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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY WATERS, McGEEHAN, FLECK, BISHOP, BUXTON, CARROLL, D. COSTA, CURRY, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, GEIST, HALUSKA, HORNAMAN, JOSEPHS, KIRKLAND, MIRABITO, MURPHY, M. O'BRIEN, PAYTON, READSHAW, WAGNER AND YOUNGBLOOD, APRIL 27, 2011 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, APRIL 27, 2011 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania |
2 | Consolidated Statutes, further providing for definitions and |
3 | for expungement. |
4 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
5 | hereby enacts as follows: |
6 | Section 1. The definition of "expunge" in section 9102 of |
7 | Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended |
8 | and the section is amended by adding a definition to read: |
9 | § 9102. Definitions. |
10 | The following words and phrases when used in this chapter |
11 | shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
12 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
13 | * * * |
14 | "Exoneration." |
15 | (1) When a person is pardoned pursuant to section 9 of |
16 | Article IV of the Constitution of Pennsylvania. |
17 | (2) When a judgment of conviction was reversed or |
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1 | vacated, or a plea of guilty, no contest or nolo contendere |
2 | was withdrawn by leave of court, and the indictment or |
3 | information was dismissed or, if a new trial was ordered, |
4 | either the claimant was found not guilty at the new trial or |
5 | was not retried and the indictment or information was |
6 | dismissed, provided that the count or counts dismissed were |
7 | the sole basis for the imprisonment. |
8 | (3) In order for a person to fall within the meaning of |
9 | this term, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) evidence does not have |
10 | to form the basis of the reversal, vacation, withdrawal, |
11 | dismissal or pardon. |
12 | "Expunge." |
13 | (1) To remove information so that there is no trace or |
14 | indication that such information existed; |
15 | (2) to eliminate all identifiers which may be used to |
16 | trace the identity of an individual, allowing remaining data |
17 | to be used for statistical purposes; [or] |
18 | (3) maintenance of certain information required or |
19 | authorized under the provisions of section 9122(c) (relating |
20 | to expungement), when an individual has successfully |
21 | completed the conditions of any pretrial or posttrial |
22 | diversion or probation program[.]; or |
23 | (4) to remove, destroy or erase records possessed by the |
24 | Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions, including, |
25 | but not limited to: |
26 | (i) Fingerprints. |
27 | (ii) Photographs. |
28 | (iii) Photographic plates. |
29 | (iv) Arrest, trial, conviction, sentence or |
30 | incarceration data for the crime for which the defendant |
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1 | has been conclusively proven to be innocent. |
2 | * * * |
3 | Section 2. Section 9122 of Title 18 is amended to read: |
4 | § 9122. Expungement. |
5 | (a) [Specific proceedings.--Criminal history record |
6 | information] Arrest data.--Notwithstanding any provision to the |
7 | contrary, criminal arrest data shall be expunged in a specific |
8 | criminal proceeding when: |
9 | (1) no disposition has been received or, upon request |
10 | for criminal history record information, no disposition has |
11 | been recorded in the repository within 18 months after the |
12 | date of arrest and the court of proper jurisdiction certifies |
13 | to the director of the repository that no disposition is |
14 | available and no action is pending. Expungement shall not |
15 | occur until the certification from the court is received and |
16 | the director of the repository authorizes such expungement; |
17 | (2) a court order requires that such [nonconviction] |
18 | data be expunged; [or] |
19 | (3) a person 21 years of age or older who has been |
20 | convicted of a violation of section 6308 (relating to |
21 | purchase, consumption, possession or transportation of liquor |
22 | or malt or brewed beverages) petitions the court of common |
23 | pleas in the county where the conviction occurred seeking |
24 | expungement and the person has satisfied all terms and |
25 | conditions of the sentence imposed for the violation, |
26 | including any suspension of operating privileges imposed |
27 | pursuant to section 6310.4 (relating to restriction of |
28 | operating privileges). Upon review of the petition, the court |
29 | shall order the expungement of all criminal history record |
30 | information and all administrative records of the Department |
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1 | of Transportation relating to said conviction[.]; or |
2 | (4) a person 18 years of age or older who has been |
3 | convicted of a crime, other than a violation under section |
4 | 6308, and is later exonerated has petitioned the court of |
5 | common pleas having jurisdiction over the conviction seeking |
6 | expungement. Upon review of the petition, the court may order |
7 | the expungement of all criminal history record information |
8 | and all administrative records relating to the conviction. |
9 | (b) [Generally.--Criminal history record information] |
10 | Conviction data.--Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, |
11 | conviction data may be expunged when: |
12 | (1) An individual who is the subject of the information |
13 | reaches 70 years of age and has been free of arrest or |
14 | prosecution for ten years following final release from |
15 | confinement or supervision. |
16 | (2) An individual who is the subject of the information |
17 | has been dead for three years. |
18 | (3) (i) An individual who is the subject of the |
19 | information petitions the court for the expungement of a |
20 | summary offense and has been free of arrest or |
21 | prosecution for five years following the conviction for |
22 | that offense. |
23 | (ii) Expungement under this paragraph shall only be |
24 | permitted for a conviction of a summary offense. |
25 | (b.1) Prohibition.--A court shall not have the authority to |
26 | order expungement of the defendant's arrest record where the |
27 | defendant was placed on Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition |
28 | for a violation of any offense set forth in any of the following |
29 | where the victim is under 18 years of age: |
30 | Section 3121 (relating to rape). |
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1 | Section 3122.1 (relating to statutory sexual assault). |
2 | Section 3123 (relating to involuntary deviate sexual |
3 | intercourse). |
4 | Section 3124.1 (relating to sexual assault). |
5 | Section 3125 (relating to aggravated indecent assault). |
6 | Section 3126 (relating to indecent assault). |
7 | Section 3127 (relating to indecent exposure). |
8 | Section 5902(b) (relating to prostitution and related |
9 | offenses). |
10 | Section 5903 (relating to obscene and other sexual |
11 | materials and performances). |
12 | (b.2) Automatic expungement.--The following shall trigger |
13 | automatic expungement when occurring as a result of the |
14 | presentation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) evidence: |
15 | (1) A reversal or vacation of a conviction. |
16 | (2) A withdrawal of a guilty, no contest or nolo |
17 | contendere plea. |
18 | (3) A dismissal of information or indictment. |
19 | (4) A retrial where the defendant was found not guilty. |
20 | (c) Maintenance of certain information required or |
21 | authorized.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this |
22 | chapter, the prosecuting attorney and the central repository |
23 | shall, and the court may, maintain a list of the names and other |
24 | criminal history record information of persons whose records are |
25 | required by law or court rule to be expunged where the |
26 | individual has successfully completed the conditions of any |
27 | pretrial or post-trial diversion or probation program or where |
28 | the court has ordered expungement under this section. Such |
29 | information shall be used solely for the purposes of determining |
30 | subsequent eligibility for such programs, identifying persons in |
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1 | criminal investigations or determining the grading of subsequent |
2 | offenses. Such information shall be made available to any court |
3 | or law enforcement agency upon request. |
4 | (d) Notice of expungement.--Notice of expungement shall |
5 | promptly be submitted to the central respository which shall |
6 | notify all criminal justice agencies which have received the |
7 | criminal history record information to be expunged. |
8 | (e) Public records.--Public records listed in section |
9 | 9104(a) (relating to scope) shall not be expunged. |
10 | (f) District attorney's notice.--The court shall give ten |
11 | days prior notice to the district attorney of the county where |
12 | the original charge was filed of any applications for |
13 | expungement under the provisions of subsection (a)(2). |
14 | Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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