Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District / Dec 17, 2019
J.A. vs. Missouri Department of Corrections, Missouri State highway Patrol and Pettis county Prosecutor
J.A. appealed the circuit court's dismissal of his petition to expunge a 1970 felony conviction for drug possession. The circuit court had found J.A. ineligible based on a 1976 felony conviction, interpreting the seven-year statutory period to run forward from the completion of the prior disposition. The appellate court reversed, clarifying that the seven-year period for expungement eligibility runs backward from the date the petition is filed, consistent with recent precedent. The case was remanded with instructions to grant the expungement.