The Washington State Supreme Court recently ruled on a case, State v. SJC, which presented the question of whether the Washington State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 10 – Administration of Justice requires the court to apply the Ishikawa factors when a former juvenile offender has satisfied the statutory requirements of RCW 13.50.050 to seal his or her juvenile court record. The juvenile court…
The State of Washington allows individuals who were convicted of a crime while they were a juvenile to seal the records pertaining to that conviction (RCW 13.50.050), as long as they meet certain criteria. Among other requirements (e.g. living in the community for two consecutive years without re-offending, not having any criminal proceedings pending against him), former juvenile offenders who wish…
Sealing juvenile records just got a little easier with legislation passed in 2014. Under the Youth Opportunity Act, juveniles will have their records automatically sealed if they are adjudicated of a non-serious offense, if they have completed the affirmative conditions of their sentence, and if their restitution and LFOs have been paid. Most serious offenses, sex offenses, and certain felony…
Sometime next year Washington State may join the growing list of states and municipalities which have “banned the box,” prohibiting most employers from requiring job applicants to check off the box “have you ever been convicted of a crime” in their initial screening of job applicants.
In total, 13 states and 70 cities have adopted “ban the box” legislation over the…