State police must expunge criminal records

A Cook County judge is threatening the Illinois State Police with criminal contempt of court for routinely disobeying his orders to expunge criminal records.

Judge Ronald Riley is calling state police an "arrogant organization" for not expunging records as ordered by the court. He added yesterday (Wednesday) he will do whatever it takes to put an end to the problem.

Christopher Wilmes of the Legal Assistance Foundation says the failure to expunge records often prevents people who are arrested or convicted from finding jobs.

The group brought attention to the problem through the case of a Dolton woman who wanted to expunge from her record a 2006 charge that had been dismissed. The cour agreed, but state police sent her a letter incorrectly stating it was an offense that could not be expunged.