Bill > S900

This bill allows individuals to have their juvenile or criminal court records expunged, meaning permanently erased or destroyed, if they committed offenses before turning 21 years old and have completed any imposed sentences or dispositions. For misdemeanor offenses, expungement will happen automatically after the sentence is finished. For felony offenses, individuals must file a petition with the court, which will grant the request if the sentence is completed and no new criminal offenses have been committed since then, with minor motor vehicle offenses not counting as new offenses if the penalty is a fine of fifty dollars or less. The court will inform eligible individuals of their right to seek expungement at the time of sentencing. Once records are expunged, the commissioner of probation will report them as "no record" to inquiring agencies, and individuals can answer "no record" to questions about prior arrests or delinquency matters that were expunged. This expungement will prevent disqualified individuals from being disqualified for public employment or having these past offenses used against them in court proceedings.