AB 938: Criminal procedure: sentencing.

This bill aims to expand the scope of relief for individuals who were victims of human trafficking, intimate partner violence, or sexual violence when they were arrested or convicted of a crime. It would allow people to petition for vacatur relief, which can vacate a conviction, without having to establish that the offense was nonviolent. The bill would also require the court to seal and destroy records related to the arrest and conviction, including those of law enforcement agencies. Additionally, it would allow the use of an affirmative defense against a charge of a crime committed as a result of coercion while being a victim of one of these crimes, even for violent felonies. The bill would also exempt murder from this exemption.