Partner Profiles
Adam Cirzan
Helping People ‘Move Forward with Their Lives’
It’s been a good month for the subject of our latest Partner Profile—Adam Cirzan, a staff attorney for DNA People’s Legal Services, based in Flagstaff, a coalition member of the Reclaim Your Future campaign.
You might have heard about Adam’s most recent courtroom victory on behalf of those with a marijuana conviction or arrest in Arizona. On June 8, the Arizona Court of Appeals affirmed its prior ruling in a related case that the expungement statute codified into law by the passage of Proposition 207 in 2020 makes “sale-related marijuana offenses” eligible for expungement. That’s a huge win not just for Cirzan, but for potentially thousands of people impacted by the criminal justice system.
“As a public defender, I witnessed many people being sentenced to lengthy prison terms often due to having previous felony convictions on their records.”
And guess who made the winning argument?
“The Court of Appeals has correctly interpreted the law, which will now allow many more people to benefit from the expungement process,” Cirzan told media the day the ruling he fought for was released. “The appellant in this case is both excited and appreciative to potentially get this off their record.”
At DNA, Adam provides legal advice and direct representation to a diverse group of low-income clients related to various civil matters. He has represented individuals in eviction, employment, family law, consumer fraud, public benefits and other civil cases. Adam also conducts outreach for the office at events throughout Coconino County and northern Arizona to provide information about DNA’s legal services to the public, especially the expungement help offered through the Reclaim Your Future campaign.
“I have always had a focus on public service and was a public defender for most of the first five years of my legal career,” Adam said. “I came to DNA so that I could continue to provide legal help to those who need it most in the context of civil law.”
Expungement work is important for the community, Adam believes, “because it allows people to move forward with their lives without being burdened by a criminal record.” With Adam’s and DNA’s help, their clients have obtained SNAP benefits, good employment and professional licenses after initially being denied or rejected because of a marijuana-related record.
“As a public defender, I witnessed many people being sentenced to lengthy prison terms often due to having previous felony convictions on their records,” Adam said. “Prior to the passage of Prop 207, Arizona did not have any law on the books that allowed for a felony conviction to be expunged, which means that even years and decades after a conviction, it could be used to enhance a sentence related to a new offense.
“Now,” he added, “people have the ability to expunge marijuana-related offenses, which in addition to allowing for better access to housing and employment, could help avoid a lengthy prison sentence in a future criminal case.”
Meet Adam at the George Willie Sr. Memorial Veterans’ Stand Down in Flagstaff on June 29th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort and Hotel, 22181 Resort Blvd.
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