% SHANKLAND, THANKS VERY MUCH.
% >> THANK YOU.
% >> RESTRICTIONS ON WHO IS
% ELIGIBLE FOR THEIR CRIMINAL
% RECORD TO BE EXPUNGED COULD BE
% LOOSENED UNDER A BIPARTISAN BILL
% MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE
% LEGISLATURE.
% EXPUNGEMENT IS A COURT SEALING
% OF AN ENTIRE CRIMINAL CASE FILE
% AND IT CANNOT BE SEEN WITHOUT A
% COURT ORDER.
% FURTHER, THE DEFENDANT'S NAME
% WON'T YIELD ANY RESULTS OF THE
% CASE IN A SEARCH OF WISCONSIN'S
% CIRCUIT COURT RECORDS.
% CURRENTLY LAW ONLY ALLOWS
% NON-VIOLENT FELONY CRIMES
% COMMITTED BEFORE THE AGE OF 25
% TO BE CONSIDERED FOR
% EXPUNGEMENT.
% AMONG THIS BILL'S AGE
% RESTRICTIONS WOULD BE LIFTED.
% DESPITE HAVING SUCCESS IN
% PREVIOUS SESSIONS OF THE
% ASSEMBLY IT HASN'T GOTTEN THE
% NECESSARY TRACTION IN THE SENATE
% UNTIL NOW.
% >> WE'RE GETTING RID OF THAT
% LIMIT, THAT AGE LIMIT THAT'S
% ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
% FOR EXPUNGEMENT TO BE ABLE TO
% HAPPEN, THESE INDIVIDUALS WOULD
% HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE
% PAID ALL OF THEIR RESTITUTION,
% DONE ALL OF THEIR HOURS, DID
% EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEEDED TO
% DO TO BE QUALIFIED FOR THIS.
% IT WOULD ALSO ALLOW FOLKS THAT
% WERE POSSIBLY DAMAGED OR INJURED
% TO BE NOTIFIED THAT SOMEONE WAS
% UP FOR EXPUNGEMENT.
% ONE OF THE BIG AREAS THAT I WAS
% CONTACTED FOR BY JUDGES WITH
% THIS EXPUNGEMENT BILL HAS TO DO
% WITH WHEN THAT IDEA OF
% EXPUNGEMENT CAN ACTUALLY BE
% GRANTED.
% OKAY?
% SO CURRENTLY WHAT HAPPENS IS IF
% YOU ARE CHARGED WITH A CRIME,
% THE INITIAL COURT HEARINGS WILL
% DETERMINE IF YOU CAN HAVE
% EXPUNGEMENT AT THE END OR NOT.
% A LOT OF JUDGES WERE SAYING WHY?
% WHAT HAPPENS IF THINGS HAPPENED
% IN BETWEEN THERE AND THEN YOU'RE
% JUST GOING TO EXPUNGE THIS
% PARTICULAR CRIME.
% THIS BILL WOULD SAY WE'RE GOING
% TO LOOK AT IT AT THE END ALSO
% AND SAY, HEY, IS THIS
% APPROPRIATE?
% BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES, IF
% PEOPLE DON'T ASK AT THE
% BEGINNING OF A TRIAL OR THEY
% DON'T KNOW, THEY WILL NOT BE
% ALLOWED FOR EXPUNGEMENT.
% CONSTITUENTS SAID, I WANTED TO
% JOIN THE MILITARY BUT I COULDN'T
% BECAUSE I MADE AN ERROR EIGHT,
% NINE YEARS AGO.
% I WANTED TO GET MY LICENSE IN
% SELLING OF INSURANCE.
% SOMETHING I DID WHEN I WAS 17
% YEARS OLD.
% RIGHT?
% SO THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING
% THAT'S IMPACTING PEOPLE WHEN IT
% COMES TO WORKFORCE, WHEN IT
% COMES TO HOUSING, BUT WHAT ABOUT
% SELF-WORTH?
% THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT
% MIGHT HAVE STRUGGLED WITH MENTAL
% HEALTH WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER OR
% WHATEVER THE REASON IS, MADE A
% STUPID CHOICE AND NOW 10, 20,
% 30, 40 YEARS LATER, THEY'RE
% STILL BEING PUNISHED FOR THIS,
% SO THERE HAS TO BE A RIGHT TO A
% WRONG, NOT ONLY ON THEIR END,
% BUT OUR END ALSO.
% I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE
% CONSEQUENCES FOR THE NEGATIVE
% CHOICES THAT THEY MAKE, BUT YOU
% CAN ALSO MAKE THAT RIGHT, AND SO
% DO I FIND THIS WEAKENING THE
% TOUGH ON CRIME?
% NO.
% WHAT I'M SAYING IS MAKE GOOD
% CHOICES.
% IF YOU MESS UP ALONG THE WAY,