Proposal to Seal Criminal Court Records Withdrawn by ABA Backers

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A controversial proposal that would have put the American Bar Association on record as endorsing the sealing of some criminal court records has been withdrawn. The Commission on Effective Criminal Sanctions was urging the ABA to support sealing all criminal records where the arrest does not result in a conviction and the sealing of old conviction records for lesser offenses after a period of “good behavior” years in an effort to assist rehabilitation efforts. The proposal was opposed by journalism and business groups seeking that information as part of background checks. (8/13/07)