HB 1478 -- Expungement of Certain Criminal Records

Sponsor:  Hughes

This bill authorizes the expungement of certain criminal records
including convictions for any nonviolent crime, misdemeanor, or
nonviolent drug violation.  The expungement of a record is
allowed when at least four years have elapsed since the person
requesting expungement has completed his or her imprisonment,
period of probation, or period of parole and the person has
graduated from high school or received a general educational
development (GED) degree, graduated from an institution of higher
education with at least an associate's degree or maintained
employment with the same employer for at least two consecutive
years, completed 700 hours of community service, and has not been
convicted of or been placed on probation for any misdemeanor or
felony during the same period.

Any individual wanting to expunge a criminal record is required
to file a petition in the civil division of the circuit court in
a county where any of the arrests, pleas, trials, or convictions
occurred.  The petition must name as defendants all entities whom
the petitioner has reason to believe may possess the record.  The
court is required to schedule a hearing on the expungement
petition no sooner than 30 days from the filing of the petition
and must give reasonable notice of the hearing to each official
agency or other entity named in the petition.  If a court grants
the order of expungement, the court records and files maintained
in any administrative or court proceeding for any offense ordered
expunged will be confidential and only available to the parties
or by order of the court for good cause shown.  An individual
will be granted only one petition for expungement.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 14, 2010 at 3:11 pm