A bill filed in the General Assembly would allow some Kentuckians convicted of one or more class D felonies to have those convictions deleted from their record. The aim is to remove a barrier many ex-criminals face in gaining employment.
The Messenger-Inquirer reports a measure sponsored by Campbellsville Rep. John Carney and Covington Rep. Arnold Simpson would require a person convicted of one or more Class D felonies stemming from a single incident to complete his or her sentence and wait ten years before asking a court to expunge the offenses.
A judge would then consider recommendations from the Commonwealth’s Attorney, who would conduct interviews with victims of the crimes perpetrated by the felon.
Under the bill, if the convictions did not involve sexual offenses or any crimes against juveniles, and if the felon had no prior convictions, the judge could decide to expunge that person’s record.
Rep. Carney says he decided to sponsor the bill when several constituents told him they could only get temporary employment because they had class D felonies on their criminal records. The Taylor County Republican says if someone has paid their debt to society and has kept a clean record since then, they should have a second chance at a normal life.
“I’ve had a number of constituents call,” Carney told the Messenger-Inquirer. “The local companies said hey would love to hire these people, but corporate won’t allow it.”
