Why Aren’t Eligible Individuals Taking Advantage of Expungement Laws? by Michael Thompson by Michael Dean Thompson The majority of states across the U.S. now allow people who have been convicted of some felonies to have the record of their conviction removed. The complete expungement of felony records allows the convicted …

First Circuit Announces Doctrine of Abatement Ab Initio Applies When Defendant Dies During Pendency of Direct Appeal in Published Precedential Ruling by Douglas Ankney by Douglas Ankney In a published precedential ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit adopted the doctrine of abatement ab initio for when …

Texas Supreme Court: Multiple Misdemeanor Charges Resulting From Single Arrest Divisible for Expunction Purposes by Douglas Ankney by Douglas Ankney The Supreme Court of Texas held that under Article 55.01(a)(2)(A) of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure multiple misdemeanor offenses charged in a single arrest are eligible for expunction on …

Virginia Passes Comprehensive Record Clearance Legislation by Casey Bastian Far too frequently, a criminal record is an obstacle to securing education, employment, housing, and other similar necessities. Approximately 1.6 million Virginia residents have a criminal record; a disproportionate number of them are Black. The House and Senate Chambers of the …

Sealed Records Open for View by Kevin Bliss by Kevin Bliss Washington state has over 5,500 sealed juvenile records that are once again accessible to law enforcement agencies across the nation after a last-minute amendment for “officer safety” was added to a 2015 bipartisan sentencing reformation bill. Tony Calero conducted …