Vermont is displaying a precedent of forgiveness towards its citizens with a recent decision to update Section 7, expanding expunction eligibility for certain offenses. Under the new version of S.7, Vermonters convicted of driving violations such as driving without a license, operating without insurance, and driving an unregistered vehicle now meet the state’s expunction eligibility requirements.
The Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee is in the process of reviewing and considering new ways of simplifying and automating the expunction process, which will ideally increase the rate of expunction as a whole. The state is also discussing the possibility of allowing most criminal convictions to qualify for expunction, with the obvious exceptions of murder and aggregated assault.
The decision to expand expunction eligibility is not only reasonable but an ethically correct thing to do. The belief that those with criminal records are more likely to commit crimes than those without has stigmatized a significant population of rehabilitated citizens for decades, and the ideas in discussion intend to put an end to this detrimental myth. A statement made by Sen. Dick Sears (D) – Bennington supports this notion:
“What we know is that many people commit crimes and after about 5 to 7 years after they’ve completed all the requirements of the sentence they’re no more likely to commit a crime than anyone in the general population”
By expanding expunction eligibility and simplifying the process, Vermont demonstrates a greater understanding of its people, and any further actions taken to assist deserving Vermonters in pursuing their life of choice will benefit the state both socially and economically.
Don’t just hope for greater opportunities, take action into your own hands with record-clearing technology from Easy Expunctions. For more information about our expunction packages, visit our website at EasyExpunctions.com or give us a call at (866) 775-9983.