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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Tim Mahoney |
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Mahoney lauds House passage of expungement bill
HARRISBURG, July 14 – State Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Fayette, said legislation he voted for to create a simpler process for expunging certain minor crimes from a person's record has passed the House of Representatives.
Mahoney said the legislation (H.B. 264) would allow people to petition local courts for expungement of third-degree misdemeanor records if they have been free of arrest or prosecution for seven years. A person's record expungement would be up to the discretion of a judge who would take details of each particular case into consideration.
Currently, people seeking expungement of misdemeanor criminal records must petition the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, which can take up to four years to make a ruling. Mahoney said the change would free up the board of pardons to consider more important cases, and save the state money.
"In addition to moving these minor petitions to the local courts, where they can be dealt with quicker and at less expense, the bill would also raise money for law enforcement and the court system," Mahoney said.
Mahoney said a person filing a petition for expungement of misdemeanor records would pay a $100 fee, half of which would be sent to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts and the other half to the Pennsylvania State Police.
The Fayette County legislator said expungement would not be granted to people convicted of an offense punishable by imprisonment for more than two years, or to a person convicted of four or more offenses, which are each punishable by a term of one year. Other offenses exempt from the bill would include simple assault, indecent assault, cruelty to animals, offenses for which the individual is subject to Megan's Law, DUI violations and endangering a police officer.
Mahoney represents the 51st Legislative District.