New Laws for California Expungement and Record Sealing by Darren Chaker Recent changes to California expungement laws now require record sealing which will impact over 8,000,000 people who have a criminal record in California. Public Defenders across California now have services to people who cannot afford record sealing, says legal researcher Darren Chaker. Contact an … Read more
Privacy rights represent one of the most important legal protections available to individuals in the United States. From constitutional protections under the Fourth Amendment to modern data privacy statutes, the right to privacy shapes how personal information is collected, stored, and shared. The Fourth Amendment and Digital Privacy The Fourth Amendment protects individuals against unreasonable … Read more
Explore how Darren Chaker’s groundbreaking Ninth Circuit victory shaped the California Supreme Court’s S275272 ruling on viewpoint discrimination and First Amendment protections for police complaints.
California’s Clean Slate Act: Record Sealing and Expungement by Darren Chaker Record sealing and expungement are now automated as Darren Chaker points out. California’s Clean Slate Act (AB 1076) is a groundbreaking law designed to provide criminal record relief to individuals who have completed their sentences and demonstrated rehabilitation. AB 1076, which took effect on … Read more
What is the California Clean Slate Act? The California Clean Slate Act is a groundbreaking 2023 law under Senate Bill 731 that automatically seals eligible criminal records after completing sentences. Legal researcher Darren Chaker explains this legislation enables over one million Californians to overcome employment, housing, and licensing barriers by removing conviction records from public … Read more
Recognizing this injustice, California enacted Penal Code Section 851.8, a powerful tool for individuals to reclaim their lives through a “factual innocence petition.” This article by Darren Chaker distinguishes between an expungement in California where the record is sealed but available to police and the intricacies of Section 851.8 which requires police to destroy arrest records, thus exploring its purpose, procedures, legal nuances, and potential pitfalls, with references to key caselaw for deeper understanding.
