2025 SUPPORT SB432 & SB398 :Expungement Reform Act & Automated Expungement

I am a Maryland resident who lives in your district. I believe a criminal charge or conviction should not follow an individual for the rest of their life, especially after completing their sentence and paying restitution or having restitution waived. SB 432 and SB 398 affirm that belief.

Basically, SB 432 gives individuals with a criminal history an opportunity for a fresh start by: (1) reducing the waiting period for filing for expungement after completion of a sentence; (2) increasing the list of misdemeanor convictions eligible for expungement; and (3) erasing charges of possession of cannabis from the Maryland Judiciary Case Search if Governor Moore pardoned the conviction.

SB 398 pushes Governor Moore’s decision further by requiring the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and the Judiciary to remove all references to some criminal cases if: (1) a minimum of 3-7 years have passed post-conviction; and (2) it is a misdemeanor that does not involve domestic violence or second-degree assault.

Statistically speaking, 6 out 10 ex-offenders do not reoffend, and many earn higher wages after expungement, which makes the narrative of the “career criminal” an outdated myth. Help us erase criminal records that stigmatize formerly incarcerated individuals by supporting SB 432 and SB 398.

2025 SUPPORT SB432 & SB398 :Expungement Reform Act & Automated Expungement