San Diego Criminal Lawyers Blog
As many as eight million Californians have criminal records for misdemeanor or felony crimes. All of them are subject to denied or limited employment, housing, and credit opportunities because of their criminal convictions. Many of the past crimes are for low level misdemeanors, like simple marijuana possession, or low-level felonies that are non-violent in nature.
Jurisdictions all over the United States are banning prospective employers from inquiring about a job applicant’s criminal conviction history during the recruitment process. It is not until the job applicant is made a formal job offer that it is permissible for an employer to inquire about a job applicant’s prior criminal convictions. Despite these modest changes to the law, discrimination against prior criminal defendants persist, aided by the public record of his or her criminal conviction.
Current Law Regarding Sealing of Criminal Records
Right now, people can seal their rap sheets following the completion of all their sentencing conditions. For example, a person convicted of driving under the influence, who receives a two-month sentence in county jail and three years of probation is able to request his or her criminal conviction record be sealed after applying and paying a fee, three years from the date of his or her release from jail.
Proposed Criminal Records Bill
The proposed Criminal Records Bill, would automatically seal the rap sheet of people whose crimes are specified in the statute as eligible for automatic sealing. The bill would apply retroactively, meaning people with prior criminal convictions who have not applied to seal their record would have their records automatically sealed when the Criminal Records Bill becomes effective.
Law enforcement agencies and some employers would still be able to access prior arrest records as part of criminal investigations or deep background checks for certain job positions. Members of the public, including potential landlords and employers, would no longer have access to a person’s arrest and conviction records.
The California Justice Department under the proposed bill would be able to contest the automatic sealing of a criminal record under certain conditions and upon application to the court. All others, however, would automatically be sealed upon successful completion of sentencing conditions.
Seal Your Criminal Records Now
You do not have to wait for the Criminal Records Bill to pass to seek the sealing of your criminal record. Individuals may petition the court to have their prior criminal conviction records sealed under certain circumstances. If you would like to know if your criminal record can be sealed, contact the qualified and knowledgeable San Diego Criminal Defense Attorney today to understand the process and your legal rights and responsibilities in seeking such relief. Continue reading