Indiana House bill would ease path to expunge convictions

A little-publicized bill wending its way toward final approval in the General Assembly would greatly reduce what the public is allowed to discover about a criminal's past.

The measure, House Bill 1482, is hailed by some who see the move as a step toward encouraging offenders to find jobs and turn their lives around. But the complicated bill worries others in the criminal justice system, including prosecutors.

The bill -- authored by State Rep. Jud McMillan, a Republican representing House District 68 -- was passed in the Indiana House and is awaiting a vote in the Senate.

It seeks to give those convicted of certain offenses a second chance by easing the path to expungement for some misdemeanor and felony convictions, sealing certain felony records from the public several years after a sentence is served.