Thousands of Indiana residents with old low-level criminal records can now ask a judge to seal information about those convictions from employers and others under a new state law meant to give those who've turned their lives around a second chance.
The law that took effect covers those who completed their sentences more than eight years ago on misdemeanors or low-level felonies that aren't violent crimes or sex crimes.
Police could still view the court records, but they would be off-limits to non-criminal justice uses.
State Rep. Bill Crawford, D-Indianapolis, said he hoped it would help remove barriers to employment for former offenders.
"The best crime-fighting tool we can have is a good job," he said.
The law approved by legislators this spring also allows people to ask for restricted access to their court records if the charges were dismissed, if they were acquitted or if the conviction was later vacated. Those who get approval for the limited access wouldn't be required to disclose their arrests on an employment application or any other document unrelated to the criminal justice system.
"We really don't have any idea what kind of numbers we could be looking at for applicants," Scott Hohl, chief of staff with the Marion County clerk's office said.
One example: Quinn Minor of Indianapolis filed to seal the records of his two convictions for receiving stolen property in 1997 and 1999. Minor, now 35 and working in customer service at the insurance company Anthem, said he is not the same man he was in his early 20s.
"These cases that I have, they're older than my kids," said Minor, a married father of three. "I just need to move forward, and I'm happy that this is an opportunity I can have today."
Previous state law allowed an ex-offender to petition a judge to seal his or her records after 15 years.