Category Archives: General news
New York Judge Grants Expungement of Federal Conviction
In an unprecedented move, a New York judge has granted the expungement of a woman’s federal conviction. The judge concluded that this case involved “extraordinary circumstances” that ultimately warranted expungement. Continue reading
Texas Legislature Passes Senate Bill 1902 Expansion to Record Sealing Law
Senate Bill 1902 expands eligibility for an order of nondisclosure to include many one-time offenders with a misdemeanor conviction. The bill improves the state’s current expungement laws, but unfortunately for many deserving Texans with a single past conviction, the changes will only apply to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2015. Continue reading
Wall Street Journal Article on Background Check Companies Reporting Expunged Records Quotes Attorney Mathew Higbee
A Wall Street Journal article entitled, “Fight Grows to Stop Expunged Criminal Records Living On in Background Checks,” features a quote by RecordGone.com Founding Attorney Mathew Higbee. The article highlights the often-ignored issue of background check companies and websites that continue to report criminal case information following a court-ordered expungement or record sealing. Continue reading
Ban the Box Law Now Effective in Illinois
A new Illinois law that went into effect January 1, 2015 and places restrictions on when a background check may be conducted, which is informally referred to as banning the box. Under the new law, employers will only be allowed to perform such a check if an applicant has been selected for an interview or if a job offer has been extended. Continue reading
Florida House Bill 205 Submitted to Amend Statute on Retention of Juvenile Records
House Bill 205 seeks to reduce the time period in which conviction records must be retained before juvenile criminal records can be expunged. The proposed bill seeks to reduce the period for which criminal records of a minor must be retained until the minor’s eighteenth birthday, at which point the record will be expunged. Continue reading