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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowTo address the confusion that has been growing since the state’s new expungement law took effect, a group of state and local lawmakers from Marion County have scheduled a public forum and panel discussion to answer questions about removing old criminal offenses from individual records.
The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 7 in rooms A and C of the Julia Carson Center, 300 E. Fall Creek Parkway, Indianapolis. Legal experts will explain what types of crimes are covered by the law and the steps to be taken to get a record cleared.
Since Public Law 159-2013 took effect July 1, lawmakers and court staff have received numerous questions from people unsure how they can expunge their records.
The legislation was passed during the 2013 session of the Indiana General Assembly and allows individuals to have previous convictions for a number of nonviolent offenses removed from their records. The goal of the new law is to remove those crimes from public background checks used by employers so the offenses do not prevent a rehabilitated ex-offender from finding a job.
“These people have paid their debts to society many times over, and those of use who supported the expungement law on both sides of the aisle believe they deserve the opportunity to find employment and take care of their families,” Rep. Cherrish Pryor said in a press release. “They have the right for a second chance.”
Pryor, along with Reps. Robin Shackleford, Gregory W. Porter, Vanessa Summers and John Bartlett, all Democrats from Indianapolis, Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, and Marion City-County Councilors Maggie Lewis, Vop Osili and Leroy Robinson are hosting the public forum and panel discussion.
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