Paul Rodriguez, driven to public defense work by a sense of fairness, took over the county Office of the Public Defender in January, inheriting an office in turmoil in recent years
The county said the search for the next public defender will go on, although it was unclear if Superior Court Judge Michael Washington will appeal the ruling
SAN DIEGO
With the stroke of a pen by a Superior Court judge in California, nearly 26,000 people with felony marijuana convictions on their records had them reduced to less onerous misdemeanor convictions last month.
In addition, some 1,000 people with misdemeanor marijuana convictions had those cases completely dismissed.
The moves came in a three-page order signed by San Diego County Superior Court Judge Eugenia A. Eyherabide on Feb. 5. The mass reduction and dismissals came almost a year after the San Diego County district attorney’s office submitted a list of cases for relief as part of a state law that required prosecutors to find eligible cases.
SAN DIEGO — With the wave of a pen by a San Diego Superior Court judge, nearly 26,000 people with felony marijuana convictions on their records had them reduced to
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With the wave of a pen by a Superior Court judge, nearly 26,000 people with felony marijuana convictions on their records had them reduced to less-onerous misdemeanor convictions last month.
In addition some 1,000 people with misdemeanor marijuana convictions had those cases completely dismissed.
The moves came in a three-page order signed by San Diego Superior Court Judge Eugenia Eyherabide on Feb. 5. The mass reduction and dismissals came almost a year after the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office submitted a list of cases eligible for relief as part of a state law which required prosecutors to find eligible cases to the local Superior Court.