of cannabis-related crimes prior to legalization. They provide free legal advice and criminal record relief for those who qualify. New Leaf`s legal partners are working towards a holistic record remedy. Not only will they help eliminate cannabis-related fees, but they will also work to eliminate all other eligible expenses so that a person who has made a clean sweep can reintegrate into society.

Beth Johnson, a partner at the Rights & Restoration Law Group, was interviewed by the Chicago Reader about New Leaf Illinois` work and its impact on Chicago communities. Beth explains New Leaf`s reasons and access to legal aid for cannabis convictions within a network: Our toolkit can guide you through the process of clarifying your cannabis arrest or conviction. It was New Leaf`s supervising lawyer, Peter Honigmann. He said it takes less than two minutes to register online and that most candidates will be eligible for free representation. His organization and others hope to ban more than just cannabis. No family, no child deserves to be on the streets. Your donations and volunteer time give them a home. If you have a cannabis conviction or a complicated case, there are free lawyers who can help. Get help below or call (855) 963-9532. A New Leaf`s sexual and family violence programs are designed to give survivors of sexual and domestic violence the choice and opportunity to leave the country.

„It can make it harder to find work, harder to get the stable housing you need, which also affects your overall financial stability,“ Loyd said. No survivor of abuse should be afraid to go home. Their support gives them security and freedom. I was a mother with a child and another on the way after leaving an abusive relationship and I was scared. I felt so alone, at least until I found A New Leaf`s Autumn House. *Source: 410 ILCS 705 Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Attorney Laura Loyd works at Prairie State Legal Services, a subsidiary of New Leaf that specializes in record suppression. She said that if these crimes remain on a person`s record, they are more likely to fall and stay below the poverty line. No child should be held back by their health. Their support gives them the ability to feel good physically and mentally.

Loyd said deleting these old records can help people live their lives without being haunted by previous convictions.