Reference is to the bill as introduced.
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking all after the enacting words and inserting:
/ SECTION 1. Section 17-1-40 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 75 of 2013, is further amended to read:
"Section 17-1-40.
(A) A person who after being charged
with a criminal offense and the charge is discharged,
proceedings against the person are dismissed, or the person is
found not guilty of the charge, the arrest and booking record,
files, mug shots, and fingerprints of the person must be
destroyed and no evidence of the record pertaining to the charge
or any associated bench warrant may be retained by any
municipal, county, or state law enforcement agency. Provided,
however, that local and state detention and correctional
facilities may retain booking records, identifying documentation
and materials, and other institutional reports and files under
seal, on all persons who have been processed, detained, or
incarcerated, for a period not to exceed three years from the
date of the expungement order to manage their statistical and
professional information needs and, where
when necessary, to defend such facilities during
litigation proceedings except when an action, complaint, or
inquiry has been initiated. Information retained by a local or
state detention or correctional facility as permitted under this
section after an expungement order has been issued is not a
public document and is exempt from disclosure.
Such This information only may be
disclosed by judicial order, pursuant to a subpoena filed in a
civil action, or as needed during litigation proceedings. A
person who otherwise intentionally retains the arrest and
booking record, files, mug shots, fingerprints, or any evidence
of the record pertaining to a charge discharged or dismissed
pursuant to this section is guilty of contempt of court.
(B) Evidence
gathered, incident reports, and investigative files produced as
a result of a law enforcement action or investigation must be
retained, under seal, by the agency for future investigative
purposes or any other law enforcement purpose for a period not
to exceed three years from the date of the expungement order and
are not subject to an order for destruction of arrest records.
Provided, however, specific language indicating a subject has
been arrested or charged with a crime must be redacted from the
incident report following a no conviction disposition of such
criminal charge.
(C) A municipal,
county, or state agency may not collect a fee for the
destruction of records pursuant to the provisions of this
section.
(CD)
This section does not apply to a person who is charged
with a violation of Title 50, Title 56, an enactment pursuant to
the authority of counties and municipalities provided in Titles
4 and 5, or any other state criminal offense if the person is
not fingerprinted for the violation.
(DE)
The State Law Enforcement Division is authorized to
promulgate regulations that allow for the electronic
transmission of information pursuant to this section.
(F) 'Under
seal' for the purpose of this section means not subject to
disclosure outside of law enforcement and prosecutors, attorneys
representing the entity, and other government agencies unless
disclosure is otherwise allowed by circuit court order. A
person who violates the provisions of subsection (B) is guilty
of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more
than one hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty
days, or both."
SECTION 2. Section 22-5-910 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 75 of 2013, is further amended to read:
"Section 22-5-910.
(A) Following a first offense
conviction for a crime carrying a penalty of not more than
thirty days imprisonment or a fine of one thousand dollars, or
both, the defendant after three years from the date of the
conviction, including a conviction in magistrates or general
sessions court, may apply, or cause someone acting on his behalf
to apply, to the circuit court for an order expunging the
records of the arrest and conviction and any associated bench
warrant. However, this section does not apply to:
(1)
an offense involving the operation of a motor vehicle;
(2)
a violation of Title 50 or the regulations promulgated
pursuant to Title 50 for which points are assessed, suspension
provided for, or enhanced penalties for subsequent offenses are
authorized; or
(3)
an offense contained in Chapter 25, Title 16, except first
offense criminal domestic violence as contained in Section
16-25-20, which may be expunged five years from the date of the
conviction.
(B) If the defendant
has had no other conviction during the three-year period, or
during the five-year period as provided in subsection (A)(3),
following the first offense conviction for a crime carrying a
penalty of not more than thirty days imprisonment or a fine of
not more than one thousand dollars, or both, including a
conviction in magistrates or general sessions court, the circuit
court may issue an order expunging the records including any
associated bench warrant. No person may have his records
expunged under this section more than once. A person may have
his record expunged even though the conviction occurred prior to
June 1, 1992.
(C) After the
expungement, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is
required to keep a nonpublic record of the offense and the date
of the expungement to ensure that no person takes advantage of
the rights of this section more than once. This nonpublic record
is not subject to release pursuant to Section 34-11-95, the
Freedom of Information Act, or any other provision of law except
to those authorized law or court officials who need to know this
information in order to prevent the rights afforded by this
section from being taken advantage of more than once.
(D) As used in this
section, 'conviction' includes a guilty plea, a plea of nolo
contendere, or the forfeiting of bail."
SECTION 3. Section 17-22-910 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 17-22-910.
Applications for expungement of all criminal records must
be administered by the solicitor's office in each circuit in the
State as authorized pursuant to:
(1) Section
34-11-90(e), first offense misdemeanor fraudulent check;
(2) Section
44-53-450(b), conditional discharge for simple possession of
marijuana or hashish;
(3) Section 22-5-910,
first offense conviction in magistrates court;
(4) Section 22-5-920,
youthful offender act;
(5) Section
56-5-750(f), first offense failure to stop when signaled by a
law enforcement vehicle;
(6) Section
17-22-150(a), pretrial intervention;
(7) Section 17-1-40,
criminal records destruction, except as provided in Section
17-22-950;
(8) Section 20-7-8525,
juvenile expungements;
(9) Section
17-22-530(a), alcohol education program;
and
(10) Section
17-22-330(A), traffic education program; and
(11) any
other statutory authorization."
SECTION 4. Section 17-22-940(E) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(E) In cases when charges are sought to be expunged pursuant to Section 17-22-150(a), 17-22-530(a), 22-5-910, or 44-53-450(b), the circuit pretrial intervention director, alcohol education program director, traffic education program director, or summary court judge shall attest by signature on the application to the eligibility of the charge for expungement before either the solicitor or his designee and then the circuit court judge, or the family court judge in the case of a juvenile, signs the application for expungement."
SECTION 5. Section 17-22-950(A) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(A) When criminal
charges are brought in a summary court and the accused person is
found not guilty or if the charges are dismissed or nolle
prossed, pursuant to Section 17-1-40, the presiding judge of the
summary court, at no cost to the accused person, immediately
shall issue an order to expunge the criminal records,
including any associated bench warrants, of the accused
person unless the dismissal of the charges occurs at a
preliminary hearing or unless the accused person has charges
pending in summary court and a court of general sessions and
such charges arise out of the same course of events. This
expungement must occur no sooner than the appeal expiration date
and no later than thirty days after the appeal expiration date.
Upon issuance of the order, the judge of the summary court or a
member of the summary court staff must coordinate with SLED to
confirm that the criminal charge is statutorily appropriate for
expungement; obtain and verify the presence of all necessary
signatures; file the completed expungement order with the clerk
of court; provide copies of the completed expungement order to
all governmental agencies which must receive the order
including, but not limited to, the arresting law enforcement
agency, the detention facility or jail, the solicitor's office,
the magistrates or municipal court where the arrest or
bench warrant originated, the magistrates or municipal court
that was involved in any way in the criminal process of the
charge or bench warrant sought to be expunged, and SLED.
The judge of the summary court or a member of the summary court
staff also must provide a copy of the completed expungement
order to the applicant or his retained counsel. The prosecuting
agency or appropriate law enforcement agency may file an
objection to a summary court expungement. If an objection is
filed by the prosecuting agency or law enforcement agency, that
expungement then must be heard by the judge of a general
sessions court. The prosecuting agency's or the appropriate law
enforcement agency's reason for objecting must be that the:
(1)
accused person has other charges pending;
(2)
prosecuting agency or the appropriate law enforcement
agency believes that the evidence in the case needs to be
preserved; or
(3)
accused person's charges were dismissed as a part of a
plea agreement."
SECTION 6. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.\
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.