NEW LEGISLATION FOR PARDONS AND RESTORATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS GRANTED SHOULD INCLUDE THE RIGHT TO HAVE THEIR CONVICTION SEALED BY THE COURT
NEW BILL (GOVERNOR FORGIVENESS BILL)
A growing number of jurisdictions expunge or seal the entire record once the completion of sentence or the conviction was granted a Criminal Pardon by the Governor. Through criminal rehabilitation proceedings, it restores all the rights and privileges of which the person was deprived by reason of the conviction. Excluded is a permit to own, possess a firearm. Commonwealth State Massachusettes with a Executive Pardon orders the record of conviction to be sealed. Pennsylvania allows for Judicial Expungement. Commonwealth of Virginia or Kentucky do not allow sealing or expungement of record. Ohio, West Virginia and New Jersey allow expungement or sealing after a Granted Pardon. States like Kansas, Nevada, Colorado, Michigan, Rhoad Island, South Dakota, Utah and Washington allow certain misdemeanors to be court sealed 5 years after the completion of sentence, 10 years after the completion of sentence for a first time non-violent felony. District of Columbia, North Carolina, Alabama and Florida do not allow record sealing or expungement. All states need to get on board with the same laws. States that do not allow record sealing are unfair and show discrimination of ex-offenders. I have my Restoration of Civil Rights in Virginia, I was given congratulations for my achievement of good citizenship by the wonderful Governor Mark Warner in 2005. I can vote, hold public office, to serve on a jury, and to be a Notary Public, but I cannot get a job to use my Notary Public because of my criminal record. A Simple Pardon in Virginia puts a letter P(for pardon) on your criminal record, but the employer who might hire you and runs the criminal background report on you only sees the conviction, they do not care if you were granted a pardon or restored civil rights, they will not hire you. Due to the struggling economy and worst labor market since the Great Depression, this new law that would apply to all states would help ex-offenders to remove any barrier to employment, housing and state licenses.
President Obama today, with out Congress can pass a bill for young illegal immigrants to apply for legal status and work permits, but I cannot get a job as a American. I am asking Congress to please pass the Governor's Forgiveness Bill for all people who are Americans.
President Obama today, with out Congress can pass a bill for young illegal immigrants to apply for legal status and work permits, but I cannot get a job as a American. I am asking Congress to please pass the Governor's Forgiveness Bill for all people who are Americans.
View Comments