Criminal Record Expungement Go to Court Today

By Desert Star Staff

The first people to use a new state law on sealing criminal records are set to go before a judge today.

Previously, only people whose convictions did not result in incarceration could petition for expungement.

Jay Jordan, CEO of the nonprofit Alliance for Safety and Justice, which pushed for the law, will ask a judge in Stockton to seal his decadesold robbery conviction and added that Senate Bill 731 would give people who have paid their dues a clean slate.

“If you have a conviction in the state of California, and it did result in a prison term, and you finished probation or parole and have been crimefree for two years, then you can petition the court for an expungement,” Jordan outlined.

If your conviction did not lead to time behind bars, and you meet those same criteria, the State of California will automatically expunge your record. Seven other people will also petition the court for expungement today. A felony conviction can be a significant obstacle when people try to find a job, rent an apartment, adopt a child, or even chaperone a school field trip.

A recent federal budget agreement included $95 million to help states expunge criminal records. Jordan emphasized that it is in everyone’s best interest to help formerly incarcerated people rebuild their lives.

“Upwards of 92% of people who have records have already served their time, are over the age of 35, and have been removed from the criminal justice system five to seven years,” Jordan pointed out. “By all accounts, they are not recidivating. These are mothers, fathers. So expungement is public safety, it is economic development, and it’s really about families.”

Under the new law, sex offenders cannot apply for an expungement, and law enforcement, government, schools, and agencies