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Does an Expunged Case Still Show Up on a Background Check?
ExpungementSep 3

Does an Expunged Case Still Show Up on a Background Check?

Expungement almost never means deletion. Courts, prosecutors, and police usually keep access, a sealed conviction can still enhance a later sentence, and private screening companies sometimes keep reporting a case the court already closed. Here is what relief does, who keeps seeing it, and the exact steps to force a stale report to change.

ExpungementAug 25

Virginia's Automatic Sealing Deadline Is October 1. Marijuana Records Already Went First.

Virginia's Clean Slate law has been live since July 1, 2026. October 1 is the deadline for State Police to hand courts the first batch of 112,231 sealable conviction offenses, not the day sealing starts. And old marijuana possession records never needed the batch at all.

Gavel Daily EditorialRead
ExpungementJul 13

Virginia Started Sealing Convictions for the First Time in Its History on July 1: What Actually Went Live and Who Qualifies

On July 1, 2026, Virginia began sealing criminal convictions for the first time ever. Here is the eligibility map: what seals automatically, what requires a petition, and why 'sealed' still is not a blank slate.

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ExpungementJul 12

For the First Time in U.S. History, a Federal Conviction Can Be Erased: The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act Opens the Door

The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, signed into law in January 2026, is the first federal statute to authorize expungement of a federal criminal record. Here is what it does, who qualifies, and why it matters far beyond trafficking cases.

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