LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska lawmakers have advanced a bill that would give former prisoners and jail inmates the chance to have a judge set aside their conviction once they’ve served their time.
The measure won first-round approval Tuesday with a 37-1 vote.
Nebraska already allows people who have spent time on probation to petition a judge to set aside their sentences.
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The bill by Sen. John McCollister of Omaha would expand eligibility to include those who served time in prison or jail. It would not apply to people with pending criminal charges, sex offenders, those with traffic misdemeanors or felonies or those who have applied within the last two years.
McCollister says giving people the chance to set aside their convictions would help them move beyond their criminal pasts.
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