HD 639 Massachusetts House · 193rd Legislature (2023-2024)

An Act supporting survivors of trafficking and abuse and encouraging increased access to opportunities through expungement and/or sealing of records

This bill aims to help survivors of abuse, human trafficking, and involuntary sexual relations by allowing them to have certain criminal records expunged or sealed. It directly affects individuals who have been victims of these crimes and later faced legal charges related to their victimization. The law creates a specific category for offenses resulting from such victimization and establishes a rebuttable presumption that a defendant's actions were due to their trauma, though official documentation is not strictly required to apply. Judges will be able to consider credible evidence and testimony when deciding on petitions for relief, and the bill also adds a prohibition against making sealed or expunged records available for inspection.
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0 primary · 18 co-sponsors

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