California Assembly OKs sealing arrest records of people not convicted

Friday, September 15, 2017

SACRAMENTO – Arrest records will be sealed and barriers to employment and housing will be removed for those arrested but not convicted of a crime, the California Assembly legislated Thursday, September 14.

The Assembly approved Senate Bill 393, the Consumer Arrest Record Equity (CARE) Act, is part of the #EquityAndJustice package of bills jointly authored by Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) to promote prevention, rehabilitation and maintain family cohesion.

SB 393 needs a concurrence vote in the Senate, where it passed in May with a bipartisan 33-6 vote, before it can go to Governor Jerry Brown for review.

“The presumption of innocence is a hallmark of the United States Constitution, yet people who are arrested and never convicted often face barriers to employment and housing,” said San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón, who strongly pushed for the bill.