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STATE OF ARKANSAS EXPUNGEMENT OF A CRIMINAL CONVICTIONArkansas Code 16-90-901 through 16-90-906, inclusive. Control No. AR-EXPCRI-01 Arkansas Law Summary Expungement of Criminal Conviction Note: This summary is not intended to be an all inclusive discussion of the law applicable to an action for change of name in your State,, but does include basic and other provisions. Arkansas Code Title 16. Practice, Procedure, And Courts. Subtitle 6. Criminal Procedure Generally. Chapter 90. Judgment And Sentence Generally. Subchapter 9. Expungement and Sealing of Criminal Records Definition: (a) (1) As used in §§ 5-64-407, 5-4-311, 16- 90-601, 16-90-602, 16-90-605, 16-93-301 - 16-93-303, and 16-93-1207, "expunge" shall mean that the record or records in question shall be sealed, sequestered, and treated as confidential in accordance with the procedures established by this subchapter. (2) Unless otherwise provided by this subchapter, "expunge" shall not mean the physical destruction of any records. (3) No person who pleads guilty or nolo contendere to, or is found guilty of, a sexual offense as defined in this section and in which the victim was under the age of eighteen (18) years shall be eligible to have the offense expunged under the procedures set forth in this subchapter.(b) For purposes of this subchapter, "sexual offense" shall be defined as conduct prohibited by §§ 5-14-103, 5-14-108, 5-14-110, 5-14- 120, and 5-14-121. [AR Code, Title 16 Practice, Procedure, and Courts; Subtitle 6. Criminal Procedure Generally; Chapter 90. Judgment And Sentence Generally; Subchapter 9. Expungement and Sealing of Criminal Records; Section 16-90-901.] Effect of expungement: (a) An individual whose record has been expunged in accordance with the procedures established by this subchapter shall have all privileges and rights restored, shall be completely exonerated, and the record which has been expunged shall not affect any of his civil rights or liberties, unless otherwise specifically provided for by law. (b) Upon the entry of the uniform order to seal records of an individual, the individual's underlying conduct shall be deemed as a matter of law never to have occurred, and the individual may state that no such conduct ever occurred and that no such records exist. [AR Code, Title 16 Practice, Procedure, and Courts; Subtitle 6. Criminal Procedure Generally; Chapter 90. Judgment And Sentence Generally; Subchapter 9. Expungement and Sealing of Criminal Records; Section 16-90-902.] Release of sealed records: (a) The custodian of the records shall not disclose the existence of such records or release such records except when requested by: (1) The individual whose records were sealed or the individual's attorney, authorized in writing by the individual; (2) A criminal justice agency, as defined in § 12-12-1001, and the request is accompanied by a statement that the request is being made in conjunction with an application for employment with such agency by the individual whose record has been sealed; (3) A court, upon a showing of a subsequent adjudication of guilt of the individual whose record has been sealed; (4) A prosecuting attorney, and such request is accompanied by a statement that the request is being made in conjunction with the prosecution of an offense; (5) The Arkansas Crime Information Center.(b) (1) As used in this section, "custodian" shall not mean the Arkansas Crime Information Center. (2) Access to data maintained by the Arkansas Crime Information Center shall continue to be governed by § 12-12-1001 et seq. [AR Code, Title 16 Practice, Procedure, and Courts; Subtitle 6. Criminal Procedure Generally; Chapter 90. Judgment And Sentence Generally; Subchapter 9. Expungement and Sealing of Criminal Records; Section 16-90-903.] Procedure for sealing of records: (a) Any individual who is eligible to have an offense expunged may filea uniform petition to seal records, as described in § 16-90-905, with thecircuit court in the county where the crime was committed. (b)(1)(A) A copy of the uniform petition for sealing of the recordshall be served upon the prosecuting authority for the county in whichthe petition is filed, the arresting agency, and any city court ordistrict court where the individual appeared before the transfer of thecase to circuit court. (B) It shall not be necessary to make any agency a party to theaction. (2)(A) Any person desiring to oppose the sealing of the record shallfile a notice of opposition with the court setting forth reasons withinthirty (30) days after receipt of the uniform petition or after theuniform petition is filed, whichever is the later date. (B) If no opposition is filed, the court may grant the petition. (C) If notice of opposition is filed, the court shall set the matterfor a hearing. (c) If the court determines that the record should be sealed, theuniform order, as described in § 16-90-905, shall be entered and filedwith the circuit clerk. (d) The circuit clerk shall certify copies of the uniform order to theprosecuting attorney who filed the underlying charges, the arrestingagency, any city court or district court where the individual appearedbefore the transfer of the case to circuit court, the AdministrativeOffice of the Courts, and the Arkansas Crime Information Center. (e)(1) The circuit clerk and the clerk of any city court or districtcourt where the individual appeared before the transfer of the case tocircuit court shall remove all petitions, orders, docket sheets, anddocuments relating to the case, place them in a file, and sequester themin a separate and confidential holding area within the clerk's office. (2)(A) A docket sheet shall be prepared to replace the sealed docketsheet. (B) The replacement docket sheet shall contain the docket number, astatement that the case has been sealed, and the date that the order toseal the record was issued. (3) All indices to the file of the individual with a sealed recordshall be maintained in a manner to prevent general access to theidentification of the individual. (f) Upon notification of an order to seal records, all circuit clerks,city clerks, district clerks, arresting agencies, and other criminaljustice agencies maintaining such conviction records in acomputer-generated database shall either segregate the entire record intoa separate file or ensure by other electronic means that the sealedrecord shall not be available for general access unless otherwiseauthorized by law. Uniform petition and order to seal records: (a) (1) The Arkansas Crime Information Center shall adopt and provide a uniform petition and order to seal records which shall be used by all petitioners and by all circuit and municipal courts in this state. (2) No order to seal or expunge records covered by this subchapter shall be effective unless the uniform order is entered. (3) The petition shall include a statement that the information contained in the petition is true and correct to the best of the petitioner's knowledge, and the order shall, at a minimum, contain the following data elements: (A) The person's full name, race, sex, and date of birth; (B) The person's full name at the time of arrest and adjudication of guilt, if different than the person's current name; (C) The crimes for which the person was adjudicated guilty, and the date of the disposition; (D) The identity of the court; (E) The provision under which the individual was sentenced that provides for sealing or expungement of the record; and (F) The specific records to be sealed.(b) (1) If no record exists in the state central repository of the arrest for the charges in the petition, such record shall be established before the uniform order to seal becomes effective. (2) When no record exists in the state central repository, it shall be the duty of the petitioner and the original arresting agency to submit fingerprint cards on the petitioner, according to § 12-12-1006 and procedures established by the Arkansas Crime Information Center. [AR Code, Title 16 Practice, Procedure, and Courts; Subtitle 6. Criminal Procedure Generally; Chapter 90. Judgment And Sentence Generally; Subchapter 9. Expungement and Sealing of Criminal Records; Section 16-90-905.] When no guilty verdict: Any individual who has been charged and arrested for any criminal offense where the charges are subsequently nolle prossed or dismissed, or the individual is acquitted at trial is eligible to have all arrest records, petitions, orders, docket sheets, and any other documents relating to the case expunged in accordance with the procedures defined by this subchapter and upon entry of an order of expungement may state that no such charges, arrest, and the resulting trial ever occurred. [AR Code, Title 16 Practice, Procedure, and Courts; Subtitle 6. Criminal Procedure Generally; Chapter 90. Judgment And Sentence Generally; Subchapter 9. Expungement and Sealing of Criminal Records; Section 16-90-906.] END Close Window