Utah’s expungement statute has recently been modified to become one of the most streamlined and progressive in the country.

Revisions in House Bill 21, signed into law March 29, will take effect May 11 and allow petitioners to expunge their records without the help of a lawyer.

“The code was so confusing, not only for the everyday citizen, but for those trying to implement and enforce it. So we went through the entire code (statute) to make it more understandable” said Bill sponsor Rep. Julie Fisher, R-Fruit Heights.

According to Fisher, the bill does not make any actual changes to the statute but merely makes it easier to understand. The process begins with an application to the Bureau of criminal Identification (BCI), which decides if the petitioner meets eligibility requirements. If they do, they are given a Certificate of Eligibility which they may present to a judge, who comes to the final decision regarding expungement.

BCI Director Alice Erickson does not expect a massive increase in the number of petitioners following the streamlining, but says she would not be surprised if the number of petitioners increased.

Expungements can also include arrests, so making the process that much quicker could only help those who were not even convicted of a crime, according to officials.

With more and more businesses doing back ground checks, it is very important to make sure that you have a clean record. Expungement law can be a difficult area to understand. If you are looking for legal advice in clearing your name in today’s competitive job market, contact Dallas expungement attorney Mark T. Lassiter at 214-651-1121 today to discuss your legal options.

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch of Rhode Island is now backing the early expungement of a certain kind of record, in contrast with his sharp opposition of all expungement bills considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee during his time as the state’s top prosecutor.

Lynch has thrown his support behind a new bill to automatically remove from public view the record of any cases in which the defendant pled no contest in exchange for a deferred sentence, and remained out of trouble for at least five years. This bill would also eliminate any additional waiting period.

Previously, Lynch had opposed variations of this bill, expressing disapproval for allowing the destruction of records for people who admitted guilt to avoid jail time. Rhode Island is one of the few states that allows for the expungement of adult crimes from a judicial record.

If you have been convicted of a crime and this is hampering your ability to find employment or become a part of your community, contact Dallas expungement attorney Mark T. Lassiter at 214-651-1121 today to discuss your legal options.