Police and court records; expungement of records. (HB293)

Introduced By

Del. Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) with support from co-patrons Del. Clinton Jenkins (D-Suffolk), Del. Ibraheem Samirah (D-Herndon), and Del. Marcus Simon (D-Falls Church)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Expungement of police and court records; nolle prosequi taken or acquittal. Provides that a court that takes a nolle prosequi or enters a judgment acquitting a person of a criminal charge shall, upon motion of the person, enter an order requiring the expungement of the police and court records relating to the charge. Currently, such a person may file a separate petition for the expungement of such records; however, except in certain cases involving misdemeanor charges, the person is not entitled to an order of expungement, and the court hearing the petition must find that the continued existence and possible dissemination of such records causes or may cause circumstances that constitute a manifest injustice to such person before such an order will be entered. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
12/30/2019Committee
12/30/2019Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20102010D
12/30/2019Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/31/2020Continued to 2021 in Courts of Justice

Comments

Robert Legge writes:

this isn't about being nice to people who are charged with a crime. This is about doing what's best for the entire community. Economies work best when people do what they are best at. People who can't find work in their best field simply because employers won't hire them because of a crime they never were convicted of, does not serve the public interest.