Jussie Smollett update: Charges against 'Empire' actor dropped; 'not an exoneration,' prosecutor says  KGO-TVDisorderly conduct charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of staging a racist and homophobic attack on himself, were dropped ...

Progressives Coalescing Around Tiffany Cabán for Queens DA in Newest Battle Against New York Machine  The InterceptThe last competitive Queens district attorney election happened when Tiffany Cabán was 3 years old.

Criminal Convictions Behind Them, Few Have Had Their Records Sealed  The New York TimesA recent New York State law allows people convicted of certain crimes to hide the record from public view. So far, only 346 records have been sealed.

Expungement And Sealing Of Records Help Ex-Criminals Return To Work  NPRA criminal conviction can present obstacles to everything from jobs to housing. Since 2017, more than 20 states have expanded or added laws that help people ...

People with five felonies could have records sealed under new Ohio expungement law  NewsChannel 5 Cleveland - newsnet5.comA new Ohio expungement law that quietly went into effect last week gives people with five felonies a chance to seal their criminal records.

The amateur sleuth who searched for a body - and found one  BBC NewsThis story is published in collaboration with High Country News. A car wreck found at the bottom of a lake brought the search for a missing young mother to an ...

Trapped and trafficked: One town's dark secret  Cincinnati.comRumors about sex trafficking and local corruption have been something of an open secret in Portsmouth for years.

TV Station Ordered to Expunge Archived Story About Teacher's Dismissed Domestic Violence Charges  ReasonUntil a week ago, Houston's ABC-13 TV station, KTRK, had the following story on its web site (I quote the July 13, 2017 version, which had been updated from its ...

Judge's Record-Sealing Denial Highlights 'Shortcomings' of Second-Chance Law  Queens Daily EagleThe conviction-sealing law fails “to explicitly address criminal records of younger offenders, even though it was enacted as part of the Raise the Age legislation.”

Arkansas Bill Would Automatically Seal Some Criminal Records  U.S. News & World ReportAn Arkansas lawmaker is proposing that some non-violent offenders be allowed to have their criminal records automatically sealed, a move backed by a ...

If you have an old criminal record, today you can finally get a Clean Slate in Pa.  Philly.comPennsylvania's Clean Slate law, among the nation's most progressive, begins its roll-out Wednesday.

Here's a look at some of Pennsylvania's 250 new laws  Allentown Morning CallPennsylvania's two-year legislative session is over, leaving behind new laws on topics such as sealing criminal records, state pensions, hazing and casino ...

Lawmakers to consider broad expungement reform  vtdigger.orgAs lawmakers prepare to propose legislation that would broaden Vermont's expungement policies, representatives from Vermont Legal Aid and the Attorney ...

How Running Saved My Life  OutsideWhen his wife was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Matt Fitzgerald had one way to deal: running.

Columbus offers some a cheaper option to seal criminal records  The Columbus DispatchTwo hundred indigent defendants now have a less-expensive way to seal their criminal records from hundreds of background-check databases. The Expedited ...

Those With A Criminal Record In DC May Soon Find It Easier To Bounce Back  WAMU 88.5Two different proposals floating around the Wilson Building could make it easier for tens of thousands of residents who have been arrested or convicted of a ...

Legal groups launch effort to help people get Clean Slate relief  Sunbury Daily ItemHARRISBURG — People who've had long-ago minor run-ins with the law can get their records sealed under a state law that took effect in late December.

For Those with Criminal Records, New Year Can Bring Clean Slate  Public News ServiceHARRISBURG, Pa. – Many Pennsylvanians with old criminal records are now eligible to have those records sealed. The first phase of the state's Clean Slate Act ...

Inside the Video Surveillance Program IBM Built for Philippine Strongman Rodrigo Duterte  The InterceptJaypee Larosa was standing in front of an internet cafe in Davao City, a metropolitan hub on the Philippine island of Mindanao, when three men in dark jackets ...

lawmakers-pass-record-sealing-expansion  Illinois PolicyBoth chambers of the Illinois General Assembly have now passed a measure to enable more ex-offenders to petition a court to seal their criminal records.

New Pa. laws passed in 2018 focus on victims' and criminals' rights  York Daily RecordThe Pennsylvania Senate and House were able to come to terms on a few bills that made it to the governor's desk and were signed into law.

Democratic leader in Colorado House charged with domestic violence twice in past two decades  Boulder Daily CameraA Democratic leader in the Colorado House was arrested twice in the past two decades on charges related to domestic violence involving two girlfriends, ...

Five Things You Didn't Know About Clearing Your Record  The Marshall ProjectA Nashville lawyer hopes to wipe clean some arrest records for 128,000 Tennesseans. The lawyer, Daniel Horwitz, who has worked on multiple cases regarding ...

Suit Claims NYPD Illegally Using Sealed Records for Investigations  The Wall Street JournalThe New York Police Department uses information collected from sealed arrest records, in violation of state law, for investigations and shares those records with ...

The Financial Benefits of Wiping the Slate Clean  Bankrate.comAnyone who carries a criminal record knows just how much it costs. Yet, there are some steps that past offenders can take to wipe the slate clean.

House panel approves bill allowing more criminal records to be expunged in R.I.  The Providence JournalThe bill would allow a judge to wipe clean the records of people with as many as five misdemeanor convictions. PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A piece of legislation ...

Will SC expand its ‘see no evil, hear no evil’ policy? We could find out today  The StateSC Gov Henry McMaster vetoed a bill to expunge more criminal records, saying 'criminal history should not be erased.' The Legislature, urged on by the ...

Two New Nevada Record Sealing Laws Go Into Effect  Public News ServiceCARSON CITY, Nev. – An eviction or a criminal conviction can follow a person for decades, making it difficult to get housing or a job. But two new state laws that ...

Court records shed light on Trump Jr's tweet questioning if Duke alum Eugene Gu is a 'wife beater'  Duke ChronicleEx-wife was granted temporary domestic violence restraining order against Eugene Gu, records show.

Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Expand Protections in NY's 'Raise the Age' Law | New York Law Journal  Law.comAs New York phases in a new law to raise the age at which someone is treated as an adult in the criminal justice system, a state lawmaker is planning legislation ...

Mary Cheh Introduces Bill to Seal Eviction Records, Give Tenants Notice of Eviction Filing  Washington City PaperDarrow MontgomeryWard 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh introduced a bill during Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting to reform how D.C. Superior Court ...

Norfolk DA Morrissey pushes campaign to help people expunge some mistakes in the past  The Boston GlobeThe chief law enforcement officer in Norfolk County is launching a campaign Thursday to help people rewrite their life stories — by obliterating their criminal past ...

Not guilty or charged? A criminal record can still haunt you  USA TODAYNASHVILLE -- Perhaps this is a blinding glimpse of the obvious, but when you are arrested that arrest creates a criminal record.

Senate OKs Sealing More Criminal Records  Texas TribuneThe criminal records of one-time offenders who stay out of trouble would be sealed and hidden from the public under a bill that cleared the Senate Tuesday.

In South Dakota, clearing criminal record no easy task  Sioux Falls Argus LeaderProsecutors hold too much power, some defense lawyers say.

Our View: With cannabis legal, clear criminal records  Kennebec Journal & Morning SentinelIt's legal for those 21 and older to possess and use cannabis in Maine, and it will be legal to buy and sell it for recreational use as soon as lawmakers can finish ...

Six States Leading the Charge on Second-Chance Policies  Center For American ProgressBipartisan criminal justice reform efforts in Congress may be on ice for now, but red, blue, and purple states alike are moving full speed ahead with their own ...

Diversion Programs Say They Offer a Path Away From Court, but Critics Say the Tolls Are Hefty  ProPublicaThe programs raise legal and ethical questions, including whether they create an uneven playing field for defendants and financial incentives for prosecutors to ...

The US Military Is Officially Counting Domestic Violence As A Separate Crime For The First Time  Task & PurposeThe military will now count domestic violence as a separate crime in the hopes of avoiding another tragedy like the shooting last November in Sutherland ...

Queens Judge to Lawmakers: 'Raise the Age' Sealing Law Needs More Work | New York Law Journal  Law.comA Queens judge issued a ruling calling on state lawmakers to consider changes to laws enacted under the “Raise the Age” legislative package that would allow ...

Cooper signs law making it easier for some to clear criminal slates  News & ObserverGov. Roy Cooper praised the law as a bipartisan effort making it easier for some to have their criminal records expunged.

Ex-offenders could find second chance through new law  Billings GazetteLevi Peaslee has wanted to be a Navy SEAL since he heard about the program when he was 15 years old.

Voters Across Party Lines Support Clean Slate Legislation  Center For American ProgressAlthough Americans remain split on numerous issues in contemporary politics, a new study finds widespread support among voters for states to automatically ...

A Jekyll and Hyde portrait emerges of the SEAL accused of murdering an Islamic State prisoner  NavyTimes.comGallagher, a veteran of eight overseas and combat deployments, is facing 14 criminal counts, including premeditated murder for allegedly stabbing to death an ...

Roger Stone's Arrest Was Appropriate, Not Heavy-Handed  LawfareA Lawfare post from Friday—“Get Me Roger Stone”—well and thoroughly explained the most recent indictment from the Mueller team. The authors also ...

‘America’s Got Talent’ Contestant Michael Ketterer Arrested on Domestic Violence Charge  TheWrapMichael Ketterer, who placed in the Top 5 during the most recent season of reality competition series “America's Got Talent,” was arrested Thursday on a felony ...

Expunging the criminal records of kids in care does not absolve the state's injustices against them  The Conversation AUIn the Victorian parliament last week, legislation was introduced to address a “serious historical injustice” that saw thousands of vulnerable children in state care ...

Bill would seal police reports in domestic violence cases  Boston GlobePolice reports in domestic violence cases would be off limits to the public under a little-noticed measure that appeared headed to passage in the state ...

Navy SEAL arraigned on war crime charges  NavyTimes.comU.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter urged President Donald Trump to free Special Warfare Operator Chief Edward “Eddie” Gallagher, who faces a long list of war crimes ...

Charged with war crimes and stuck in the brig, a Navy SEAL vows to fight on  NavyTimes.comCharged earlier this month with multiple war crimes in connection with the 2017 stabbing death of a detainee in Iraq, Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward ...

Council Bluffs man fatally shot during domestic violence incident  Omaha World-HeraldA grand jury will determine whether the man who fired the shot will face any criminal charges.

Hancock County Court Aug. 1 to Aug. 31  The Ellsworth AmericanThe following cases were adjudicated, reviewed or continued in Hancock County Court, according to official records: Aug. 1 to Aug. 31 Joshua B. King, 33,

Second Navy SEAL charged in war crimes probe  NavyTimes.comAuthorities in California on Thursday charged a second Navy SEAL in connection with an ongoing war crimes probe tied to the alleged stabbing execution of an ...

The UCMJ May Get A Domestic Violence Update To Prevent The Next Texas Church Shooting  Task & PurposeAmid the ongoing national conversation around domestic violence and sexual assault, lawmakers are pushing the Department of Defense to better define ...

Avenatti, girlfriend were fighting about money before alleged domestic violence occurred: Court docs  550 KTSAMichael S. Schwartz/Getty Images(CHICAGO) — Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for adult film star Stormy Daniels, was allegedly berating his girlfriend about ...

SC frequently pardons criminals, granting about 400 a year  The Island PacketPatricia Adams was granted a pardon after committing a string of crimes in the late 1990s and early 2000s in Berkeley, Richland counties in South Carolina.

Navy SEAL charged with war crimes to remain in the brig  NavyTimes.comA Navy judge in San Diego on Thursday denied a request by a SEAL accused of murdering a prisoner of war to leave the brig until he begins trial next month.

Competency hearing scheduled for Canterbury murder suspect  Concord MonitorA Canterbury man accused of fatally stabbing his mother is scheduled to appear in court next month for a hearing to determine his mental competency to stand ...

State speeds sealing of criminal records  The Boston GlobeUntil recently, the process of sealing records in Massachusetts took so long that candidates ran the risk of missing out on jobs.

As metro Detroiters smoke legal pot, some await legal news on their future  WXYZThe battle to legalize marijuana may have swung in favor of marijuana advocates, but the folks behind the moves say plenty more remains to be done.

D.C.’s Bowser wants to make it easier for arrestees to seal court records  The Washington PostMayor Muriel E. Bowser wants to make it easier for people arrested by police to shield their records, proposing sweeping changes to limit what employers, loan ...

Editorial: Pardons for old pot convictions the right thing to do  Yakima Herald-RepublicWe all make mistakes and occasionally wish we could wipe the slate clean and move on with our lives. Reinventing one's self, in fact, may constitute the new ...

ICE Is Increasingly Arresting Immigrants With No Criminal Record  BloombergNew York (AP) -- A daughter who never returned home, a son gunned down point-blank, a mom who was brutally attacked — all deaths at the hands of ...

How Police and Anti-Crime Measures Reinforce Segregation  GoverningCities' efforts to get tough on crime can make it harder for low-income residents to find good jobs and housing.

New legal bombshells explode on two Navy SEAL war crimes cases  NavyTimes.comTwo SEALs offer up damaging testimony against a chief special warfare operator accused of war crimes -- and suggest the command did not initially investigate ...

DHS official jailed over domestic violence case says he handles ‘high volume’ of classified information  The Washington PostA senior career official with the Department of Homeland Security who served jail time for an alleged assault on his wife handles a “high volume” of classified ...

Mystery surrounds Haiti arrest of local ex-Navy SEAL on weapons charges  Akron Beacon JournalGreater Akron last heard from former U.S. Navy SEAL Christopher Heben in 2015 after a jury found him not guilty of filing a false police report claiming a black ...

21 Savage's Complicated, Potentially Insurmountable Immigration Case  Rolling StoneAt the beginning of 2019, 21 Savage was the most popular artist in the country: I Am > I Was, his most recent album, spent two weeks on top of the Billboard 200.

New Dallas County DA Supports Helping People Remove Criminal Records  NBC 5 Dallas-Fort WorthNewly appointed Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson Monday endorsed a plan to help people escape from criminal histories to get jobs.

House allows purging more crimes from state records  The Providence JournalPROVIDENCE, R.I. — With tens of thousands of crimes committed in Rhode Island already purged from state records — as if they never happened — state ...

D.C. Mayor Bowser to reappoint Police Chief Newsham, Superintendent Kang  Washington PostD.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) announced Monday that she will reappoint Police Chief Peter Newsham and State Superintendent of Education Hanseul Kang, ...

What to Know About the Man Arrested in Connection With the Mail Bombs  The CutA man was arrested in Florida in connection with the bombs sent to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, CNN and others. Here's everything we know about the ...

Broward state attorney's office will help expunge arrest records  Sun SentinelThe Broward State Attorney's Office is expanding its *service* for qualified adults who wish to expunge or seal criminal records for a single case or arrest, and has ...

Prosecutors Aim to Keep Watts Family Autopsy From the Public, Potential Jurors  Colorado Public RadioDistrict Attorney Michael Rourke says releasing information from the autopsies could influence witnesses and affect future jurors.

Equifax Judge Warns Lawyers to Limit Record-Sealing Requests | Daily Report  Law.comU.S. District Chief Judge Thomas Thrash issued a 34-page protective order in the Equifax data breach multidistrict litigation but warned lawyers and their clients ...

Reconciling criminal history open data and expungement  Sunlight FoundationAfter months of investigating, Sunlight has collected over 9,000 databases of publicly available criminal justice data from across America. We call it Hall of ...

Who's involved in Urban Meyer's Ohio State domestic abuse scandal?  WKYC.comNow that Urban Meyer has been placed on leave, what's next for Ohio State football and who all has been involved?

Felony conviction rates are up nationwide. These states are reconsidering how they classify crimes  PBS NewsHourIn recent decades, every state has seen a dramatic increase in the share of its population convicted of a felony, leaving more people facing hurdles in finding a ...

Fewer former offenders getting pardoned in Georgia  Atlanta Journal ConstitutionGeorgia has been generous with the number of pardons issued when compared to other states.

Judge asked to reconsider ruling in Valor Act case  The Boston GlobeA judge who ordered a man's domestic violence charges to be dismissed and expunged due to his military *service* was asked by the state to reconsider his ...

Memo to Kavanaugh's defenders: Passage of time doesn't erase youthful mistakes in the criminal justice system, especially for people of color  The Conversation - USThe accusation of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, made by California professor Christine Blasey Ford, has been met with a ...

Police, Court Officials Won't Identify Middletown Murder Victim, But Sources And Documents Say She's A Hartford Teacher  Hartford CourantCornel Myers, of Middletown, charged with murder in a woman's death Sept. 8 appeared in court Tuesday morning, but an arrest warrant affidavit that would ...

Hancock County Court Sept. 1-30  The Ellsworth AmericanThe following cases were adjudicated, reviewed or continued in Hancock County Court, according to official records: Sept. 1 to Sept. 30 Mark E. Lewis, 51,

Canberra's domestic violence 'mediation' in spotlight, as alleged offenders get a say in rules  ABC NewsA *fresh* approach to domestic violence that lets some alleged offenders have a say in the restrictions made against them has put Canberra's courts in the ...

Opinion: He had a long record of misconduct. The force kept him on. Then he shot a black teen.  The Washington PostJosh Hastings was part of the rot of the Little Rock police. Now its institutional failures are exposed. Will anything change?

SEAL Team 6 Members and Special Forces Marines Charged With Green Beret Murder and Cover-Up  The InterceptThe Navy has formally accused a member of SEAL Team 6 with choking a Green Beret to death last year, and then using his field medic skills to cut open the ...

Hancock County Court  The Ellsworth AmericanThe following cases were adjudicated, reviewed or continued in Hancock County Court, according to official records: Dec. 1 to Dec. 31 Jesse E. Sawyer, 37,

Hancock County Court June 1 to June 30  The Ellsworth AmericanThe following cases were adjudicated, reviewed or continued in Hancock County Court, according to official records: June 1 to June 30 Joshua A. Smith, 35,

house-passes-legislation-to-expand-record-sealing  Illinois PolicyReforms such as record sealing expansion make it likelier that ex-offenders will be able to find work – and stop cycling in and out of prison. That means they and ...

The Supreme Court Case That Could Let ‘Lesser’ Domestic Abusers Own Guns  The TraceAmerica has come a long way in treating all domestic violence seriously. To get their gun rights back, two men are making an argument which threatens that ...

Trump threatens to seal U.S.-Mexico border over migrant caravan. Can he do it?  USA TODAYIn protesting a caravan of migrants, President Trump threatened to deploy active-military to seal the southern border. It's unclear he can do so.

Domestic violence arrest expunged from Jamerson Love's record  Jackson Clarion LedgerJamerson Love had his arrest erased from his record.

NJ cop was hired even after stabbing wife's ex-lover 4 times  Asbury Park PressAn Atlantic City cop is being sued for allegedly beating a man with a baton at Bally's Casino. Court records show the city knew of his criminal past.

Where 14 mayoral candidates stand on gun crime sentences — their full responses  Chicago Sun-TimesThirteen of the candidates for mayor responded to our question about gun crime sentences. We asked: What is your view as to the appropriate length of ...

Dutchess corrections sergeant charged in ex-wife's death  Poughkeepsie JournalA Dutchess County corrections sergeant is accused of killing his ex-wife.

Hancock County Court July 1 to July 31  The Ellsworth AmericanThe following cases were adjudicated, reviewed or continued in Hancock County Court, according to official records: July 1 to July 31 Jamin S. Keene, 23,

Why Has Los Angeles' DA Been Slow to Expunge Old Pot Convictions?  Capital and MainAs San Francisco and San Diego counties moved forward with automatic resentencing for old cannabis-related crimes, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office ...

Inside the Push to Give Ex-Offenders in Pennsylvania a Second Chance  Pacific StandardMen and women wait by the dozen on this Saturday morning in late November. Some stare into their cell phones in a small waiting room, others lean against.

Built with rehabilitation in mind, Texas state jails are now viewed by lawmakers as a "complete failure"  The Texas TribuneState jails were created to help low-level drug offenders get treatment. But they offer few rehabilitative services, and their inmates are more likely to reoffend.

Toronto Shooting Shakes City Amid a Rash of Violence  The New York TimesTwo people were killed and 13 injured when a gunman opened fire in a crowded neighborhood. Some residents fear another “Summer of the Gun.”