NYPD Has Databases of Expunged Stop-And-Frisk Arrests, Bronx Defenders Say  The Marshall ProjectIn New York City, officers are illegally using information from arrests that have been sealed, according to a lawsuit. The practice is legal in more than two dozen ...

Expungement And Sealing Of Records Help Ex-Criminals Return To Work  NPRA criminal conviction can present obstacles to everything from jobs to housing. Since 2017, more than 20 states have expanded or added laws that help people ...

A Fresh Start: Expunging Criminal Convictions  Crime ReportAt least 36 states permit adults with criminal convictions to have their records sealed or expunged, but does “wiping the slate clean” actually produce better ...

An ultra-violent MS-13 gang entered the U.S., then stalked L.A. with blades and bats  Los Angeles TimesA faction within MS-13 used gruesome tactics to kill seven people in the L.A. area since 2017, prosecutors said.

Criminal Convictions Behind Them, Few Have Had Their Records Sealed  The New York TimesA recent New York State law allows people convicted of certain crimes to hide the record from public view. So far, only 346 records have been sealed.

Judge's Record-Sealing Denial Highlights 'Shortcomings' of Second-Chance Law  Queens Daily EagleThe conviction-sealing law fails “to explicitly address criminal records of younger offenders, even though it was enacted as part of the Raise the Age legislation.”

Nevada's New Record-Sealing Law: 'One of Broadest' in US  Crime ReportNevada is the kind of place where a lot of people end up needing a second chance. It's a state where the booms and busts of the gaming industry have led many ...

On the Snowy Tundra, Alaska Students Bridge Differences and Eat Moose Snout  Education WeekOutside of Alaska's few urban pockets, a constellation of tiny communities, scattered across a rugged landscape, is home to more than half of the state's ...

Rauner signs bills to expand criminal record sealing and juvenile record expungement  Illinois PolicyGov. Bruce Rauner signed two bills into law Aug. 24, which will make it easier for ex-offenders to obtain gainful employment and turn their lives around.

From bail reform to restoring voting rights and sealing records, Colorado's criminal justice system is getting a makeover  The Colorado SunIf all the criminal justice measures are ultimately signed into law, the slate of bills would represent a significant and fast-moving overhaul of Colorado's justice ...

5 of the most impactful laws Pennsylvania passed in 2018  Billy PennFrom criminal justice reform to actual firearms legislation.

Illinois lawmakers pass record sealing expansion  Illinois PolicyBoth chambers of the Illinois General Assembly have now passed a measure to enable more ex-offenders to petition a court to seal their criminal records.

Columbus offers some a cheaper option to seal criminal records  The Columbus DispatchTwo hundred indigent defendants now have a less-expensive way to seal their criminal records from hundreds of background-check databases. The Expedited ...

Five Things You Didn't Know About Clearing Your Record  The Marshall ProjectA Nashville lawyer hopes to wipe clean some arrest records for 128,000 Tennesseans. The lawyer, Daniel Horwitz, who has worked on multiple cases regarding ...

Avenatti, ex-girlfriend fought about money before alleged altercation occurred  ABC NewsMichael Avenatti, the lawyer for adult film star Stormy Daniels, was allegedly berating his ex-girlfriend about money before an alleged physical altercation in the ...

Readers' guide to the second Democratic debate  CNNTonight, round two of the first Democratic debates gets underway, with another slate of 10 candidates facing off in Miami.

Confused by Jussie Smollett Case? Here's What You Need to Know.  WTTW NewsThe Jussie Smollett case may be over, but confusion over the surprise ending is rampant. Why was the “Empire” star offered a deal? Was his record expunged?

Sprouting Weapons of War - OCCRP  OCCRPAn Israeli contractor paid to grow food for South Sudan has been sanctioned for selling arms to the government instead. Here's where the money may have ...

Two New Nevada Record Sealing Laws Go Into Effect  Public News ServiceCARSON CITY, Nev. – An eviction or a criminal conviction can follow a person for decades, making it difficult to get housing or a job. But two new state laws that ...

Father, Neighbor, Killer: Germany's Chilling New Far-Right Terror  SPIEGEL ONLINEThe recent politically motivated assassination of a prominent local leader in Germany has raised concern about the growing threat of far-right extremism in the ...

Navy SEAL War Crimes Witness Says He Was the Killer  The New York TimesSAN DIEGO — In stunning testimony that may upend the war crimes trial of Chief Edward Gallagher of the Navy SEALs, a SEAL medic told the court on ...

Senate OKs Sealing More Criminal Records  Texas TribuneThe criminal records of one-time offenders who stay out of trouble would be sealed and hidden from the public under a bill that cleared the Senate Tuesday.

Not guilty or charged? A criminal record can still haunt you  USA TODAYNASHVILLE -- Perhaps this is a blinding glimpse of the obvious, but when you are arrested that arrest creates a criminal record.

Why prosecutors dropped charges against Smollett for an 'alternative resolution'  ABC NewsProsecutors dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, despite acknowledging that Smollett fabricated a street attack on himself, in order to ...

Diversion Programs Say They Offer a Path Away From Court, but Critics Say the Tolls Are Hefty  ProPublicaThe programs raise legal and ethical questions, including whether they create an uneven playing field for defendants and financial incentives for prosecutors to ...

Pa.'s new Clean Slate Law means jail time is no longer a life sentence  WHYYPennsylvania's Clean Slate Law allows for the sealing of most simple assault convictions and first-degree misdemeanors.

Glen Burnie man shot dead Monday had been denied a protective order in February against man now charged with k  CapitalGazette.comA District Court judge on temporary assignment to Anne Arundel County while facing a possible suspension denied a request by a Glen Burnie man for a ...

A Jekyll and Hyde portrait emerges of the SEAL accused of murdering an Islamic State prisoner  NavyTimes.comGallagher, a veteran of eight overseas and combat deployments, is facing 14 criminal counts, including premeditated murder for allegedly stabbing to death an ...

Lawmakers want Navy SEAL released from the brig ahead of war crimes trial  NavyTimes.comA group of 40 lawmakers is urging Navy officials to free Special Warfare Operator Chief Edward “Eddie” Gallagher from confinement ahead of his trial on war ...

Combat veterans in jury pool for decorated Navy SEAL's war crimes trial  NavyTimes.comCombat veterans from the Navy and Marines were among possible jurors Monday in the trial of a decorated Navy SEAL charged with killing an Islamic State ...

Court records shed light on Trump Jr's tweet questioning if Duke alum Eugene Gu is a 'wife beater'  Duke ChronicleEx-wife was granted temporary domestic violence restraining order against Eugene Gu, records show.

The Kids 'Left Behind' By New York's Raise the Age Law  Crime ReportIt started with a cell phone. Last summer, Jay (not her real name), a 16-year-old living in upstate New York, was convinced a woman had taken her mother's ...

'I used to cut the girls, sometimes I would cut the wrong part and they would bleed terribly'  TheJournal.ieWomen in Kenya are fighting back against FGM, child marriage and gender-based violence.

B.J. Penn issued restraining order; estranged partner alleges years of physical, sexual abuse  USA TODAYB.J. Penn's estranged partner, Shealen Uaiwa, alleges he verbally abused and menaced her, threatened to kill her family and sexually abused her.

Where the top 2020 Democrats stand on criminal justice reform  AxiosEight 2020 Democratic candidates penned essays for the Brennan Center's collection, "Ending Mass Incarceration: Ideas from Today's Leaders," highlighting ...

Roger Stone's Arrest Was Appropriate, Not Heavy-Handed  LawfareA Lawfare post from Friday—“Get Me Roger Stone”—well and thoroughly explained the most recent indictment from the Mueller team. The authors also ...

New legal bombshells explode on two Navy SEAL war crimes cases  NavyTimes.comTwo SEALs offer up damaging testimony against a chief special warfare operator accused of war crimes -- and suggest the command did not initially investigate ...

Tweeting Trump injects White House into SEAL war crimes case  NavyTimes.comWith a Saturday morning Twitter message, President Donald J. Trump ordered the Navy to modify the detention of Special Warfare Operator Chief Edward ...

Should prosecutors get the names of officers who commit misconduct?  Los Angeles TimesThe California Supreme Court appeared divided Wednesday over a ruling that barred the Los Angeles County sheriff from giving prosecutors the names of ...

Psychological domestic abuse becomes crime in Scotland under ‘groundbreaking’ new law  The IndependentA “groundbreaking” new law has come into effect in Scotland that makes psychological domestic abuse and controlling behaviour a crime. The Scottish ...

How cosmetology and domestic abuse services are coming together  NJTV NewsAt Raritan Valley Community College, training in cosmetology goes beyond doing hair and make-up — it also teaches how to spot warning signs of domestic ...

Second Chance Act would help ex-offenders get housing, employment  North Carolina Health NewsEasing the way to expunging a criminal record means it would be easier for ex-offenders to access the things needed for a healthy life.

Navy SEAL arraigned on war crime charges  NavyTimes.comU.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter urged President Donald Trump to free Special Warfare Operator Chief Edward “Eddie” Gallagher, who faces a long list of war crimes ...

The Child Abuse Charge Was Dismissed. But It Can Still Cost You a Job.  The New York TimesIn New York, it is especially easy to be included in a registry of people accused of mistreating children, and the list can lock people out of employment for years.

Charged with war crimes and stuck in the brig, a Navy SEAL vows to fight on  NavyTimes.comCharged earlier this month with multiple war crimes in connection with the 2017 stabbing death of a detainee in Iraq, Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward ...

SEAL war crimes trial begins  NavyTimes.comSAN DIEGO — A decorated Navy SEAL stabbed to death a wounded and captive teenage Islamic State fighter in Iraq and then bragged about it, a military ...

Police accused of ‘systemic failure’ to protect victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence  The IndependentPolice forces are failing to protect victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence by not using existing powers to tackle domestic violence, rape, harassment and ...

California Has a High Rate of Police Shootings. Could a New Open-Records Law Change That?  The New York TimesJust as activists and state lawmakers have sought to bring records of decades-old cases to light, police unions have tried to jam the door shut.

Prosecutors celebrate victory after ruling in Gallagher war crimes case  NavyTimes.comA Navy judge ruled that evidence from Gallagher's seized cell phones can be used in court.

Dallas County District Attorney Outlines Reforms Aimed At Ending Mass Incarceration  KERA NewsIn a letter addressed “to the people of Dallas County,” District Attorney John Creuzot on Thursday laid out nearly a dozen broad changes in the prosecutor.

Navy judge won't dismiss SEAL war crimes case but sanctions prosecutors  NavyTimes.comSpecial Warfare Operator Chief Edward “Eddie” Gallagher is still going to trial on war crimes charges in 10 days but the judge overseeing his court-martial ...

Prosecutors: SEAL war crimes suspect got death threat  NavyTimes.comA federal agent is probing a death threat mailed to Special Warfare Operator Chief Edward “Eddie” Gallagher, the SEAL accused of committing a string of war ...

Did the feds expand a war crimes case to another SEAL?  NavyTimes.comFederal authorities have informed a SEAL leader that he's the target of an ongoing war crimes probe, but critics contend it's a move by military prosecutors to ...

Navy SEAL charged with war crimes to remain in the brig  NavyTimes.comA Navy judge in San Diego on Thursday denied a request by a SEAL accused of murdering a prisoner of war to leave the brig until he begins trial next month.

New Dallas County DA Supports Helping People Remove Criminal Records  NBC 5 Dallas-Fort WorthNewly appointed Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson Monday endorsed a plan to help people escape from criminal histories to get jobs.

How Police and Anti-Crime Measures Reinforce Segregation  GoverningCities' efforts to get tough on crime can make it harder for low-income residents to find good jobs and housing.

'If you see me, you better run:' Man charged in Glen Burnie homicide had previous shotgun standoff  CapitalGazette.comDecades before he met Tyrique Hudson in Glen Burnie, the man charged with gunning down the 22-year-old walked into a Southern Maryland health ...

SEAL's lawyer wants prosecutor, judge booted off war crimes case  NavyTimes.comA lawyer for a Navy SEAL accused of murder wants military prosecutors and a judge removed from the case for their roles in snooping on emails sent to the ...

Rape victims must hand phones to police or face investigations being dropped under new scheme  The IndependentRape and domestic violence victims will be forced to give police access to their phones and social media accounts or face their cases being dropped. New forms ...

Illinois House passes legislation to expand record sealing  Illinois PolicyReforms such as record sealing expansion make it likelier that ex-offenders will be able to find work – and stop cycling in and out of prison. That means they and ...

Domestic violence victims at risk because private probation companies 'failing to monitor abusers', new report finds  The IndependentWomen and children are being left at risk of domestic violence because private probation companies are failing to properly manage convicted abusers, a report ...

Expunging the criminal records of kids in care does not absolve the state's injustices against them  The Conversation AUIn the Victorian parliament last week, legislation was introduced to address a “serious historical injustice” that saw thousands of vulnerable children in state care ...

Built with rehabilitation in mind, Texas state jails are now viewed by lawmakers as a "complete failure"  The Texas TribuneState jails were created to help low-level drug offenders get treatment. But they offer few rehabilitative services, and their inmates are more likely to reoffend.

Star Witness Testifies in Navy SEAL War Crimes Trial  NBC 10 PhiladelphiaThe first of three witnesses took the stand in the trial against Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher for alleged war crimes. NBC 7's Bridget Naso has more.

Voters Across Party Lines Support Clean Slate Legislation  Center For American ProgressAlthough Americans remain split on numerous issues in contemporary politics, a new study finds widespread support among voters for states to automatically ...

A Growing Chorus of Big City Prosecutors Say No to Marijuana Convictions  The New York TimesMarlyn Mosby, Baltimore's top prosecutor, says she will no longer prosecute marijuana possession cases and will vacate thousands of convictions. The police ...

Rape and domestic violence victims at risk as police fail to record tens of thousands of crimes, watchdog finds  The IndependentVictims are being left at risk by the police's failure to investigate tens of thousands of crimes, including rape, violence and domestic abuse, a watchdog has ...

Robert Kraft Wins Critical Ruling: Video Evidence Is Thrown Out  The New York TimesIn the solicitation of prostitution case against the Patriots owner, a Florida county judge threw out evidence that had been obtained from surveillance videos and ...

Policy keeps some parents out of schools, off field trips  CapitalGazette.comKaili Nichols wants to be active in her child's life at North Glen Elementary School. But when Nichols recently attempted to chaperone a class field trip at the Glen ...

Prosecutors, NCIS investigator accused of 'misconduct' in war crimes case  NavyTimes.comThe SEAL is accused of stabbing to death an unarmed and seriously wounded Islamic State prisoner of war during a 2017 deployment to Iraq, plus shooting an ...

Law must recognise children as victims of domestic abuse between parents, NSPCC says  The IndependentChildren who live in homes where their parents are being subjected to domestic abuse must be recognised as victims in their own right under new laws, ...

33 Republicans Split With NRA In House Vote To Renew Violence Against Women Act  NPRA House vote renewing the Violence Against Women Act put GOP members in a tough spot because the NRA opposed new restrictions on gun ownership for ...

Ban the Box and Beyond  Center For American ProgressEach year, more than 600,000 people are released from federal and state prisons in need of jobs that provide economic security. Research shows that having a ...

Opinion: He had a long record of misconduct. The force kept him on. Then he shot a black teen.  The Washington PostJosh Hastings was part of the rot of the Little Rock police. Now its institutional failures are exposed. Will anything change?

Sex, alcohol and violence collided in murder case ensnaring SEALs and Marines  The Washington PostDocuments allege a culture among *service* members in which drinking was common in Mali despite restrictions.

Bombshell Confession Dropped in Navy SEAL War Crimes Case  NBC New YorkIn a shocking twist, a witness confessed to the killing of an ISIS fighter during the trial against Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher. NBC 7's Nicole ...

Inside the Push to Give Ex-Offenders in Pennsylvania a Second Chance  Pacific StandardMen and women wait by the dozen on this Saturday morning in late November. Some stare into their cell phones in a small waiting room, others lean against.

SEAL vet dishes on mysterious arrest in Haiti  NavyTimes.comPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — An American security contractor at the center of a mysterious case roiling Haitian politics says that he and a group of fellow veterans ...

Felony conviction rates are up nationwide. These states are reconsidering how they classify crimes  PBS NewsHourIn recent decades, every state has seen a dramatic increase in the share of its population convicted of a felony, leaving more people facing hurdles in finding a ...

What Makes Illinois' Marijuana Legalization Bill So Progressive  In These TimesOn May 31, the Illinois House of Representatives passed what is perhaps the most progressive recreational marijuana usage bill in the United States, by a ...

Mets Pitcher Jeurys Familia Has Domestic Violence Case Dismissed  The New York TimesFORT LEE, N.J. — A domestic violence charge against Mets reliever Jeurys Familia was dismissed on Thursday by a municipal court judge in Fort Lee, N.J., ...

Councils to guarantee domestic abuse victims secure accommodation under new legal duty  The IndependentDomestic abuse victims must be guaranteed secure accommodation by local councils under a new legal duty aiming to end a “postcode lottery” for people in ...

California 'confession bill' would end centuries-old privacy protections  Angelus NewsA bill making its way through the California legislature would make the state the largest in the country — and the first since 1999 — to require priests to choose ...

Maryland Legal Aid helps people grapple with issues only a lawyer can fix  Washington PostBaltimore residents are receiving help with their civil legal needs through the Lawyer in the Library program.

SEAL skipper defends restrictions on special warfare chief freed by Trump  NavyTimes.comA tweeting President Donald J. Trump might've ordered Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward “Eddie” Gallagher freed from the brig while the SEAL awaits a ...

Reconciling criminal history open data and expungement  Sunlight FoundationAfter months of investigating, Sunlight has collected over 9,000 databases of publicly available criminal justice data from across America. We call it Hall of ...

Partisanship threatens to derail bipartisan criminal justice reform bills • Arizona Mirror  Arizona MirrorOur democracy rests upon a system of checks and balances. The whole point is to prevent concentrations of power in one or a few persons that thwart the will of ...

Oversight Groups Have Repeatedly Identified Flaws In Military Crime Reporting  NPRThe Air Force failed to report the Texas shooter's criminal history to the FBI, which would have blocked his gun purchases. But concerns over military crime ...

Domestic abuse bill: New legislation does not go far enough to tackle problem, campaigners say  The IndependentCampaigners have said the government's new domestic abuse bill does not go far enough to protect victims or tackle the problem. The government's landmark ...

Curbing domestic violence not working as amount of women killed by men remains steady over last decade, campaigners say  The IndependentCampaigners say attempts to reduce domestic violence are not working because the number of women killed by men has remained steady for the last decade.

Domestic abuse victims left without support because of police crime recording failures, inspections find  The IndependentPolice have have been ordered to improve the way they record crime after an inspection found domestic abuse survivors and other victims were not being given ...

James Brown: Was the Godfather of Soul's wife murdered?  CNNWhen Adrienne Brown died in 1996, authorities found no sign of foul play. But one friend always suspected murder. In 2017, a retired detective told CNN he'd ...

Progressives Coalescing Around Tiffany Cabán for Queens DA in Newest Battle Against New York Machine  The InterceptThe last competitive Queens district attorney election happened when Tiffany Cabán was 3 years old.

Police to warn children's school about domestic abuse at home under new pilot scheme  The IndependentPolice will inform a child's school about domestic violence incidents at their family home as part of a new pilot scheme. Councils and schools will be told before ...

San Francisco D.A. unveils program aimed at removing implicit bias from prosecutions  Los Angeles TimesSan Francisco prosecutors plan to launch an innovative program aimed at reducing potential bias in charging decisions.

Sex-Trafficking Victims Are Forced to Relive Their Traumas in Order to Clear Their Records  RewireMonica Charleston couldn't move. It was 5 a.m., and the sky was still dark. But her feet would not budge from the street corner in Manhattan's SoHo ...

Police: Witness, video of neighborhood fight led to arrest in death of Annapolis rapper Tre Da Kid  CapitalGazette.comA person beside Edward Montre Seay in the car where the Annapolis rapper was gunned down told investigators about the Baltimore man now charged with ...

Three Westminster Police Officers File More Bullying and Retaliation Claims  VoiceofOCThe Westminster Police Department fostered a culture of bullying and retaliation for years under former police chief Ralph Ornelas, three police officers allege in ...

What You Should Know About Richard Sackler’s Long-Sought Deposition  ProPublicaA guide to the only time a member of the Sackler family has testified under oath about the marketing of OxyContin.

California Tried to Fix Its Prisons. Now County Jails Are More Deadly.  ProPublicaIn a 48-hour stretch during January 2018, three men were booked into the Fresno County Jail. One was beaten into a coma. Two died soon afterward.