§ 29-3523 — Criminal history record information; dissemination; limitations; removal; certain information not part of public record; court; duties; sealed record; effect; expungement

Nebraska § 29-3523

• Jurisdiction: Nebraska
• Ch. 29: Criminal Procedure

Text

(1) After the expiration of the periods described in subsection (3) of this section or after the granting of a motion under subsection (4), (5), or (6) of this section, a criminal justice agency shall respond to a public inquiry in the same manner as if there were no criminal history record information and criminal history record information shall not be disseminated to any person other than a criminal justice agency, except as provided in subsection (2) of this section or when the subject of the record:
(a) Is currently the subject of prosecution or correctional control as the result of a separate arrest;
(b) Is currently an announced candidate for or holder of public office;
(c) Has made a notarized request for the release of such record to a specific person; or
(d) Is kept unidentified, and the record is used for purposes of surveying or summarizing individual or collective law enforcement agency activity or practices, or the dissemination is requested consisting only of release of criminal history record information showing (i) dates of arrests, (ii) reasons for arrests, and (iii) the nature of the dispositions including, but not limited to, reasons for not prosecuting the case or cases.
(2) That part of criminal history record information described in subsection (7) of this section may be disseminated to individuals and agencies for the express purpose of research, evaluative, or statistical activities pursuant to an agreement with a criminal justice agency that specifically authorizes access to the information, limits the use of the information to research, evaluative, or statistical activities, and ensures the confidentiality and security of the information.
(3) Except as provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section, in the case of an arrest, citation in lieu of arrest, or referral for prosecution without citation, all criminal history record information relating to the case shall be removed from the public record as follows:
(a) When no charges are filed as a result of the determination of the prosecuting attorney, the criminal history record information shall not be part of the public record after one year from the date of arrest, citation in lieu of arrest, or referral for prosecution without citation;
(b) When charges are not filed as a result of a completed diversion, the criminal history record information shall not be part of the public record after two years from the date of arrest, citation in lieu of arrest, or referral for prosecution without citation; and
(c) When charges are filed, but the case is dismissed by the court (i) on motion of the prosecuting attorney, (ii) as a result of a hearing not the subject of a pending appeal, (iii) after acquittal, (iv) after a deferred judgment, or (v) after completion of a program prescribed by a drug court or any other problem solving court approved by the Supreme Court, the criminal history record information shall not be part of the public record immediately upon notification of a criminal justice agency after acquittal pursuant to subdivision (3)(c)(iii) of this section or after the entry of an order dismissing the case.
(4) Upon the granting of a motion to set aside a conviction or an adjudication pursuant to section 29-3005 , a person who is a victim of sex trafficking, as defined in section 29-3005 , may file a motion with the sentencing court for an order to seal the criminal history record information related to such conviction or adjudication. Upon a finding that a court issued an order setting aside such conviction or adjudication pursuant to section 29-3005 , the sentencing court shall grant the motion and:
(a) For a conviction, issue an order as provided in subsection (7) of this section; or
(b) For an adjudication, issue an order as provided in section 43-2,108.05 .
(5) Any person who has received a pardon may file a motion with the sentencing court for an order to seal the criminal history record information and any cases related to such charges or conviction. Upon a finding that the person received a pardon, the court shall grant the motion and issue an order as provided in subsection (7) of this section.
(6) Any person who is subject to a record which resulted in a case being dismissed prior to January 1, 2017, as described in subdivision (3)(c) of this section, may file a motion with the court in which the case was filed to enter an order pursuant to subsection (7) of this section. Upon a finding that the case was dismissed for any reason described in subdivision (3)(c) of this section, the court shall grant the motion and enter an order as provided in subsection (7) of this section.
(7) Upon acquittal or entry of an order dismissing a case described in subdivision (3)(c) of this section, or after granting a motion under subsection (4), (5), or (6) of this section, the court shall:
(a) Order that all records, including any information or other data concerning any proceedings relating to the case, including the arrest, taking into custody, petition, complaint, indictment, information, trial, hearing, adjudication, correctional supervision, dismissal, or other disposition or sentence, are not part of the public record and shall not be disseminated to persons other than criminal justice agencies, except as provided in subsection (1) or (2) of this section;
(b) Send notice of the order (i) to the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, (ii) to the Nebraska State Patrol, and (iii) to law enforcement agencies, county attorneys, and city attorneys referenced in the court record;
(c) Order all parties notified under subdivision (7)(b) of this section to seal all records pertaining to the case; and
(d) If the case was transferred from one court to another, send notice of the order to seal the record to the transferring court.
(8) In any application for employment, bonding, license, education, or other right or privilege, any appearance as a witness, or any other public inquiry, a person cannot be questioned with respect to any offense for which the record is sealed. If an inquiry is made in violation of this subsection, the person may respond as if the offense never occurred.
(9) Any person arrested due to the error of a law enforcement agency may file a petition with the district court for an order to expunge the criminal history record information related to such error. The petition shall be filed in the district court of the county in which the petitioner was arrested. The county attorney shall be named as the respondent and shall be served with a copy of the petition. The court may grant the petition and issue an order to expunge such information if the petitioner shows by clear and convincing evidence that the arrest was due to error by the arresting law enforcement agency.
(10) The changes made by Laws 2018, LB1132, to the relief set forth in this section shall apply to all persons otherwise eligible in accordance with the provisions of this section, whether arrested, cited in lieu of arrest, referred for prosecution without citation, charged, convicted, or adjudicated prior to, on, or subsequent to July 19, 2018.

Legislative History

Source: Laws 1978, LB 713, § 25; Laws 1980, LB 782, § 1; Laws 1997, LB 856, § 1; Laws 2007, LB470, § 1; Laws 2015, LB605, § 73; Laws 2016, LB505, § 1; Laws 2018, LB1132, § 3; Laws 2019, LB686, § 12. Annotations: This section does not give rise to a legal duty that would subject a private person to civil tort liability for failing to act in the manner prescribed by it. Doe v. State, 312 Neb. 665, 980 N.W.2d 842 (2022). A county court's order overruling the defendant's motion to seal records, filed years after her case had been dismissed, was a final, appealable order, because the order ruled on a postjudgment motion and affected a substantial right. The right invoked was the statutory right to remove the record of the defendant's citation from the public record, no mere technical right. State v. Coble, 299 Neb. 434, 908 N.W.2d 646 (2018). An order on a motion seeking to remove the record of a criminal citation from the public record under this section affects a substantial right for purposes of section 25-1902. State v. Coble, 299 Neb. 434, 908 N.W.2d 646 (2018). An order regarding the statutory right to remove criminal record history information from the public record affects a substantial right for purposes of determining whether it is a final, appealable order. State v. Coble, 299 Neb. 434, 908 N.W.2d 646 (2018). Section 29-3528 authorizes an aggrieved individual to bring an action, not to file a motion in the criminal case the record of which he or she seeks to seal pursuant to this section. An "action" is a distinct and separate court proceeding, governed by separate pleadings and requiring separate process. State v. Coble, 299 Neb. 434, 908 N.W.2d 646 (2018). This section does not authorize the filing of a motion to make criminal history record information nonpublic. State v. Coble, 299 Neb. 434, 908 N.W.2d 646 (2018). This section generally protects certain criminal history record information and prohibits, subject to exceptions, the dissemination of this information. State v. Coble, 299 Neb. 434, 908 N.W.2d 646 (2018). A county court lacked jurisdiction over the defendant's motion to seal records in a criminal action filed years after her case had been dismissed. The applicable statute did not authorize filing a motion to make her criminal history record information nonpublic, but, rather, required a person to bring an action for such relief, disapproving State v. Blair, 17 Neb. App. 611, 767 N.W.2d 143 (2009). State v. Coble, 299 Neb. 434, 908 N.W.2d 646 (2018). Under subsection (2)(c) of this section, which requires that the notation of a person's arrest be removed from the record if the charges are later dismissed, the person arrested may file a petition seeking to enforce his or her right to have his or her record expunged. State v. Blair, 17 Neb. App. 611, 767 N.W.2d 143 (2009).