The Iowa Legislature is reviewing a bill which would allow those convicted of Possession of Alcohol Under the Legal Age (PAULA) to apply to have their convictions expunged.
The procedure would be nearly identical to the current law which allows defendants convicted of Public Intoxication to expunge their records.
Those convicted of PAULA would be required to avoid any criminal convictions (aside from Iowa traffic tickets) for two years following the date of the conviction. After this period has passed, they would need to petition the court to have the charge expunged.
This is an excellent bill, which would help young people become conviction-free by the time they graduate.
There is also no risk of “violating probation” that would accompany a deferred judgment. If a defendant commits a new violation, there is no probation to be revoked and the court does not need to get involved. The only penalty is that the defendant would not have the option to petition the court for expungment.