Oklahoma HB 1269 – Expungement Attorneys Set to Help Thousands of Oklahomans
Forward-Thinking Oklahoma HB 1269 Signed Into Law
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Governor Kevin Stitt Brings Justice to Thousands of Oklahomans
With one signature, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt put Oklahoma HB 1269 into action. This new expungement law will re-classified certain felonies as misdemeanors in a move not only to bring justice to people serving absurd sentences for the most minor of crimes but also to ease an already overcrowded prison system.
Indeed, Oklahoma incarcerates a greater percentage of its population than anywhere else in the world. More than one in 100 people in Oklahoma are in jail or prison. To put that into perspective, that is nine times the incarceration rate of China.
House Bill 1269 changed that. More than 60,000 Oklahomans who are either currently incarcerated or are out with a felony record will have their convictions simply erased. Representative Jon Echols stated that, previously, these people were in a vicious cycle. They couldn’t get a job because they had a felony on their record. Yet, because they didn’t have a job, they couldn’t afford to hire an attorney to help them get a job.
State Senator Stephanie Bice concurred, saying also that Governor Stitt was likely going to pursue further legislation in this regard. She made special notice that the bill would stem future incarceration rates.
Still, not every voice in either the Oklahoma Senate or Legislature was fond of Jason Dunnington’s bill that made 780 retroactive. Representative Todd Russ went so far as to say the only reason he was going to vote yes on the bill was that it was the, “… politically correct thing to do.”
The chief problem that opponents saw was the possible bureaucratic backlog that the expungements would create. They also pointed out that it will cost roughly $300 for each expungement and that the Oklahoma government should either waive these fees wholesale for those filing under HB 1269 or create individual hardship waivers for those unable to pay.
One group that is delighted at the passage of House Bill 1269 is FWD.us, a lobbying group that supports prison and sentencing reforms. The organization’s president, Todd Schulte, made it a point to tie HB 1100 together with HB 1269. HB 1100 firmly delineates the difference between simple possession and possession with the intent to sell or distribute.
Taking Advantage of New Oklahoma Law
The law firm Bury Your Past – Oklahoma’s Expungement Lawyers is taking these cases at their offices in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Bury Your Past – Oklahoma’s Expungement Lawyers is also taking on all expungement cases and not just those covered under the new law. Start your Oklahoma Expungement today.
People wishing to begin the expungement process should contact them at their Tulsa office. They can call 918-409-0417 or proceed to the office directly in Suite 535 at 525 North Main Street in Tulsa.
