Saturday, October 16, 2010

Second Chance Act (this year called the Fresh Start Act) was presented again in Congress for federal offenders

A member of Tennessee's federal representation introduced legislation again this year for federal offenders. This bill would impact federal offenders; the federal government cannot expungement, seal, or pardon state offenses. In a lot of states, the minimum waiting period is two (2) years, but at least someone in Congress is trying to get federal laws passed to remove criminal records for federal offenders. However, Records Removal Services has witnessed this proposed legislation be presented and defeated year after year.

Congressman Steve Cohen (D - Tennessee - District 9) today introduced the Fresh Start Act, legislation he authored to enable non-violent federal offenders who have served their sentences and who are now law-abiding, productive members of society to have their convictions expunged from their records. Congressman John Conyers (D - Michigan - District 14) is an original co-sponsor of the measure.

The Congressman unveiled the details of his measure at the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security hearing on "Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions: Barriers to Reentry for the Formerly Incarcerated." Under Congressman Cohen's bill, to be eligible for expungement an offender can not have committed any other state or federal offense, whether violent or non-violent, and must have met all the terms of his sentence.

The bill allows the United States Attorney for that District to submit recommendations to the court. However, the bill would exempt sex offenders and those who commit property or financial crimes worth more than $10,000.

> Posted by Records Removal Services. The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice.

Texas Assistant Principal suspended for failure to disclose criminal history

Arlington, TX: A school assistant principal in Texas who exposed alleged wrongdoing in the school that employed him may wind up losing his job due to nondisclosure of his own past.

A UPI report dated 10/07/2010 relates the story of Joseph Palazzolo, an assistant principal with Arlington Heights High School currently on paid suspension. Palazzolo told UPI that administrators with the school board that has jurisdiction for Arlington High are recommending he be dismissed from his job because Palazzolo, it is alleged, failed to disclose his criminal history when he applied for his job in 2007.

That criminal history, according to the UPI report, includes a guilty plea to a federal misdemeanor charge in 1997 for failure to pay past-due child support, according to court records cited by the Star-Telegram newspaper of Forth Worth.

NOTE: Though federal crimes are no more serious than State crimes, the federal government has failed to "catchup" to the States in criminal record seals, expungement, or non-disclosures laws. Currently the federal government offers no way to seal or expunge federal criminal records; only a pardon VIA the United States Pardon Attorney may be an option.

For his part, Palazzolo said that in his view the campaign to have him terminated from his Texas labor and employment was borne from his efforts to blow the whistle on alleged wrongdoings.

> Posted by Records Removal Services. The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice.