New Law Expunges Juvenile Records

New Law Expunges Juvenile Records

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A new Illinois law will require authorities to automatically clear juvenile records two years after cases are closed. Advocates say the Youth Opportunity and Fairness Act will make it easier for young people to move on from their mistakes. Juvenile defense attorney Carolyn Frazier says having a juvenile record is a major obstacle for young people trying to get housing and employment. Frazier says juvenile records are often shared and confidentiality is a big problem in the current system. The new law makes sharing juvenile records illegally a misdemeanor.