NEWS / Kentucky Senate considers bill to grant automatic criminal record expungement

The Kentucky Senate is considering a bill that would make it easier to expunge criminal records. Under the provision, individuals with certain low-level convictions would be eligible for automatic expungement after at least 5 years, depending on the severity of the offense. Proponents of the bill argue it will make it easier for individuals with these low-level offenses to get employment, which, in turn would mean higher tax revenue for the state.

“About 1.1 million adults in Kentucky have some kind of record, and if even only 10% of those were to get eligible for clean slate and have their records expunged, that’s nearly $220 million in increased wages and the associated tax revenue to go along with it,” Adam Haley of Goodwill Kentucky was quoted by Spectrum News 1 as stating.

A key provision of Senate Bill 290 is that the individuals in question must not re-offend in the specified time-frame.

Concerns were raised about tracking repeat offenders under the bill.

“If a defendant does get an expungement and if, in fact, he does have contact or she has contact with the criminal justice system, again, you know, we judges don’t know that we won’t ever get to see it, you know, so it would be nice if there would be some sort of way that judges would be able to see if somebody does re-offend with their criminal history is because it simply is unfair to sentence someone as a blank slate,” Campbell County Circuit Court Judge Julie Ward stated.

Under the current system, individuals eligible for expungement still need to file petitions and pay court fees, with some people noting that the process can be confusing and expensive. Having the offense listed on their record may make it harder to find employment or housing.

Organizations like Goodwill Kentucky have thus hosted several “expungement clinics” throughout the state.

If you need to retrieve your federal, state, or local criminal record or background check for use abroad, do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail at info@apostille.us or by phone at (212) 233-7061. You can also place an order on our website.