Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
California Bill Would Seal 2 Million Criminal Records
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
February 24, 2020

Share

SACRAMENTO — The California Legislature will consider a bill that would wipe the low-level criminal records of about 2 million people going back decades. It’s the author’s second attempt to remove barriers to finding work or housing.

In California, arrest and conviction records of lower-level felonies and misdemeanors eligible for probation can be expunged. Sex offenders and any offender who served time in prison are ineligible. The bill would not change which records are eligible to be expunged.
The measure is part of a provision that was removed from a bill approved last year that would expunge records of certain arrests and crimes starting in 2021.
Assemblyman Phil Ting, a San Francisco Democrat, proposed the new bill on Monday with the backing of district attorneys from San Francisco and San Joaquin County.
Officials said records like being arrested for domestic violence or impaired driving where charges weren’t filed could be automatically cleared.
In California, arrest and conviction records of lower-level felonies and misdemeanors eligible for probation can be expunged. Sex offenders and any offender who served time in prison are ineligible. The bill would not change which records are eligible to be expunged.
The proposal would automatically clear records dating back to 1973. It’s uncertain if the proposal will succeed this year. A month after Ting introduced his bill last year in February, it was amended in the Assembly to ensure the law would not apply retroactively.

The Proposal Automates That Process, Removing the Need to Petition Judges

Individuals with arrest records and convictions can currently apply to the courts to seal qualifying records, but critics say the process can cost thousands of dollars in attorneys fees. The proposal automates that process, removing the need to petition judges.
“It’s going to cost you a very good attorney and about $10,000 and at least a year of your time,” said Tori Salazar, San Joaquin County district attorney. As a prosecutor, Salazar acknowledged that years ago she would have laughed at the idea that easing the erasure of criminal records would help victims.
“But I stand here today saying this is one of the best victim prevention tools that we have,” she said, because clearing records can help an individual find employment instead of turning to crime.
The California District Attorneys Association didn’t respond to a request weighing in on the proposal.
Last year’s bill requires the state attorney general beginning on Jan. 1, 2021 to scan monthly for qualifying records that can be cleared.
Ting said on Monday that the attorney general’s office will propose funds in this year’s upcoming budget for the development of software to scan for records. Running the program would cost the state pennies to search for an individual’s record, he said.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Senate Rebukes Trump’s Tariffs as Some Republicans Vote to Halt Taxes on Canadian Imports

DON'T MISS

Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products

DON'T MISS

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

DON'T MISS

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

DON'T MISS

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

DON'T MISS

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

DON'T MISS

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

DON'T MISS

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

DON'T MISS

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

DON'T MISS

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

UP NEXT

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

UP NEXT

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

UP NEXT

7-Year-Old Girl Was Killed by a Falling Boulder at a Lake Tahoe Ski Resort

UP NEXT

Xavier Becerra Enters 2026 California Governor’s Race

UP NEXT

Inside a $17 Billion Maintenance Backlog Plaguing California’s Universities

UP NEXT

California Lawmakers Reject Bills to Restrict Transgender Youth in School Sports

UP NEXT

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

UP NEXT

California Just Blew Its First Deadline for Voter-Approved Healthcare Measure

UP NEXT

Lakers Hold Off Rockets With 6 3-Pointers Apiece From Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent

UP NEXT

Athletics Bat Boy Stewart Thalblum Takes Down Drone in Left Field

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

10 hours ago

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

10 hours ago

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

10 hours ago

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

10 hours ago

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

11 hours ago

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

12 hours ago

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

12 hours ago

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

12 hours ago

Amazon Said to Make a Bid to Buy TikTok in the US

12 hours ago

Fresno Man Found Dead, Coroner’s Office Seeks Help Finding Family

12 hours ago

Senate Rebukes Trump’s Tariffs as Some Republicans Vote to Halt Taxes on Canadian Imports

WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a resolution Wednesday night that would thwart President Donald Trump’s ability to impose tariffs on Canada, ...

5 hours ago

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., center, is joined from left by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., as they speak to reporters about President Donald Trump's tariffs on foreign countries, at the Capitol, in Washington, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
5 hours ago

Senate Rebukes Trump’s Tariffs as Some Republicans Vote to Halt Taxes on Canadian Imports

9 hours ago

Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products

9 hours ago

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

A young Labrador mix rescued from a Fresno canal on Sunday, March 2, 2025, is thriving in a foster home after overcoming fear and trauma. (Instagram/Fresno Animal Center)
10 hours ago

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

10 hours ago

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

10 hours ago

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

10 hours ago

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

11 hours ago

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend