SB 843: Factual innocence.

Existing law requires the court to order records sealed if a person is found to be factually innocent, including records of arrest and detention, upon written or oral motion of any party. Under existing law, if a writ of habeas corpus or motion to vacate a judgment is granted for specified reasons, the petitioner may move for a finding of factual innocence by a preponderance of the evidence for the purpose of obtaining compensation for the pecuniary injury sustained through the erroneous conviction and incarceration.

This bill would require the Department of Justice in those circumstances to issue to the person a certificate of innocence, annotate the persons state summary criminal history information, and request the law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over the offense underlying the conviction at issue and any local, state, or federal agency or entity to which the department provided that criminal record information to also annotate their records, as specified. The bill would require any state or local agency or entity within the State of California that receives notice of this request from the department to annotate any local summary criminal history information for the person and to request that any local, state, or federal agency or entity to which the law enforcement agency provided that criminal offender record information annotate its records, as specified. By imposing additional duties on local governments, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require courts to order that relief be granted when a person is found to be factually innocent, and would require the court to report those proceedings to the Department of Justice. The bill would additionally require the Department of Justice to send notice of findings of innocence to all agencies and officers that it had previously notified of the arrest or other proceedings against the person.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.