Time to revisit expunction statute  mySAMaking a public record disappear in Texas is no easy feat, but the law that allows it has a major flaw. It appears to lack a mechanism for reviewing the process ...

NV--Criminal Justice-Reform  KTNV Las VegasLawmakers are considering a series of criminal reform bills that could dramatically change how Nevada handles minor traffic infractions, how the state ...

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 ...

People with five felonies could have records sealed under new Ohio expungement law  NewsChannel 5 Cleveland - newsnet5.comA new Ohio expungement law that quietly went into effect last week gives people with five felonies a chance to seal their criminal records. The changes-- a direct ...

Navy SEALs Were Warned Against Reporting Their Chief for War Crimes  The New York TimesThe Navy investigation of a highly decorated platoon leader who now faces court-martial found a subculture that prized aggression and protected wrongdoers.

SEAL war crime defence says prosecutors spied  CityNews CalgaryLOS ANGELES — Defence lawyers in the case of a Navy SEAL charged with killing an Islamic State prisoner in Iraq say prosecutors installed spying software in ...

Bill to allow petitions to judges to expunge criminal records clears Senate  New Mexico Political ReportCommitting a crime might be easy enough. Getting a criminal record expunged in New Mexico is more difficult than almost anywhere in the West. Now that is ...

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.

'A little darker than we were before': Florida public records exemptions further limit access  Tallahassee.comA rundown of the public records exemptions that passed and failed this legislative session.

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 ...

If you have an old criminal record, today you can finally get a Clean Slate in Pa.  Philly.comPennsylvania's Clean Slate law, among the nation's most progressive, begins its roll-out Wednesday.

Local attorneys partner with Legal Services to offer expungement for those in poverty  Springfield News-LeaderSome local attorneys offering pro bono representation to those in poverty seeking expungement for old, non-violent charges.

Proposed Law Would Broaden Eligibility For Criminal Expungement  Wisconsin Public Radio NewsA bill in the state Legislature would make more individuals with criminal records eligible for expungement.

Lawmakers to consider broad expungement reform  vtdigger.orgThe House Judiciary Committee meets last last month. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger. As lawmakers prepare to propose legislation that would broaden ...

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.”

TV Station Ordered to Expunge Archived Story About Teacher's Dismissed Domestic Violence Charges  ReasonUntil a week ago, Houston's ABC-13 TV station, KTRK, had the following story on its web site (I quote the July 13, 2017 version, which had been updated from its ...

Here's a look at some of Pennsylvania's 250 new laws  Allentown Morning CallPennsylvania's two-year legislative session is over, leaving behind new laws on topics such as sealing criminal records, state pensions, hazing and casino ...

California bill would seal 8 million criminal convictions  The Santa Rosa Press DemocratA Northern California lawmaker and district attorney announced Thursday a proposed law that would automatically clear some 8 million criminal convictions ...

Dozens turn out seeking to expunge old convictions  vtdigger.orgWindsor County State's Attorney David Cahill, right, helps Joseph Day of White River Junction fill out paperwork at an expungement clinic in June so Day can ...

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 ...

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 ...

For the first time, domestic violence will be a crime under military law  Military TimesWASHINGTON — Domestic violence will officially become a separate crime under the Uniform Code of Military Justice when President Donald Trump signs the ...

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 ...

House panel approves bill allowing more criminal records to be expunged in R.I.  The Providence JournalThe bill would allow a judge to wipe clean the records of people with as many as five misdemeanor convictions. PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A piece of legislation ...

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 ...

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.

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.

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.

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?

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 ...

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.

Norfolk DA pushes campaign to help people expunge some mistakes in the past  The Boston GlobeThe chief law enforcement officer in Norfolk County is launching a campaign Thursday to help people rewrite their life stories — by obliterating their criminal past ...

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.

Mary Cheh Introduces Bill to Seal Eviction Records, Give Tenants Notice of Eviction Filing  Washington City PaperDarrow MontgomeryWard 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh introduced a bill during Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting to reform how D.C. Superior Court ...

U.S. Rep. Rod Blum introduces measure to seal non-violent offenders' records  Des Moines RegisterThe "Clean Slate Act" would seal people's records for non-violent offenses like drug possession, which could make a difference in background checks.

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 ...

The US Military Is Officially Counting Domestic Violence As A Separate Crime For The First Time  Task & PurposeThe military will now count domestic violence as a separate crime in the hopes of avoiding another tragedy like the shooting last November in Sutherland ...

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 ...

The Financial Benefits of Wiping the Slate Clean  Bankrate.comAnyone who carries a criminal record knows just how much it costs. Yet, there are some steps that past offenders can take to wipe the slate clean.

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 ...

The Incredibly Complicated, Potentially Insurmountable Legal Situation Facing 21 Savage  Rolling StoneAt the beginning of 2019, 21 Savage was the most popular artist in the country: I Am > I Was, his most recent album, spent two weeks on top of the Billboard 200.

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 ...

SEAL Chief Eddie Gallagher Will Remain In Jail Prior To Court Martial In War Crimes Case  Task & PurposeThe U.S. Navy SEAL Chief accused of war crimes during the Battle of Mosul will remain in a jail after a military judge denied his attorneys' motion to have him ...

What Comes Next After the First Step Act?  The Marshall ProjectNow that the First Step Act passed, prison reformers are already making lists.

Cooper signs law making it easier for some to clear criminal slates  News & ObserverGov. Roy Cooper praised the law as a bipartisan effort making it easier for some to have their criminal records expunged.

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 ...

Jussie Smollett update: Charges against 'Empire' actor dropped; 'not an exoneration,' prosecutor says  KGO-TVDisorderly conduct charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of staging a racist and homophobic attack on himself, were dropped ...

Prison Reform Legislation Would Expunge Records  NBC ConnecticutPrison reform advocates are asking lawmakers to pass legislation that would expunge the records of many convicts.

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 ...

In South Dakota, clearing criminal record no easy task  Sioux Falls Argus LeaderProsecutors hold too much power, some defense lawyers say.

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 ...

Queens Judge to Lawmakers: 'Raise the Age' Sealing Law Needs More Work | New York Law Journal  Law.comIt was the second time in recent months that state Supreme Court Justice Joseph Zayas has used a ruling to urge elected officials in Albany to consider ...

Will SC expand its ‘see no evil, hear no evil’ policy? We could find out today  The StateSC Gov Henry McMaster vetoed a bill to expunge more criminal records, saying 'criminal history should not be erased.' The Legislature, urged on by the ...

Here's what you need to know about the biggest update to UCMJ in decades  Military TimesThe services unveiled big changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice with the new year.

Ex-offenders could find second chance through new law  Billings GazetteLevi Peaslee has wanted to be a Navy SEAL since he heard about the program when he was 15 years old.

Hancock County Court  The Ellsworth AmericanThe following cases were adjudicated, reviewed or continued in Hancock County Court, according to official records: Dec. 1 to Dec. 31 Jesse E. Sawyer, 37,

Family of woman killed outside NH bar files restraining order against boyfriend  Boston 25 NewsMANCHESTER, N.H. - The boyfriend of a woman killed leaving a bar Saturday night has been arrested in New Hampshire, according to Manchester police.

Hancock County Court Sept. 1-30  The Ellsworth AmericanThe following cases were adjudicated, reviewed or continued in Hancock County Court, according to official records: Sept. 1 to Sept. 30 Mark E. Lewis, 51,

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 ...

Second Navy SEAL charged in war crimes probe  NavyTimes.comAuthorities in California on Thursday charged a second Navy SEAL in connection with an ongoing war crimes probe tied to the alleged stabbing execution of an ...

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.

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.

#MSLeg criminal justice reform: More 'intervention' courts, expungement of misdemeanors  Jackson Clarion LedgerThe Mississippi Legislature has two major criminal justice reform bills this year.

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.

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.

False convictions, ruined lives  WORLD News GroupFalse rape accusations may be statistically 'rare,' but they happen every day in the United States. by Lynn Vincent in Coronado, Calif. Post Date: March 14, 2019 ...

State speeds sealing of criminal records  The Boston GlobeThe warnings pop up in job ads all over the Internet: No one with a felony or misdemeanor need apply. For the estimated 70 million American adults with a ...

Florida Law Can Do Better to Assist Survivors of Human Trafficking | Daily Business Review  Law.comIn 2013 the Florida Legislature enacted the human trafficking expungement statute (Fla. Stat. Section 943.0583) which provides for the expungement of certain ...

Suspect in teen's kidnapping had no apparent online presence, no criminal record  WSB AtlantaThe man suspected of kidnapping a Wisconsin teenager and killing her parents with a shotgun nearly three months ago appears to have led an unremarkable ...

As metro Detroiters smoke legal pot, some await legal news on their future  WXYZThe battle to legalize marijuana may have swung in favor of marijuana advocates, but the folks behind the moves say plenty more remains to be done.

Jussie Smollett: State's Attorney Kim Foxx defends charges being dropped  Chicago Sun-TimesCook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx on Wednesday defended her office's decision to drop all charges against “Empire” star Jussie Smollett but said ...

At least 4 American veterans among group arrested in Haiti with weapons and tactical gear  Task & PurposeAt least four American veterans were among a group of eight men arrested by police in Haiti earlier this week for driving without license plates and possessing ...

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 ...

SC frequently pardons criminals, granting about 400 a year  The Island PacketPatricia Adams was granted a pardon after committing a string of crimes in the late 1990s and early 2000s in Berkeley, Richland counties in South Carolina.

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.

Trial of Navy SEAL accused of murder delayed by 3 months  Task & PurposeThe judge in the murder trial for Navy SEAL Chief Edward Gallagher has postponed his court-martial for three months at the request of his defense attorneys, ...

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 ...

California shooter was Marine veteran who had deployed to Afghanistan  Military TimesThe Marine Corps veteran who is accused of killing 12 at a California bar Wednesday had deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 as a machine gunner, the Marine ...

DHS official jailed over domestic violence case says he handles ‘high volume’ of classified information  The Washington PostA senior intelligence briefer is under a restraining order and barred from a Coast Guard base after a 2016 domestic abuse case.

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 ...

Broward state attorney's office will help expunge arrest records  Sun SentinelThe Broward State Attorney's Office is expanding its *service* for qualified adults who wish to expunge or seal criminal records for a single case or arrest, and has ...

This Navy Veteran Served In Iraq And Afghanistan. Now He Faces Deportation To Mexico  Task & PurposeA U.S. Navy veteran facing possible confinement in an immigration facility or deportation due to his criminal history has asked Sen. Dianne Feinstein to intervene ...

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 ...

The UCMJ May Get A Domestic Violence Update To Prevent The Next Texas Church Shooting  Task & PurposeAmid the ongoing national conversation around domestic violence and sexual assault, lawmakers are pushing the Department of Defense to better define ...

The Supreme Court Case That Could Let ‘Lesser’ Domestic Abusers Own Guns  The TraceAmerica has come a long way in treating all domestic violence seriously. To get their gun rights back, two men are making an argument which threatens that ...

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 ...

L.A.'s New Sheriff Rehires Deputy Fired for Alleged Stalking, Abuse  ReasonLos Angeles County's new sheriff made it a campaign point that he was going to be focusing on the rank-and-file and rooting out cronyism from the leadership of ...

Police, Court Officials Won't Identify Middletown Murder Victim, But Sources And Documents Say She's A Hartfor  Hartford CourantCornel Myers, of Middletown, charged with murder in a woman's death Sept. 8 appeared in court Tuesday morning, but an arrest warrant affidavit that would ...

News from around our 50 States  USA TODAYPsychedelic art inspired by public transit in Delaware, Girl Scout Cookies and beer in Colorado, and more B9335535509Z.1.

Spec ops in trouble: Mired in scandal and under Pentagon review, what will it take to clean house?  Military TimesCrimes and suicides among spec ops troops set off alarms for Congress, which ordered a Pentagon review of what's happening to the force.

Survivors of Domestic Violence Deserve Clemency, Not Prison Cells  The Nation.Governor Andrew Cuomo just made an historic pledge to grant clemency to thousands of former nonviolent youthful offenders—what about women who ...

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.

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?

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., ...

Bronx Judge Stripped of Staff, Chambers After Refusing New Assignment | New York Law Journal  Law.comA Bronx judge who was reportedly unhappy with being transferred to a domestic violence part and refused to show up for work has been stripped of his staff and ...

Navy Contradicts Congressman's Claims About Confinement Conditions Of SEAL Accused Of War Crimes  Task & PurposeNavy Personnel Command — which oversees the Navy brigs where military prisoners are held — has pushed back against a congressman's claims that a SEAL ...

Witness seeks immunity to testify against SEAL accused of battlefield murder  Task & PurposeA Navy SEAL could testify against a fellow SEAL accused of murder.

In Dallas County DA Race, Both Candidates Say They're Change Agents For Criminal Justice  KERA NewsElections for local prosecutors are traditionally pretty sleepy affairs, and historically, candidates have competed to show how tough they are on crime.

Trump (again) threatens to seal U.S.-Mexico border. Can he do it?  USA TODAYIn a series of tweets fired off Friday morning, President Donald Trump revived a long-standing threat to seal off the southern border if Mexico doesn't do more to ...

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 ...