HB161 Summary

• Expands eligibility for criminal record expungement to include convictions for misdemeanor offenses, traffic violations, and municipal ordinance violations, including those adjudicated as youthful offenders, subject to specified conditions.

• Establishes a 3-year waiting period after conviction before a person may petition for expungement of misdemeanor convictions, provided all probation, parole, fines, costs, and restitution have been completed.

• Restricts expungement of misdemeanor convictions for persons with prior violent felony convictions, registered sex offenders, and those convicted of commercial vehicle violations enumerated in federal regulations.

• Allows expungement of certain violent felony convictions (promoting prostitution, domestic violence in third degree, production of obscene matter) for human trafficking victims who prove they committed the offense during trafficking and would not have committed it otherwise.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.