Senate committee advances bill to clarify whether sealed thefts can enhance later charges

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 277, a measure that would clarify whether sealed or expunged theft charges can be counted in the statutory "look‑back" period used to enhance subsequent theft offenses.

The bill's sponsor and judges said the change fixes a mismatch between statutes on sealing records and statutes that authorize look‑back enhancements; defense lawyers and public defenders argued the state's case law already allows courts to consider sealed convictions for enhancement and warned the change would block restoration opportunities for first offenders.

Judge Chris Griffin, who helped bring the issue to lawmakers, said the legislature's prior changes created a gap in the law. He told the committee that a new uniform petition to seal…