Motion to seal after a finding
§ 375.2. Motion to seal after a finding. 1. If an action has resulted in a finding of delinquency pursuant to subdivision one of section 352.1, other than a finding that the respondent committed a designated felony act, the court may, in the interest of justice and upon motion of the respondent, order the sealing of appropriate records pursuant to subdivision one of section 375.1.
2. Such motion must be in writing and may be filed at any time subsequent to the entering of such finding. Notice of such motion shall be served upon the presentment agency not less than eight days prior to the return date of the motion. Answering affidavits shall be served at least two days before such time.
3. The court shall state on the record its reasons for granting or denying the motion.
4. If such motion is denied, it may not be renewed for a period of one year, unless the order of denial permits renewal at an earlier time.
5. The court shall not order the sealing of any record except as prescribed by this section or section 375.1.
6. Such a motion cannot be filed until the respondent's sixteenth birthday, or, commencing October first, two thousand eighteen, the respondent's seventeenth birthday, or commencing October first, two thousand nineteen, the respondent's eighteenth birthday.
7. Where an order of fact-finding has been issued pursuant to subdivision one of section 345.1 of this article that includes solely a violation as defined in subdivision three of section 10.00 of the penal law committed by a juvenile sixteen years of age or, commencing on October first, two thousand nineteen, seventeen years of age, the records shall be sealed automatically at the expiration, as applicable, of a successful period of an adjustment, adjournment in contemplation of dismissal or conditional discharge.
★ Even after a delinquency finding (but not a designated felony act), the court may, in the interest of justice on the respondent's motion, seal records. ★ The motion can't be filed until the respondent's 16th/17th/18th birthday (phased by effective date). If denied, no renewal for 1 year. Violation-only findings for 16+/17+ youth are sealed automatically on successful completion.
Marked in the text: penalties, time limits, sums of money. Editorial emphasis added by this edition; it does not appear in the statute as enacted.
This provision appears in Volume 5 — The JG-22 Family Court Act and in Volume 1 — The JG-22 in Plain English.