Introduced by Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan, H.B. 17-52 got the nod of 14 House members and now goes to the Senate.
Reps. Teresita A. Santos, Ind.-Rota, Trenton B. Conner, R-Tinian, and Edmund S. Villagomez, Covenant-Saipan, voted no, while Saipan Republican Reps. Ramon A. Tebuteb and Eliceo D. Cabrera were absent.
Prior to passing the bill, lawmakers increased the number of years a convict has to wait before he can petition the court to expunge his criminal records: from five, as originally proposed, to 10 years.
Those who committed petty crimes, misdemeanors or traffic offenses can wait for five years. The original proposal was three years.
In an interview, Torres said there are people, especially young men, who want to join military service or a government agency, but their criminal record prevents them from doing so.
Reckless driving, for example, hinders a person to join the military or work for the government, he added.
“I think we need to give these people who have committed petty crimes the chance to have their records cleaned up after having served the time and after they have straightened themselves up,” Torres said.
He said those who committed murder and other heinous crimes will not be allowed to petition for an “expungement.”
A person who recently committed a traffic offense told Variety that five years is too long.
Speaking on condition of anonymity as his case has not been settled yet, the traffic offender said he will be too old to be accepted by the military by the time his records are expunged.
“If five years is too long for me, imagine what those who will have to wait for 10 years would think about this bill,” he added.
The bill states that citizens lose employment opportunities and suffer other harsh consequences even though they have already been punished, have repaid society for their mistakes and have been rehabilitated as good citizens.
These citizens deserve a fresh start in life once they have paid their dues to society, the bill added.
