Clean Slate Law takes effect giving many Utahns a second chance - ABC 4
UTAH (ABC4) – Utah’s Clean Slate Law goes into effect on Thursday, Feb. 10, clearing old and minor criminal records for hundreds of thousands of Utahns.
Governor Spencer Cox speaks about implementing the new law that was unanimously passed almost three years ago by Utah legislators. Utah will be the second state in the country to implement a Clean Slate Law.
“We believe in the rule of law and that people should be held accountable when a law is broken. But we also believe in second chances,” said Cox. “Utah’s Clean Slate law is a common-sense policy that will help people find housing, get jobs and contribute back to their communities after paying their debt to society.”
Officials say more than 1 in 4 Utahns have some type of criminal record which can create barriers to housing and jobs.
The law will provide automatic record expungement for cases dismissed with prejudice and certain qualifying misdemeanor conviction records. Around 500,000 Utahns will benefit from this law and have been identified for automatic clearance.
New law highlights include:
- Individuals must remain conviction-free for 5-7 years (depending on the level of the offense) in order to qualify.
- Covered offenses include misdemeanor A drug possession, most misdemeanor B and C level offenses, and all infractions.
- Utah’s Clean Slate law will not clear any felony records, domestic violence related offenses, sex offenses, simple assault, or DUI offenses.
- Utah’s Clean Slate law has numerical limits, which means that some individuals will have too many total records to qualify for any automatic clearance.
State courts will first clear case records that have been dismissed or acquitted. Officials say 218,000 records with over 800,000 combined cases fall into these categories and will be automatically expunged.
Noella Sudbury, the Executive Director of Clean Slate Utah says the bill had bipartisan support because of the positive impact it could have on society.
“It strengthens our economy, it improves our tax base, it makes our community safer, and in a tight labor market people need workers, and this law will help a lot of people get back into the workforce,” says Sudbury.
But most importantly, Sudbury says many people will get a second chance.
“Clean Slate is a key step to rebuild our workforce and drive our economic recovery forward,” said Derek Miller, President & CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance. “The smart policy of automating the expungement process will give thousands of deserving Utahns the second chances they deserve, while at the same time making our state a better place to live and work. It represents a common-sense solution for closing the justice and opportunity gaps – one that will further solidify our status as the best state for business.”
source: https://www.abc4.com/news/utahs-clean-slate-law-takes-effect-giving-many-a-second-chance/
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