MS HB1278

First-time felony offenders convicted of any felony except murder and rape may petition for expungement after completing their sentence, restoring their legal status to pre-arrest.

A nonpublic record of the expunged conviction is retained solely for determining first-offender status in subsequent proceedings.

Section 41-29-150 is amended to allow expungement of drug-related controlled substance convictions under specified conditions.

Section 99-15-57 is amended to allow expungement of felony convictions for persons who pled guilty within six months prior to the effective date of Section 99-15-26 and satisfied sentencing requirements.

Section 99-19-71 is amended to clarify that felony expungements for first-time offenders proceed under Section 1 of this act, effective July 1, 2015.