Here in the beautiful United States of America, we have a principle called "presumption of innocence", more commonly referred to as "innocent until proven guilty." However, this principle is being continuously trod upon by "arrest records." When a person is found innocent of a crime, these arrest records NEVER disappear! For the rest of this person's life, they will ALWAYS be seen as a criminal by potential employers who will not look past the arrest to see the word "innocent" in the next column. There are many companies who have a blanket policy against hiring ANYONE who has had ANY contact with the justice system, innocent or not! This innocent person has thus been legally relegated to the realm of social pariah using a very un-American tactic. (Not to mention the disproportionate affect this has on minority populations, making this the new "Jim Crow"!)

Let us remember that an arrest is only an ACCUSATION. Therefore, using the tactic of keeping arrests on an individual's record long after he or she is found innocent, ANYONE can level an accusation and destroy an entire person's life!


One in every three Americans has had some form of contact with the justice system, with around 25% of Americans having an arrest record (including those who have subsequently been found innocent!) How can we claim to be the "land of the free" when we do this to our own citizens? How can we claim to be a "freedom loving nation" when we relegate citizens to second-rate status based on an UNPROVEN AND UNFOUNDED ACCUSATION?!

"At least 13 states have statutes explicitly prohibiting arrest record inquiries and/or dissemination" according to the EEOC (http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/arrest_conviction.cfm#sdendnote101sym).

What we want is a FEDERAL law which would IMMEDIATELY EXPUNGE ANY AND ALL RECORDS PERTAINING TO ARRESTS FOR PERSONS FOUND INNOCENT OF THE CRIMES THEY WERE ACCUSED OF. To exclude a human being from society for life based on an unfounded accusation which has been thrown away and found to be false/untrue in a court of law makes a mockery of our legal system, dishonors the ruling of judges, and indeed is a violation of basic human rights! It is the type of thing one would expect from the Nazi Gestapo, or the East German Stasi, or the Soviet KGB, but not the AMERICAN JUSTICE SYSTEM!

We want "INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY" !

STOP THE POLICE STATE! AMERICANS WANT TRUE JUSTICE!

[Thanks to DC Comics for the image used - it is from "Justice Society of America Thy Kingdom Come Part One". (I believe this is a Fair Use- if I am mistaken, please inform me and I will be more than happy to take it down!) You guys inspired me!]