11Aug

Senate Candidate Maintains Innocence Over 1993 Vacated (expunged) Conviction

State Senate Candidate Matt Richardson pleaded guilty in 1993 to one count of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, a gross misdemeanor. Richardson vigorously maintains his innocence and that he was falsely accused of this offense when he was a teenager.

Richardson took an “Alford plea” which allowed him to avoid admitting the facts of the alleged offense while pleading guilty to avoid the risk of a harsher sentence. In 2002, a Washington court vacated the record of the conviction and sealed the record.

The records of Richardson’s conviction were obtained from sources prior to the sealing of his record. Although a Washington court recognized that Richardson was deserving of vacating the record of his conviction, stronger vacating laws need to implemented to prevent persons who obtain such records from other sources from violating the vacating order by disseminating or disclosing the record. Vacating is Washington’s equivalent of what most states refer to as expungement.

In a written statement, Richardson said, “These false allegations against me when I was a minor, 30 years ago, have no bearing on me as an adult, a candidate, or this campaign.” He continues, “With 3 court orders that dismiss, expunge, and vacate these false allegations against me, the benefit is that at least one member of the State Senate will know what it’s like to be falsely accused and use this knowledge when it comes to making laws that affect the people of our state.”

Source:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012581024_richardson10m.html