(a) Records sealed on grounds of actual innocence pursuant to § 16-802 shall be opened only on order of the Court upon a showing of compelling need, except that, upon request, the movant shall be entitled to a copy of the sealed records to the extent that such records would have been available to the movant before relief under § 16-802 was granted. A request for access to sealed court records may be made ex parte.
(b) Records retained in a nonpublic file pursuant to § 16-803 shall be available:
(1) To any court, prosecutor, or law enforcement agency for any lawful purpose, including:
(A) The investigation or prosecution of any offense;
(B) The determination of whether a person is eligible to have an arrest or conviction sealed or expunged;
(C) The determination of conditions of release for a subsequent arrest;
(D) The determination of whether a person has committed a second or subsequent offense for charging or sentencing purposes;
(E) Determining an appropriate sentence if the person is subsequently convicted of another crime; and
(F) Employment decisions.
(2) For use in civil litigation relating to the arrest or conviction;
(3) Upon order of the Court for good cause shown;
(4) To any person or entity identified in § 16-801(11)(D), (E), or (F), but only to the extent that such records would have been available to such persons or entities before relief under § 16-803 was granted. Such records may be used for any lawful purpose, including:
(A) The determination of whether a person is eligible to be licensed in a particular trade or profession; and
(B) Employment decisions; and
(5) To the movant or the authorized representative of the movant, upon request, but only to the extent that such records would have been available to the movant before relief under § 16-803 was granted.
(c) Any person, upon making inquiry of the Court concerning the existence of records of arrest, court proceedings, or convictions involving an individual, shall be entitled to rely, for any purpose under the law, upon the clerk's response that no records are available under § 16-802(h)(7) or § 16-803(l)(5) with respect to any issue about that person's knowledge of the individual's record.
CREDIT(S)
(May 5, 2007, D.C. Law 16-307, § 2(b), 54 DCR 868.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Legislative History of Laws
For Law 16-307, see notes following § 16-801.
