In a previous post, I wrote about how an expungement can provide a second chance for many who are saddled with a felony conviction. In a more recent development, that relief has now been extended to include the restoration of a person’s rights to purchase and/or possess a firearm.

An instant of bad judgment, a poor decision, a stupid mistake, a youthful indiscretion—all it takes is one unfortunate moment and the resulting criminal record could be a burden for the rest of a person’s life. A few years ago, the Indiana Legislature officially acknowledged the lasting difficulties that a criminal record can present that go far beyond an offender’s “debt to society” and enacted an expungement statute. While it does not vacate a person’s convictions, Indiana’s expungement statute seals off the paper trail establishing that there ever was an arrest or conviction.