HB 294

Abstract

Expungement of police and court records; misdemeanor convictions. Allows a person convicted of a misdemeanor to filea petition requesting expungement of the police and court recordsrelating to the conviction if (i) such person has been free from any term of incarceration, probation, and postrelease supervisionimposed as a result of such conviction for at least two years and (ii) such person has no pending criminal proceeding. The bill alsorequires the court to grant such petition for expungement of policeand court records if such petition is for a misdemeanor arrest, charge,or conviction. Currently, except in certain cases, the person isnot entitled to an order of expungement, and the court hearing thepetition must find that the continued existence and possible disseminationof such records causes or may cause circumstances that constitutea manifest injustice to such person before such an order will beentered.