2015 -- S 0515

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LC001903

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - EXPUNGEMENTS

     

     Introduced By: Senator Michael J. McCaffrey

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2015

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 3-8-12 of the General Laws in Chapter 3-8 entitled "Regulation of

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Sales" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     3-8-12. Expungement of certain criminal records. -- The court records of conviction of

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any person convicted of a violation of § 3-8-6, 3-8-9, or 3-8-10, while between the age of

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eighteen (18) to twenty-one (21) shall be expunged. without the requirement of filing a motion

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pursuant to chapter 1.3 of title 12; provided, that all outstanding court imposed or court related

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fees, fines, costs, assessments, charges and/or any other obligations imposed by the court have

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been paid and/or satisfied, or are reduced or waived by order of the court for good cause shown.

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The defendant shall be advised that any and all bail money relating to a case which remains on

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deposit and is not claimed at the time of expungement shall be escheated to the state's general

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treasury in accordance with chapter 12 of title 8.

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     SECTION 2. Section 12-1-12.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-1 entitled

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"Identification and Apprehension of Criminals" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     12-1-12.1. Motion for sealing of records of persons acquitted or otherwise

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exonerated. -- (a) Any person who is acquitted or otherwise exonerated of all counts in a

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criminal case, including, but not limited to, dismissal or filing of a no true bill or no information,

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may file a motion for the sealing of his or her court records in the case, provided, that no person

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who has been convicted of a felony shall be entitled to relief under this section except for those

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records in cases of acquittal after trial.

 

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      (b) Any person filing a motion for sealing his or her court records pursuant to this

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section shall give notice of the hearing date set by the court to the department of the attorney

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general and the police department which originally brought the charge against the person at least

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ten (10) days prior to the hearing.

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      (c) If the court, after the hearing at which all relevant testimony and information shall be

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considered, finds that the person is entitled to the sealing of the records, it shall order the sealing

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of the court records of the person in that case.

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      (d) The clerk of the court shall, within forty-five (45) days of the order of the court

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granting the motion, place under seal the court records in the case in which the acquittal,

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dismissal, no true bill, no information or other exoneration has been entered.

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      (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, in all cases involving a filing

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subsequent to a plea of not guilty, guilty or nolo contendere to a charge of a crime involving

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domestic violence, the court having jurisdiction over the case shall retain the records of the case

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for a period of three (3) years from the date of filing. The records shall not be expunged, or

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sealed, or otherwise destroyed for a period of three (3) years from the date of the filing.

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     (f) The defendant shall be advised at the hearing that any and all bail money relating to a

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case which remains on deposit and is not claimed at the time of expungement shall be escheated

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to the state's general treasury in accordance with chapter 12 of title 8.

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     SECTION 3. Sections 12-1.3-2 and 12-1.3-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-1.3

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entitled "Expungement of Criminal Records" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     12-1.3-2. Motion for expungement. -- (a) Any person who is a first offender may file a

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motion for the expungement of all records and records of conviction for a felony or misdemeanor

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by filing a motion in the court in which the conviction took place, provided that no person who

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has been convicted of a crime of violence shall have his or her records and records of conviction

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expunged.; provided, that all outstanding court imposed or court related fees, fines, costs,

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assessments, charges and/or any other monetary obligations have been paid, unless such amounts

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are reduced or waived by order of the court for good cause shown.

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      (b) Subject to subsection (a) of this section, a person may file a motion for the

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expungement of records relating to a misdemeanor conviction after five (5) years from the date of

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the completion of his or her sentence.

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      (c) Subject to subsection (a) of this section, a person may file a motion for the

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expungement of records relating to a felony conviction after ten (10) years from the date of the

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completion of his or her sentence.

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     12-1.3-3. Motion for expungement -- Notice -- Hearing -- Criteria for granting. -- (a)

 

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Any person filing a motion for expungement of the records of his or her conviction pursuant to §

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12-1.3-2 shall give notice of the hearing date set by the court to the department of the attorney

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general and the police department which originally brought the charge against the person at least

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ten (10) days prior to that date.

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      (b) The court, after the hearing at which all relevant testimony and information shall be

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considered, may in its discretion order the expungement of the records of conviction of the person

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filing the motion if it finds:

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      (1) That in the five (5) years preceding the filing of the motion, if the conviction was for

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a misdemeanor, or in the ten (10) years preceding the filing of the motion if the conviction was

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for a felony, the petitioner has not been convicted nor arrested for any felony or misdemeanor,

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there are no criminal proceedings pending against the person, that the person does not owe any

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outstanding court imposed or court related fees, fines, costs, assessments, or charges, unless such

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amounts are reduced or waived by order of the court for good cause shown, and he or she has

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exhibited good moral character;

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      (2) That the petitioner's rehabilitation has been attained to the court's satisfaction and the

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expungement of the records of his or her conviction is consistent with the public interest.

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      (c) If the court grants the motion, it shall, after payment by the petitioner of a one

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hundred dollar ($100) fee to be paid to the court order all records and records of conviction

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relating to the conviction expunged and all index and other references to it deleted removed from

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public inspection. A copy of the order of the court shall be sent to any law enforcement agency

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and other agency known by either the petitioner, the department of the attorney general, or the

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court to have possession of the records. Compliance with the order shall be according to the terms

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specified by the court.

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     (d) The defendant shall be advised at the hearing that any and all bail money relating to a

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case which remains on deposit and is not claimed at the time of expungement shall be escheated

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to the state's general treasury in accordance with chapter 12 of title 8.

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     SECTION 4. Section 12-10-12 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-10 entitled

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"Preliminary Proceedings in District Courts" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     12-10-12. Filing of complaints. -- (a) Subject to any other provisions of law relative to

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the filing of complaints for particular crimes, any judge of the district court or superior court may

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place on file any complaint in a criminal case other than a complaint for the commission of a

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felony or a complaint against a person who has been convicted of a felony or a private complaint.

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The court may in its discretion require, as a condition of the filing, the performance of services

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for the public good or may attach any other conditions to it that the court shall determine;

 

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provided, in cases where the court ordered restitution totals less than two hundred dollars ($200)

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to an injured party pursuant to this section or § 12-19-34, the court shall require that full

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restitution be made at the time of sentencing if the court determines that the defendant has the

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present ability to make the restitution.

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      (b) It shall be an express Express condition conditions of any filing in accordance with

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this section that the defendant shall be at all times during the one year keep the peace and be of

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good behavior and shall have paid all outstanding court imposed or court related fees, fines, costs,

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assessments, charges, and/or any other monetary obligations unless reduced or waived by order of

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the court for good cause shown. A violation of that these express condition conditions or any

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other condition set by the court, shall be deemed a violation of the filing and the matter which

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was filed may be resurrected by the court. A determination of whether a violation has occurred

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shall be made by the court in accordance with the procedures relating to a violation of probation,

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§§ 12-19-9 and 12-19-14.

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      (c) In the event the complaint was originally filed under this section subsequent to the

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defendant's plea of guilty or nolo contendere to the charges, the court, if it finds there to have

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been a violation, may sentence the defendant. In the event the court filed the complaint under this

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section while the defendant maintained a plea of not guilty, if the court finds there to have been a

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violation, it may proceed to the further disposition of the complaint according to law. If no action

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is taken on the complaint for a period of one year following the filing, the complaint shall be

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automatically quashed and destroyed expunged. All records relating to the complaint shall be

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expunged pursuant to the provisions of chapter 1.3 of this title. Further, if any record of the

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complaint has been entered into a docket or alphabetical index, whether kept in writing or in an

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electronic information storage system or other data compilation system, all references to the

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identity of the person charged by the complaint shall be removed from the docket or index. No

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criminal record shall result; provided, that in any civil action for a tort, a plea of guilty or a

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finding of guilty should be admissible notwithstanding the fact that the complaint has been filed.

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      (d) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, in the event a complaint for

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a crime involving domestic violence was originally filed under this section subsequent to the

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defendant's plea of guilty or nolo contendere to the charges, the court, if it finds there to have

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been a violation, may sentence the defendant. In the event the court filed the complaint for a

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crime involving domestic violence under this section while the defendant maintained a plea of not

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guilty, if the court finds there to have been a violation, it may proceed to the further disposition of

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the complaint for a crime involving domestic violence according to law. If, for a period of one

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year after the date of filing the defendant is not charged with a violation pursuant to subsection

 

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(b) of this section, the filed complaint for the crime involving domestic violence shall be

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automatically quashed and shall not be resurrected expunged without the requirement of filing a

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motion pursuant to chapter 1.3 of title 12. If, for a period of three (3) years after the date of filing,

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the defendant is not charged with a crime involving domestic violence, or if so charged, is

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acquitted or the complaint is dismissed, all records relating to the filed complaint for a crime

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involving domestic violence shall be expunged without the requirement of filing a motion

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pursuant to chapter 1.3 of title 12 pursuant to the provisions of chapter 1.3 of this title. Further, if

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any record of the complaint for a crime involving domestic violence has been entered into a

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docket or alphabetical index, whether kept in writing or in an electronic information storage

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system or other data compilation system, all references to the identity of the person charged by

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the complaint for a crime involving domestic violence shall be removed from the docket index at

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the same time the complaint is quashed or destroyed. A violation of these express conditions or

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any other condition set by the court shall be deemed a violation of the filing and the matter which

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was filed may be resurrected by the court. No criminal records shall result, unless in any civil

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action for a tort, in which a plea of guilty or a finding of guilty is admissible notwithstanding the

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fact that the complaint has been filed. Provided however, that in sentencing a defendant for a

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crime involving domestic violence of which the defendant was charged within three (3) years

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after the filing of a prior crime involving domestic violence to which the defendant pleaded guilty

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or nolo contendere, the court may take the plea into consideration.

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     (e) The defendant shall be advised that any and all bail money relating to a case which

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remains on deposit and is not claimed at the time of expungement shall be escheated to the state's

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general treasury in accordance with chapter 12 of title 8.

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     SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - EXPUNGEMENTS

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     This act would make uniform the process of case expungement for different types of

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cases, would clarify whether a motion and payment for an expungement is required pursuant to

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chapter 1.3 of title 12, and would also require that all outstanding costs, fines and monetary

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obligations owed by the defendant be paid as a condition of expungement unless reduced or

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waived by the court and, after the defendant is given notice, would permit any unclaimed bail to

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be transferred to the unclaimed property division of the general treasurer's office in accordance

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with chapter 12 of title 8.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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