Source: https://www.truescreen.com/resource-center/background-screening/expungement-sealing-and-pardoning-of-criminal-records/
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 09:07:50+00:00

Document:
In the United States, once a criminal prosecution has been recorded in the public record, it typically remains there indefinitely. However, the processes of expungement, sealing and pardoning of criminal matters can affect their availability. This white paper examines each of these processes and the implications of each.
Generally speaking, “expungement” refers to the removal of criminal records from court records (including police reports and arrest records) and from public access (including no access for governmental entities unless they have a court order). Expungement is usually the closest thing to erasing a criminal record and having it treated as if it never existed,7 but the term does not necessarily mean the same thing in every state and can be a far more limited remedy. For example, Ohio defines “expungement” as the sealing of a criminal record so it is not publicly available. Ohio’s record-sealing statute does not expunge or destroy records, it merely seals them and requires that the government maintain the records for future (albeit limited) use when such use is in the interest of the public.8 Thus, even if a record is sealed or expunged, Ohio still makes it available for use where matters of public safety are of particular concern.
All expunged records are sealed, but not all sealed records are expunged.18 When a criminal record is “sealed” it generally means it is removed from public access but legally the event in question still happened and certain governmental entities likely still have access to the record.
Furthermore, the process for expungement or sealing of a criminal record may vary by state. For example, in Maryland and Missouri, you must file a petition for expungement with the court. New Jersey has a similar process, requiring that a petition for expungement be filed in the Superior Court in the county where the arrest or prosecution took place, and then allowing a judge to decide whether to grant an expungement order. In Massachusetts, a person can request that the commissioner seal a criminal record by filling out a form furnished by the commissioner and signing it under the penalties of perjury. There are similar processes in place in the other states that allow the expungement and sealing of criminal records once the records become eligible for expungement or sealing per the state’s laws and guidelines.
While the sealing, expungement and pardoning of records mandate that courts and state agencies prevent or limit access to records, the initial criminal information can often appear in multiple places.
It is not uncommon for matters that are sealed or expunged at the local level to still appear in state or federal records due to lack of communication between agencies. Further, private data aggregators that purchase and compile publicly available criminal records for resale may not receive updates when records are sealed or expunged. It is important that when criminal searches are performed for employment purposes that those records are verified at the local level to ensure accuracy.
It is important for employers to be aware of the sealing, expungement and pardoning laws in the states in which they operate because they often include restrictions on employers’ ability to consider such records in making employment decisions—either by allowing the applicant to deny the existence of such records or by prohibiting employers from asking about such records. Employers must be aware of these laws and ensure that their hiring practices are in full compliance in order to avoid the possibility of being held liable for unlawful hiring practices.
1 Michael H. Jagunic, Note, The Unified “Sealed” Theory: Updating Ohio’s Record-Sealing Statute for the Twenty-First Century, 59 Clev. St. L. Rev. 161, 165-66 (2011) (citing Fruqan Mouzon, Forgive Us Our Trespasses: The Need for Federal Expungement Legislation, 39 U. Mem. L. Rev. 1, 31 (2008)).
2 Id. (citing Elizabeth V. Tavares, Criminal Records: Sealing, Expungement and Impoundment, in Crime and Consequence: The Collateral Effects of Criminal Conduct § 21.3 (Hon. William J. Meade et al. eds., 2009)).
3 Lahny R. Silva, Clean Slate: Expanding Expungements and Pardons for Non-Violent Federal Offenders, 79 U. Cin. L. Rev. 155, 157 (Fall 2010).
4 Expunging or Sealing an Adult Criminal Record, Nolo (last accessed May 8, 2015), available at http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/expungement-of-criminal-records-basics-32641.html.
5 Silva, supra note 3, at 157-58. The Federal First Offender Act, 18 U.S.C §3607(c) (2006) (providing for the expungement of disposition records for individuals found guilty of simple narcotic possession (21 U.S.C. §844) with no prior convictions). Id.
7 Expungement, Electronic Privacy Information Center [hereinafter referred to as “EPIC”], available at http://epic.org/privacy/expungement (last visited May 8, 2015).
8 Jagunic, supra note 1, at 169.
9 EPIC, supra note 7.
14 Expungement of Criminal Records, Thomson Reuters (Oct. 2012). The Ohio record-sealing statute allows the state to use and provide information regarding a sealed record to licensing boards and specific employers who provide care services. Ex-offenders who wish to pursue careers in childcare or healthcare can demonstrate their suitability for a position by notifying a potential employer that a conviction has been sealed, but they cannot hide a conviction in fields where the safety and well-being of others are of utmost concern. See Jagunic, supra note 1, at 169.
15 Galigani Law Firm, http://www.galiganilaw.com/CriminalDefense/RecordSealingandExpunging.aspx (last visited May 8, 2015).
16 Straight Answers to Thirty-four Frequently Asked Questions of Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey, New Jersey Expungement Center, http://www.njexpungements.com/faq.php (last visited May 8, 2015).
19 Expungement Vs Sealing Criminal Records, http://www.clearupmyrecord.com/expungement-vs-sealing-criminal-records.php (last visited May 8, 2015).
20 EPIC, supra note 7.
21 Jagunic, supra note 1, at 167. First offenders are individuals who have been convicted of only one offense “and who previously or subsequently [have] not been convicted of the same or a different offense.” “The legislature limited the definition of “different offense” to exclude minor traffic offenses and minor misdemeanors so that reformed individuals with relatively common infractions on their records are not barred from applying for sealing.” Id.
22 Silva, supra note 3, at 192 (citing Dist. Court Dep’t of the Trial Court, Commonwealth of Mass., A Guide to Public Access, Sealing & Expungement of District Court Records 39 n.121 (2009) available at http://www.mass.gov/courts/courtsandjudges/courts/districtcourt/pubaccesscourtrecords.pdf (last visited March 14, 2010)).
24 Galigani Law Firm, supra note 15.
25 Expungement Vs Sealing Criminal Recordssupra note 19.
27 EPIC, supra note 7.
29 New Jersey Expungement Center, supra note 16.
30 Silva, supra note 3, at 194.
31 Id.(citing Conn. Gen. Stat. §54-130a (2010)).
32 Id. “The applicant may apply three years after completing his sentence for a misdemeanor and five years after a felony. The applicant is required to fill out a ten-page questionnaire that includes the reporting of child support orders, employment history, criminal history and basic demographic information. It also requires that the applicant obtain at least three references, all of whom must be aware of the applicant’s criminal history, provide the board with the criminal history printout from the state police and all police reports related to the applicant’s criminal convictions over the previous ten years.” Id.
33 Id. at 194-95 (citing Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142(a)(d) (2010)).
34 Id. at 195 (citing Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-130(a)(e) (2010)).
35 Id. (citing Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-124a(j)(2)(A)(3) (2010)).

References: V. 
 § 21
 §3607
 §844
 §54
 § 54
 § 54
 § 54