USA: Bill would force media to delete stories about convicts

By Intern / 3 September 2010

Senators in Ohio have introduced a bill which would force media organisations to remove stories about former convicts from the Internet. The new law would allow non-violent criminals with multiple convictions to have records of their offenses sealed by the courts after five years of clean conduct. Individuals and private businesses, including the media, would then be obliged to delete references to those arrests and convictions. Violation of the bill could be punished by fines of up to $1m. Currently, only first-time offenders can have their criminal records expunged. The bill is expected to be passed later this year.