MINOT — On its face, House Bill 1166 doesn't seem like a terrible idea.

The legislation orders courts to seal the records of proceedings that result in no conviction. The seal is imposed after 61 days. The law is also retroactive. Cases adjudicated before Aug. 1, 2025, will be closed once the defendant in the matter petitions the court.

The bill had support from criminal justice reformers. Notably, the North Dakota Association for Justice and the F5 Project. They argue that these records, even though they demonstrate that an individual was not convicted of the crimes they were accused of, can still be prejudicial. Fairly or not, knowing that someone was on trial for a serious crime can leave the impression that they may have done something wrong, even if it wasn't proven beyond a rea

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