‘Is It Legal To…?’: How expungement law helps residents seal certain records

UPDATE: This podcast refers to statutory expungement. This information should not apply to constitutional expungement rule changes discussed in Amendment 3 that take effect Dec. 8, 2022.

Criminal defense lawyer Scott Pierson has witnessed clients cry and have family celebrations after their records were expunged, a testament to how this state law can positively impact Missouri residents. Recent changes to that law have continued to expand who is eligible for expungement as well as reduce the timeframe for when one can apply for expungement. Before this law took effect, only a dozen offenses qualified for expungement. Now, more than 1,900 offenses qualify. 

In The Missouri Bar’s new “Is It Legal to…?” podcast, Pierson – with Twible Pearson Criminal Law in Springfield – discusses what exactly expungement means, which offenses qualify, ongoing changes to the law, and the process residents can take to have their records sealed. 

Listen to the new episode at https://soundcloud.com/user-784534365/is-it-legal-to-expungement-update or by clicking the play button below. You can also read about the expungement law changes here. 

“Is It Legal To…?” is produced by The Missouri Bar, with Communications Director Farrah Fite and veteran Missourinet reporter Bob Priddy as the hosts. To listen to more episodes, visit https://missourilawyershelp.org/isitlegalto/.  

Have a legal topic you would like discussed or want to be a guest on an upcoming podcast episode? Email Fite at ffite@mobar.org.