What is ‘Clean Slate’ Expungement?
Lawmakers in State of Utah passed what’s known as a series of “clean slate” expungement laws, helping people remove criminal records from their past. Utah’s measures have followed the footsteps of similar laws recently enacted in states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Clean slate expungements generally refer to widespread opportunities to remove criminal records. Many clean slate expungement laws also allow for automatic criminal record expungement. Utah’s new law does just that, and removes certain non-conviction, infraction, and misdemeanor records for thousands of people.
H.B. 431 lays out what qualifies as a “clean slate eligible case.” On a monthly basis, prosecutors will receive a notice of any case that appears to be clean slate eligible. If they have an objection, it must then be made within a 35-day period. However, if no notice is sent, and the court determines that the requirements for automatic expungement are met, the court must sign an expungement order. More details on the time periods for expungement or deletion can be found in Section 116 of the Utah Code. The new law will take effect on May 1, 2020.
Expungement and Jobs
Given the current state of the U.S. economy, it’s beneficial to expunge a criminal record as soon as possible. The job market is expected to be flooded with new applicants within the coming months. Many people who were comfortable in their job a month ago, may now be seriously concerned about being laid off. That said, U.S. businesses will be open again at some point in the future, and the competition for new jobs will be tremendous.
If your record isn’t eligible for clean slate expungement, there are a number of other types of criminal records that are eligible under Section 105 of Utah’s Code. The requirements for eligibility vary depending on the severity of the crime, how many are on your record, etc. To see whether you qualify for expungement in Utah, it’s best to seek the advice of an experienced attorney. Check out our free, secure eligibility test to review your eligibility and get the process started today.
