Bill > H1693

This bill aims to reduce the negative impact of criminal records and strengthen the presumption of innocence by making several key changes to Massachusetts law. The bill reduces waiting periods for sealing criminal records, specifically shortening the time from 10 to 7 years for certain offenses and from 5 to 3 years for others. It mandates that records for cases not resulting in a conviction be automatically sealed immediately upon case disposition, without requiring the individual to file a petition. For juvenile offenses, the bill requires immediate sealing of records for cases that do not result in an adjudication, with the juvenile not needing to take any action to initiate the sealing. The bill also requires that when criminal record information is provided for pending charges or non-conviction cases, a statement must be included emphasizing the presumption of innocence. Additionally, the bill ensures that individuals can more easily access their own sealed records, with criminal justice agencies required to provide copies of records to the individual before sealing or expungement, and to grant access to sealed records upon request by the individual or their legal representative without requiring a court order.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1693