The Legislative Budget Committee passed a provision Tuesday expanding the eligibility for record expungement for criminal offenders age 25 and younger.
Passage of Gov. Jim Doyle's proposal allows courts to clear the criminal records of those individuals charged with a misdemeanor at age 25 or younger and who have completed their sentencing, according to a Legislative Fiscal Bureau memorandum.
Previous law limited the clearing of criminal records to those offenders age 21 and younger. Lee Sensenbrenner, Doyle's spokesperson, said increasing the age limit allows offenders more flexibility later in life.
""The intent of this is for people to move on with their lives and be productive,"" Sensenbrenner said. ""It helps if they get a chance to move forward with a clean slate.""
The director of the State Courts Office is responsible for any administrative oversight of the state's court system. In 2008 it was reported that 1,652 criminal cases were cleared under the former law.
According to Tom Sheehan, spokesperson for the State Courts Office, the courts did not influence Doyle's proposal.
""It's the governor's proposal,"" he said. ""It's a decision best left to the Legislature.""
The new provision also expands expungement for offenders age 25 or younger who have committed non-violent class H and I felonies. Examples of non-violent offenses covered under the provision include missed court dates and unpaid fines, Sensenbrenner said.
""[The provision] is not intended to protect anyone that has committed a violent offense,"" Sensenbrenner explained.
The provision originally began as part of an ongoing effort to use taxpayer dollars wisely and create a more efficient sentencing process.
As stated in his budget brief, Doyle said the provision would allow offenders to not only start with a clean slate, but also learn from their mistakes.
