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Can Criminal Records Ever Truly Be Expunged in the Internet Era?
by Matt Clarke
Expunction of criminal records is a traditional method of protecting those falsely arrested, falsely convicted, or deemed deserving of a second chance after completing probation. But with the prevalence of mugshot sites and other Internet-based methods of disseminating public information, which are not subject to expunction ...
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More from this issue:
- News In Brief
- When Prosecuting Crimes by Police, Feds Appear to Move Slowly, by Edward Lyon
- Can Criminal Records Ever Truly Be Expunged in the Internet Era?, by Matthew Clarke
- Third Circuit: Pennsylvania’s SORNA Requirements Sufficiently Restrictive to Constitute Custody for Habeas Jurisdiction, by Douglas Ankney
- Nebraska’s Death Row Prisoners Must Bring ‘Repeal Challenges’ Individually, by Douglas Ankney
- San Francisco Embraces New Technology to Clear Pot Convictions
- Wisconsin Considers Updating Its Cash Bail System, by Kevin Bliss
- Birth Pangs of Bail Reform Come to Texas, by Edward Lyon
- Indiana Supreme Court Announces Trial Court Must Resentence on All Underlying Felonies After Gang Enhancement Sentence Reversed on Appeal, by Derek Gilna
- $8.4 Million Combined Settlement Reached by ‘Norfolk Four’, by Douglas Ankney
- Eleventh Circuit Rules DEA’s Definition of Positional Isomer Does Not Apply to Substances on Temporary Schedule, Vacates Possession Conviction, by Matthew Clarke
- Shooting of Seven-Year-Old Girl in Houston Highlights Problems With Eyewitness Identification, by Matthew Clarke
- Georgia Supreme Court Announces Defendant May Invoke Rape Shield Statute to Bar State From Offering Evidence of Victim’s Past Sexual Behavior, by Douglas Ankney
- Kentucky Supreme Court Holds State Statute Defining Intellectual Disability as IQ of 70 or Lower Unconstitutional, Death Row Prisoner Entitled to Hearing, by Matthew Clarke
- Oregon Supreme Court Clarifies PCR ‘Church Motion’ Practice, by Mark Wilson
- Death Penalty Usage Trending Downward, Report Reveals, by Betty Nelander
- Tennessee Supreme Court: Attempting to Secretly Videotape Teen Changing Clothes Does Not Support Conviction for Attempted Production of Child Pornography, by Douglas Ankney
- Georgia Supreme Court Holds Statute Authorizing Lifetime GPS Monitoring of ‘Sexually Dangerous Predator’ Is Unconstitutional, by Douglas Ankney
- Erie County Convicted 11 People of Violating a Law Ruled Unconstitutional Over 20 Years Ago by Federal Court, by Kevin Bliss
- Video Simulators Part of Push to Train Police to Shoot Fewer Dogs, Limit Lawsuits, by Derek Gilna
- FBI Reviewing Four Incidents of Excessive Force at Mesa, Arizona, PD in Just Four Months, by Dale Chappell
- Law Enforcement and Lobbyists Battle Over Need for Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform, by Kevin Bliss
- First Circuit: Sentencing Courts May Consider New Career Offender Guideline Amendment 798, Even Though Not Retroactive, by Dale Chappell
- Nevada Supreme Court Clarifies, Narrows Nonhearsay Rule Under NRS 51.135(2), by Dale Chappell
- North Dakota Supreme Court Announces Implied Consent Advisory Must be Read After Arrest and Before Administering Test, by Douglas Ankney
- Counsel Ineffective for Failing to Move for Mistrial When Court Coerces Unanimous Verdict, by Douglas Ankney
- Fourth Circuit Rules 3 Marijuana Stems Discovered in Single Trash Pull Insufficient for Search Warrant, Suppresses Evidence Found in Residence, by David Reutter
- Sixth Circuit Rejects Qualified Immunity Claim in Malicious Prosecution Suit for Wrongful Arrest and Conviction Involving Multiple Lies by Police, by Dale Chappell
- Seventh Circuit: Claim for Unlawful Pretrial Detention Accrues on Date of Release, by Douglas Ankney
- Connecticut Supreme Court Announces Defense Counsel Has Duty to ‘Promptly’ Notify Defendant of Plea Offer, Failure to Notify Before Testifying Constitutes IAC, by Matthew Clarke
- In Landmark Civil Asset Forfeiture Case, U.S. Supreme Court Holds Excessive Fines Clause of Eighth Amendment Applicable to States, by Douglas Ankney
- Ninth Circuit Holds Juror Who Wouldn’t Unequivocally State She Could Be Impartial Should Have Been Excused; New Trial Ordered Because Biased Juror Can’t Be Harmless Error, by Dale Chappell
- Fourth Circuit Grants Habeas Relief for Death Row Prisoner Because Trial Court Excluded Expert Testimony Defendant Represents Low Risk of Violence in Prison, by David Reutter
- Supreme Court of Alaska Announces Court System Bears Costs of Expert Evaluation When Insanity or Diminished Capacity Raised as Defense, by Chad Marks
- Arkansas Supreme Court: Search of Wallet Exceeded Scope of Lawful ‘Terry’ Frisk for Weapons, by Douglas Ankney
- California Police Privacy Laws Have Been Violating Brady for Years, by Mark Wilson
- New Jersey Supreme Court: Detention of Motel Room Occupants After Reason for Police Visit Resolved Is Unlawful Seizure, Evidence Subject to Exclusionary Rule, by Richard Resch
- N.C. Supreme Court: Hiring and Paying a Hit Man Not Overt Act Necessary for Attempted Murder Charge, by Douglas Ankney
- NYPD’s Controversial Use of Mugshot Database Searches, by Matthew Clarke
- Conversations With Those Helped by Passage of First Step Act: Provides Relief for Some Federal Prisoners, but More Is Needed, by Chad Marks
- Appeals court provides new vehicle to challenge registration, by Larry N.
- The FBI Says Its Photo Analysis Is Scientific Evidence. Scientists Disagree., by Ryan Gabrielson
More from Matthew Clarke:
- Texas Social Workers Challenge Blanket Denial of State Occupational License Based on Youthful Assault Convictions, Aug. 1, 2025
- After Judge’s Letter, at Least 22 Former FCI Dublin Prisoners Granted Compassionate Release, Aug. 1, 2025
- Nebraska Supreme Court Clarifies Award of Time Served Credit for Non-Citizen Awaiting Extradition, Aug. 1, 2025
- Former Oregon Prison Guard Sergeant Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Imprisoned Women, Aug. 1, 2025
- Nebraska Supreme Court Clarifies Procedure for Crediting Jail Time to Multiple Contemporaneously-Imposed Sentences, Aug. 1, 2025
- Over One-Third of Older Texas Prisoners Suffering Cognitive Impairment, July 15, 2025
- Kansas Supreme Court Revives Prisoner’s Challenge to Loss of Parental Rights, June 1, 2025
- Fifth Circuit Reinstates Baha’i Texas Prisoner’s Dietary Claim, June 1, 2025
- $5.6 Million Settlement for California Prisoner’s Wife Strip-searched During Visit, June 1, 2025
- Academic Study of Prison Guards’ Use of Excessive Force Details Sad State of Civil Rights for Abused Prisoners, June 1, 2025
More from these topics:
- Sixth Circuit Order Sealing Records in Private Prison Shareholder Suit Vacated, Remanded, Aug. 1, 2025. Corrections Corporation of America/CoreCivic, Misconduct/Corruption, Public Records.
- Nearly $60,000 Awarded to Mother Of Dead Missouri Prisoner In Suit For His DOC Records, July 15, 2025. Medical Records, Disclosure of Records, Public Records Act.
- Car Subscriptions: Another Means of Mass Surveillance by Law Enforcement, May 15, 2025. Vehicle Searches, Internet, Police State-Surveillance, Electronic Surveillance.
- D.C. Police Continue Heavy Investment in Social Media Monitoring, April 15, 2025. Internet, Police State-Surveillance, Electronic Surveillance, Social Media.
- Ninth Circuit: Posting Jail Mugshots on Arizona County’s Website Violates Substantive Due Process, April 1, 2025. Internet, Profiling Evidence.
- Porn Produced by Georgia Prisoners, April 1, 2025. Guard Misconduct, Prison Gangs, Prison Rape Elimination Act, Internet, Pornography/Pornography Laws, Searches - Cellphones/Computers/Internet, Criminal Sexual Abuse.
- How Online Behavioral Ads Fuel Mass Surveillance, March 15, 2025. Internet, Police State-Surveillance, Searches - Cellphones/Computers/Internet, Electronic Surveillance.
- Over 100,000 Criminal Records Sealed Under Colorado’s “Clean Slate Act”, March 1, 2025. Disclosure of Records, Public Records, Criminal Records.
- ‘Fictional Pleas’ and ‘Hidden Departures’: Failure to Collect Data on Binding Federal Plea Bargains Hinders Researchers, Feb. 15, 2025. Databases, Disclosure of Records, Public Records Act, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
- California Court of Appeal Announces Defendants May Obtain Brady Evidence From Police Officers’ Personnel Files in Advance of § 1172.6 Hearing Requesting Vacatur of Conviction and Resentencing for Certain Types of Murder Convictions, Feb. 15, 2025. Disclosure of Records, Police, Brady Violations, Murder/Felony Murder, Resentencing, Prior Conviction/Sentence/Incarceration, Evidence - Admissibility.




