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Bill

HB 1116

Acquittals and dismissals; require automatic expunction of records of.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Timaka James-Jones and 1 co-sponsor

Requires automatic expungement of criminal records upon acquittal or dismissal rather than requiring individuals to petition courts manually.

Died In Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 1116

Legislative bill overview

HB 1116 would require automatic expungement of criminal records for individuals who are acquitted of charges or have their cases dismissed. Currently, Mississippi requires individuals to petition the court for expungement, creating a manual process that many people are unaware of or unable to navigate. This bill would eliminate that burden by making the process automatic upon acquittal or dismissal.

Why is this important

Individuals with acquittals or dismissals on their records often face employment, housing, and professional licensing discrimination despite being exonerated. Automatic expungement would remove these barriers to reintegration without requiring individuals to take additional legal action. This addresses a practical problem: people cleared of charges may not know they can petition for expungement, or may lack resources to do so, leaving them with a permanent record of an accusation despite vindication.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation costs and burden: Courts would need to automatically process and expunge records across multiple databases (criminal justice systems, background check companies), potentially creating administrative and IT costs
  • Law enforcement concerns: Police and prosecutors might argue that maintaining acquittal/dismissal records serves public safety purposes, such as identifying patterns of false accusations or documenting investigative history
  • Timing and retroactivity: Unclear whether the bill applies retroactively to past acquittals/dismissals or only prospectively, and how quickly "automatic" expungement must occur in practice

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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