NYPD Has Databases of Expunged Stop-And-Frisk Arrests, Bronx Defenders Say  The Marshall ProjectIn New York City, officers are illegally using information from arrests that have been sealed, according to a lawsuit. The practice is legal in more than two dozen ...

An ultra-violent MS-13 gang entered the U.S., then stalked L.A. with blades and bats  Los Angeles TimesA faction within MS-13 used gruesome tactics to kill seven people in the L.A. area since 2017, prosecutors said.

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 ...

A Fresh Start: Expunging Criminal Convictions  Crime ReportAt least 36 states permit adults with criminal convictions to have their records sealed or expunged, but does “wiping the slate clean” actually produce better ...

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.

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 ...

‘I was gonna kill them out of spite’: California man sentenced for murdering young couple he found camping on the beach  The Washington PostShaun Gallon, who confessed to killing the Christian camp counselors, "was never the same" after he took too large a dose of LSD in 2001, his attorney said ...

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.”

Nevada's New Record-Sealing Law: 'One of Broadest' in US  Crime ReportNevada is the kind of place where a lot of people end up needing a second chance. It's a state where the booms and busts of the gaming industry have led many ...

San Francisco D.A. George Gascon considering challenging Jackie Lacey in L.A. race  Los Angeles TimesSan Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascon announced Friday that he is considering challenging Jackie Lacey in next year's election to become Los Angeles ...

Rauner signs bills to expand criminal record sealing and juvenile record expungement  Illinois PolicyGov. Bruce Rauner signed two bills into law Aug. 24, which will make it easier for ex-offenders to obtain gainful employment and turn their lives around.

Changes in Ohio Laws Could Help Give Ex-Offenders New Opportunities  WOSUOver the last seven years, Ohio's been slowly changing a set of laws that many believe keeps ex-offenders from getting jobs, paying child support and even.

5 of the most impactful laws Pennsylvania passed in 2018  Billy PennFrom criminal justice reform to actual firearms legislation.

From bail reform to restoring voting rights and sealing records, Colorado's criminal justice system is getting a makeover  The Colorado SunIf all the criminal justice measures are ultimately signed into law, the slate of bills would represent a significant and fast-moving overhaul of Colorado's justice ...

Police Release Investigative Files Against Smollett After Charges Were Dismissed  The Wall Street JournalChicago police released investigative files that underpin their case that actor Jussie Smollett staged a hate crime against himself, a day after prosecutors ...

Clean Slate: How Ditching A Criminal Record Is No Easy Task  Law360An estimated 100 million Americans have criminal records that follow them for life. Some states have moved to ease the burden by passing record-sealing laws ...

Illinois 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.

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 ...

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 ...

Avenatti, ex-girlfriend fought about money before alleged altercation occurred  ABC NewsMichael Avenatti, the lawyer for adult film star Stormy Daniels, was allegedly berating his ex-girlfriend about money before an alleged physical altercation in the ...

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 ...

Confused by Jussie Smollett Case? Here's What You Need to Know.  WTTW NewsThe Jussie Smollett case may be over, but confusion over the surprise ending is rampant. Why was the “Empire” star offered a deal? Was his record expunged?

How U.C. Will Change Its Admissions Process After the Bribery Scandal  The New York TimesFriday: The University of California president, Janet Napolitano, discussed the shifts; a witness gave stunning testimony in the trial of a Navy SEAL; and Speaker ...

Clean Slate law would allow full family healing  The CT MirrorFor billions across the world, and many of us here in Connecticut, Passover and Easter are opportunities to pause our hectic schedules and re-center our ...

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 ...

Father, Neighbor, Killer: Germany's Chilling New Far-Right Terror  SPIEGEL ONLINEThe recent politically motivated assassination of a prominent local leader in Germany has raised concern about the growing threat of far-right extremism in the ...

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.

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.

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 ...

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.

Pa.'s new Clean Slate Law means jail time is no longer a life sentence  WHYYPennsylvania's Clean Slate Law allows for the sealing of most simple assault convictions and first-degree misdemeanors.

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 ...

Combat veterans in jury pool for decorated Navy SEAL's war crimes trial  NavyTimes.comCombat veterans from the Navy and Marines were among possible jurors Monday in the trial of a decorated Navy SEAL charged with killing an Islamic State ...

More crimes to be expunged, impeachment process updated under bill proposals  Columbia MissourianStealing, forgery, fraud and several other nonviolent offenses would be added to the list of crimes under a proposed Missouri Senate bill.

Glen Burnie man shot dead Monday had been denied a protective order in February against man now charged with k  CapitalGazette.comA District Court judge on temporary assignment to Anne Arundel County while facing a possible suspension denied a request by a Glen Burnie man for a ...

Lawmakers want Navy SEAL released from the brig ahead of war crimes trial  NavyTimes.comA group of 40 lawmakers is urging Navy officials to free Special Warfare Operator Chief Edward “Eddie” Gallagher from confinement ahead of his trial on war ...

The gift of a second chance  Illinois PolicyIllinois has started to embrace second chances for people who have been through the criminal justice system.

The DC docket shows dozens of sealed criminal indictments. Are they from Mueller?  ABC NewsMore than three dozen sealed criminal indictments have been added to the federal court docket in Washington, D.C. since the start of 2018.

Why prosecutors dropped charges against Smollett for an 'alternative resolution'  ABC NewsProsecutors dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, despite acknowledging that Smollett fabricated a street attack on himself, in order to ...

The Kids 'Left Behind' By New York's Raise the Age Law  Crime ReportIt started with a cell phone. Last summer, Jay (not her real name), a 16-year-old living in upstate New York, was convinced a woman had taken her mother's ...

B.J. Penn issued restraining order; estranged partner alleges years of physical, sexual abuse  USA TODAYB.J. Penn's estranged partner, Shealen Uaiwa, alleges he verbally abused and menaced her, threatened to kill her family and sexually abused her.

Berlin Sun Files Motion to Unseal Arrest Records in Sen. Woodburn Case  indepthnh.orgSen. Woodburn's arrest has stirred controversy over whether the names of alleged domestic violence victims should be confidential.

Media Ask High Court to Unseal Execution Case Records  Crime ReportAlabama executed convicted murderer Christopher Price on May 30 after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to grant a stay of execution. Half of the briefs in the ...

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 ...

Where the top 2020 Democrats stand on criminal justice reform  AxiosEight 2020 Democratic candidates penned essays for the Brennan Center's collection, "Ending Mass Incarceration: Ideas from Today's Leaders," highlighting ...

Should prosecutors get the names of officers who commit misconduct?  Los Angeles TimesThe California Supreme Court appeared divided Wednesday over a ruling that barred the Los Angeles County sheriff from giving prosecutors the names of ...

Psychological domestic abuse becomes crime in Scotland under ‘groundbreaking’ new law  The IndependentA “groundbreaking” new law has come into effect in Scotland that makes psychological domestic abuse and controlling behaviour a crime. The Scottish ...

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 ...

Second Chance Act would help ex-offenders get housing, employment  North Carolina Health NewsEasing the way to expunging a criminal record means it would be easier for ex-offenders to access the things needed for a healthy life.

The Child Abuse Charge Was Dismissed. But It Can Still Cost You a Job.  The New York TimesIn New York, it is especially easy to be included in a registry of people accused of mistreating children, and the list can lock people out of employment for years.

Honoring Crime Victims During Delaware Crime Victims' Rights Week  news.delaware.govDover, Del.- Join the Delaware Victims' Rights Task Force and its participating agencies as we observe National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW). NCVRW ...

SEAL war crimes trial begins  NavyTimes.comSAN DIEGO — A decorated Navy SEAL stabbed to death a wounded and captive teenage Islamic State fighter in Iraq and then bragged about it, a military ...

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 ...

Police accused of ‘systemic failure’ to protect victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence  The IndependentPolice forces are failing to protect victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence by not using existing powers to tackle domestic violence, rape, harassment and ...

California Has a High Rate of Police Shootings. Could a New Open-Records Law Change That?  The New York TimesJust as activists and state lawmakers have sought to bring records of decades-old cases to light, police unions have tried to jam the door shut.

Thousands of domestic violence victims could be at risk as police oblivious of court orders against attackers  The IndependentTens of thousands of domestic violence victims could be at risk of abuse because police are unaware of court orders against their attackers, The Independent ...

Ward 6 primary election will have Kirby back on ballot, other candidate speaks to court cases  CapitalGazette.comThe Ward 6 special election's primary Tuesday will have an unexpected candidate on the ballot challenging Yiannes Kacoyanni, who had several court cases ...

Prosecutors celebrate victory after ruling in Gallagher war crimes case  NavyTimes.comA Navy judge ruled that evidence from Gallagher's seized cell phones can be used in court.

Working for more justice in the criminal justice system  Verizon CommunicationsOver the past year, I've grown increasingly focused on the inequities in our criminal justice system. The more I've learned about the problems that plague nearly ...

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,

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.

Prosecutors: SEAL war crimes suspect got death threat  NavyTimes.comA federal agent is probing a death threat mailed to Special Warfare Operator Chief Edward “Eddie” Gallagher, the SEAL accused of committing a string of war ...

Did the feds expand a war crimes case to another SEAL?  NavyTimes.comFederal authorities have informed a SEAL leader that he's the target of an ongoing war crimes probe, but critics contend it's a move by military prosecutors to ...

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,

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.

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.

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,

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.

SEAL's lawyer wants prosecutor, judge booted off war crimes case  NavyTimes.comA lawyer for a Navy SEAL accused of murder wants military prosecutors and a judge removed from the case for their roles in snooping on emails sent to the ...

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 ...

Illinois 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 ...

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,

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.

Domestic violence victims at risk because private probation companies 'failing to monitor abusers', new report finds  The IndependentWomen and children are being left at risk of domestic violence because private probation companies are failing to properly manage convicted abusers, a report ...

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 ...

Rape victims must hand phones to police or face investigations being dropped under new scheme  The IndependentRape and domestic violence victims will be forced to give police access to their phones and social media accounts or face their cases being dropped. New forms ...

Rape and domestic violence victims at risk as police fail to record tens of thousands of crimes, watchdog finds  The IndependentVictims are being left at risk by the police's failure to investigate tens of thousands of crimes, including rape, violence and domestic abuse, a watchdog has ...

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 ...

A Growing Chorus of Big City Prosecutors Say No to Marijuana Convictions  The New York TimesMarlyn Mosby, Baltimore's top prosecutor, says she will no longer prosecute marijuana possession cases and will vacate thousands of convictions. The police ...

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 ...

Law must recognise children as victims of domestic abuse between parents, NSPCC says  The IndependentChildren who live in homes where their parents are being subjected to domestic abuse must be recognised as victims in their own right under new laws, ...

Prosecutors, NCIS investigator accused of 'misconduct' in war crimes case  NavyTimes.comThe SEAL is accused of stabbing to death an unarmed and seriously wounded Islamic State prisoner of war during a 2017 deployment to Iraq, plus shooting an ...

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 ...

Police officers illegally use information from arrests that have been sealed, lawsuit says  ABA JournalFile photo. When a man named J.J. was arrested in the Bronx in 2016, the public defenders assigned to represent him assumed he'd get a good plea deal.

New state expungement law to offer second chance  Martinsburg JournalMARTINSBURG — West Virginia's new expungement law, which became effective June 7, was passed with the goal of giving non-violent offenders a second ...

Records on summaries, nonviolent crimes to be sealed under state's 'Clean Slate' law  Observer-ReporterGov. Tom Wolf on Friday in Harrisburg joined state Sen. Camera Bartolotta and criminal justice reform advocates in marking the start of Pennsylvania's “Clean ...

Making Sense of the NFL’s Controversial Decision to Not Suspend Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill  Sports IllustratedRB Tyreek Hill has avoided NFL suspension despite accusations of child abuse and making a threatening remark to his fiancée. What convinced Roger Goodell ...

Westminster man indicted by federal grand jury after allegedly threatening member of Congress  Baltimore SunDarryl Albert Varnum, of the 300 block of Barnes Avenue, was indicted Wednesday by the Grand Jury for the District of Maryland on one felony count of ...

From beginning, Brockhouse should have told truth  mySAAt long last, former mayoral candidate and City Councilman Greg Brockhouse has acknowledged a 2009 police report in which his wife accused him of domestic ...

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 changes-- a direct ...

Bill would allow more people to get criminal records sealed - Delaware State News  Delaware State NewsDOVER — In 2009, Corie Priest pleaded guilty to selling marijuana and was sentenced to two years in jail. When he got out, he thought his life would return to ...

Man Sues Anti-Homosexuality Group for Libel, Loses, Unsuccessfully Tries to Seal Court Opinions  ReasonThe plaintiff had pleaded guilty to, among other things, having sex with a minor (apparently when he was 21 and the minor was 15); the alleged libel stemmed ...

Navy SEAL Accused of War Crimes Acquitted of Murder  Democracy Now!In California, U.S. Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher was acquitted of murder Tuesday after a jury found him not guilty on all charges ...

Few take advantage of expungement law  The Daily News of NewburyportBOSTON — Manoushka Gaston escaped a troubled past to attend school to become a nursing assistant in Lawrence with dreams of landing a job at an ...

Josh Jackson of Phoenix Suns accused of getting infant high, court records show  AZCentralA mother is accusing a Phoenix Suns player of making their infant high because of the presence of marijuana, according to Family Court records.

Patricia Driscoll wants probation but Washington DC prosecutors seek prison term  Kickin' the TiresBy Jerry Jordan, EditorThe woman who wrongly accused NASCAR driver Kurt Busch ofdomestic violence and was later the focus of an investigative report by ...

THE BIG DEAL: 2019 Colorado Legislature bets big with new laws for everyone  Sentinel ColoradoIt's State lawmakers who changed your life 460 times this year. Enjoy. You just might do that if you're late on your rent and worried about eviction, if your ...

De Castroverde Law Group launches service to help clients seal criminal records  Nevada Business MagazineLAS VEGAS –De Castroverde Law Group, one of Las Vegas' most well-respected law firms specializing in criminal, personal injury, and immigration law, has ...

District Line Daily: House is not a Home  Washington City PaperWhat are we doing for the 5500 homeless students in D.C.?

Bill to allow petitions to judges to expunge criminal records clears Senate  New Mexico Political ReportCommitting a crime might be easy enough. Getting a criminal record expunged in New Mexico is more difficult than almost anywhere in the West. Now that is ...