Glasgow announces expungement of more than 1,600 marijuana possession cases

Officials said thousands of records could be expunged in coming years

Will County States Attorney James Glasgow speaks to the Herald-News on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, in Joliet, Ill.

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow said he presented a motion this week to expunge the records of more than 1,600 low-level marijuana possession cases.

The cases involved misdemeanor possession of fewer than 30 grams of marijuana, according to a news release.

Chief Judge Daniel Kennedy signed an expungement order upon receipt of Glasgow’s motion. The expungement is a result of a cooperative effort between Glasgow’s office, the Will County 12th Judicial Circuit Court and Will County Circuit Clerk Andrea Lynn Chasteen.

Last year, Illinois legalized the sale and use of recreational marijuana and allowed for the expungement of low-level possession cases. The law allows state’s attorneys to expedite the expungement process by filing a motion to vacate and expunge eligible offenses.

The records expunged this week occurred between Jan. 1, 2013, and June 25, 2019.

Glasgow said in the release he will file additional motions to address the remaining cases in advance of the time frames set by the state in 2023 and 2025. Chasteen said this was just one step in a multi-year process of expunging thousands of records.

He added in the release that the expungements will “help these individuals move forward with their lives and place their convictions permanently behind them.”

Glasgow said he understand the important of removing “obstacles” and providing opportunities for individuals with low-level offenses on their record.

“Today’s order is a step in removing barriers to those who have been impacted as a result of having a criminal record based on these low-level cannabis possession cases,” Glasgow said in the release.

Individuals who wish to find out whether their records will be expunged under the order may contact the Will County Circuit Clerk’s Office at circuitclerkofwillcounty.com or by calling 815-727-8592.

“Restorative justice is important to Will County and to our society as a whole,” Kennedy said in the release. “These expungements demonstrate our commitment to this principle.”