Police and court records; expungement, term 'otherwise dismissed.'

Expungement of police and court records. Provides that, for the purposes of expungement of police and court records, the term "otherwise dismissed" means to render a legal action out of consideration in a different way or manner than a nolle prosequi or formal dismissal by the trial court. The bill specifies that the term "otherwise dismissed" also includes those circumstances when a person is charged with the commission of a crime, a civil offense, or any offense defined in relevant law and the initial charge is reduced or amended to another offense, including a lesser included offense or the same offense with a lesser gradient of punishment, so that such person is not convicted of the initial charge and may file a petition requesting expungement of the police and court records relating to the initial charge. Under the bill, unless the subject of the criminal record requests otherwise, any person who files an appeal of a petition for an expungement that was denied shall be allowed to proceed under a pseudonym, and such designation shall apply in the trial court and on any appeal. The bill also allows for the expungement of any emergency or preliminary protective order that was attached or factually related to an expunged charge or offense, provided that a permanent protective order was not ordered as a result of such emergency or preliminary protective order. The bill also provides that if a court finds that the continued existence and possible dissemination of information relating to an arrest may cause circumstances that constitute manifest injustice, including any hindrance to obtain employment, an education, or credit, it shall enter an order requiring the expungement of the police and court records. Under current law, a court shall enter an order of expungement when information relating to an arrest causes or may cause circumstances that constitute a manifest injustice to the petitioner. The bill requires a business screening service, defined in the bill, to destroy all expunged records, as defined in the bill, and to follow reasonable procedures to ensure that it does not maintain or sell expunged records. The bill also provides that an indigent person may file a petition for expungement without the payment of fees and costs and can request court-appointed counsel, who shall be paid from the Sealing Fee Fund. Except for the provisions regarding the filing of an appeal under a pseudonym and the circumstances that constitute manifest injustice, the bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026.