MS HB252

Provides automatic expungement of criminal convictions for first-time offenders upon successful completion of all terms and conditions of their sentence, without requiring a separate petition.

Waives all fees and costs associated with automatic expungement and requires representing legal counsel to perform the service pro bono.

Retains a nonpublic record for courts to determine in subsequent proceedings whether a person qualifies as a first offender.

Restores the person in the contemplation of law to the status they occupied before arrest, and prohibits them from being held guilty of perjury for failing to acknowledge the expunged conviction except when determining subsequent first-offender status or jury service.

Amends sections 41-29-150, 99-15-57, and 99-19-71 to establish automatic expungement for first-time offenders and reduces the waiting period for felony expunction petitions from five years to two years after sentence completion.