Colorado's SB 21-074 Would Automatically Expunge Some Nonviolent Convictions

Colorado is taking action to provide a second chance to nonviolent offenders. The state's new bill will automatically expunge certain nonviolent offenses after a waiting period. If the bill passes, individuals with misdemeanor convictions will have their records expunged after three years, while felony offenders will have theirs expunged after five years. Offenders will not need to apply for expungement, their records will be automatically dropped after this period. This is a particularly helpful detail, as many people whose records are eligible for expunctions don't even try for it due to lack of funds or time.
Drug felonies, violent crimes, and crimes against other people will not be eligible for expungement. If the bill passes, Colorado state court administrators will be obligated to create a list of the crimes that would be eligible for expungement, which will be sent to the Colorado Bureau of Investigations to eliminate certain individuals. Information will then be passed to local district attorneys to do a final check, and then the chief judge will seal the record.

This bill is important because having a criminal record makes it more difficult to succeed in certain areas of life. Having your record expunged permanently erases the record, as if never happened at all. It's no secret that housing and employment opportunities open up when the public can no longer view a past offense. An expungement also reduces the amount of rearrests and reconvictions, which offers a significant advantage for those who are looking to start a new chapter in life.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is in the process of reviewing the bill, and we hope they make the right decision. If you're struggling to be bigger than your criminal record, we might be able to help. Reach out to Easy Expunctions to see if our record-clearing software will work for your case.