A Clean Criminal Record

Factual Questions
1

On the American TV channel this morning is the story of an American kid who, at age thirteen, went and shot up his school. He was charged as a minor (Arkansas law) and will be released tomorrow (or something) after serving eight years.

OK, that is the law.

The commentator says the guy will have a ‘clean criminal record.’ What does that mean?

If they guy wants to get a job, he will be able to say he has no arrests, no convictions. That seems reasonable, a second chance.

But if a policeman pulls this guy over for speeding, will the police computer warn the officer that the occupant might be a killer? This seems like a practical matter of fact, but I could be wrong.

What is the situation?

2

Probably that his records are “sealed”. I imagine it wouldn’t come up during a standard ID run. I think one can petition to have sealed records opened, though. If this individual commited another felony, I imagine his past would come back to haunt him.

IANAL, etc.

3

That is even creepier than before then. A cop could make normal traffic stop and have no clue the guy in the car is a killer.

Yikes!