Lt. Governor Catherine Baker Knoll Lauds Passage of Senate Bill 232
HARRISBURG, Pa., April 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously passed SB 232 (48-0) Monday amending Title 18 of the Crimes and Offenses Code of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for criminal history record expungement involving summary offenses.
"I want to congratulate Sen. Stewart Greenleaf for introducing this legislation and, as the chairman of the Board of Pardons, I know this amendment will go a long way in reducing the number of cases before the board by up to 20 percent each year," Lt. Governor Knoll said. The Board of Pardons annually hears several cases from a broad cross section of offenses from shoplifting to felony murder. SB 232 provides that if an individual remains free from arrest for a period of five years following the conviction of a summary offense, the Court of Common Pleas may order an expungement to that individual negating the need for them to apply to the Board of Pardons in Harrisburg.
"I encourage the House of Representatives to approve the bill so the Governor can sign this into law. It not only reduces the backlog of cases before the board, but it will put the decision of expungement in the hands of local jurists, eliminating wasted time and expense to the commonwealth." Pursuant to the Pennsylvania Constitution, the Board of Pardons consists of five members: the Lieutenant Governor, who serves as chairman; the Attorney General; and three members appointed by the Governor with the approval of a majority of the members of the Senate. The three appointed members are a corrections expert; a crime victim representative; and doctor of medicine, psychiatrist or psychologist. They have all endorsed SB 232. To find out more about Lieutenant Governor Catherine Baker Knoll visit her Web site, www.ltgovernor.state.pa.us. CONTACT: Sean T. Pendrak First Call Analyst:
CONTACT: Sean T. Pendrak of the Pennsylvania Office of the Lieutenant Web Site: http://www.ltgovernor.state.pa.us/
2008-04-29 17:36:15 0348421 PRNEWSWIRE
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