MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. – Arizona's most populated county will dismiss all pending and unfiled charges of possession of marijuana now that voters have passed Prop 207, which legalizes recreational marijuana in the state.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office made the announcement on Monday, nearly a week after residents voted on the measure.
Anyone facing marijuana possession charges in Maricopa County... just got their charges dismissed. pic.twitter.com/1vTaNDQqXF
— Steve Irvin (@Steve_Irvin) November 9, 2020
MCAO also says it will drop all associated paraphernalia charges before its office as well.
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"Instead of continuing to spend resources on these cases, this office will begin implementing the will of the voters immediately," the county attorney's office said in a Monday statement. "We are instructing Deputy County Attorneys to file a motion to dismiss any charge covered by Proposition 207. If those charges make up the entirety of the charges of the case, the entire case will be dismissed. If there are other felony charges the case will remain pending, but we will file motions to dismiss the charges covered by Proposition 207."
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This also includes all cases pending in Early Disposition Court, cases currently in diversion or pending trial, and those set for sentencing or probation violation hearings.
MCAO says priority will be given to cases with court dates and those in custody. MCAO says it also intends to file motions to dismiss bench warrant cases where all the charges are covered by Proposition 207.
It's unclear exactly how many cases will be dismissed under these new policies.
This story was originally published by Clayton Klapper at KNXV.
