Stop penalizing the innocent: Demand that Florida automatically expunge arrest records for anyone acquitted at trial.
 

In the United States, we are supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. But in the State of Florida, if you go to trial and are found Not Guilty by a judge or jury, your punishment does not end.
An acquittal clears your name in court, but it does not clear your record. Your mugshot, fingerprints, and arrest history remain a matter of public record, visible to potential employers, landlords, and the public.
To completely destroy these records—a process called expungement—Florida places the entire administrative and financial burden on the innocent individual. Acquitted individuals are forced to:
Navigate a complicated multi-agency bureaucratic process spanning months.
Pay a $75 state application fee just to ask for permission (a Certificate of Eligibility).
Pay local court filing fees and manage complex legal paperwork.

This current system acts as an unfair financial and emotional penalty for people the justice system has explicitly cleared of wrongdoing. It forces innocent citizens to buy back their privacy from the state.
Several states across the country have already adopted "Clean Slate" laws that automatically trigger record clearance upon an acquittal or dismissal. Florida must do the same. A "Not Guilty" verdict should mean a clean slate, automatically and immediately.

Our Demand:
We, the undersigned citizens of Florida, call on the Florida Legislature to introduce and pass legislation establishing automatic, fee-free expungement for any individual whose case concludes with a Not Guilty verdict or complete dismissal of charges.