House approves bill to let more criminals to expunge records

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—More criminals would be able to clear their records faster and easier under a bill passed Thursday by House lawmakers.

The bill, approved 46-17, would automatically destroy the criminal records of anyone who gets a deferred sentence, as long as they finish the sentence without getting into trouble. A person's past criminal history and the seriousness of the crime would not matter.

Currently, first-time offenders may ask to remove a single nonviolent crime from their record five years after finishing a sentence for a misdemeanor or 10 years after completing a felony sentence.

The bill is now headed to the Senate.

Supporters of the measure say people who stay out of trouble should be able to escape the stigma of a criminal conviction and be allowed to work in licensed jobs that are closed to those with a criminal past, such as nursing and social work.

But opponents, including the governor, attorney general's office and state police, say it goes too far, and that expunging the records so easily would allow far more criminals to find work with vulnerable people like children and the elderly.

House Minority Leader Robert A. Watson, said while he believed in redemption, the bill would rewrite history and conflicts with his belief in the freedom of information.

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Information from: The Providence Journal, http://www.projo.com/