OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The Legislature has passed a compromise measure to make it easier for juvenile court records to be sealed.
The Seattle Times reported (https://bit.ly/1haki0m) that the House voted 97-1 Tuesday to approve a Senate-amended version of House Bill 1651. The bill now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk. Under the measure, juvenile court records will no longer be designated as confidential, but it would make it easier for such records to be sealed.
Under the measure, courts would be required to hold regular sealing hearings no later than the minor’s 18th birthday and would be bound to seal the record if the juvenile has completed the sentence, except for in cases of the most serious crimes.
Courts would also have to seal the record immediately upon acquittal or dismissal of charges.
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