Records that have been expunged pursuant to this chapter shall be released for use in a civil suit filed by a person for whom expungement was granted that is related to, or arising from, the arrest or conviction that was the subject of the expungement. Upon a request from any party for the release of any records that have been expunged, the court having jurisdiction over the pending civil matter shall hold an in camera hearing to determine the following:
(1) If the request has been made in good faith.
(2) The nature and scope of the requested records.
(3) The relevance of the requested records to the pending civil matter.
Upon the completion of the in camera review, the court shall make a determination in writing whether to release the expunged records. In no way shall the release of expunged records bear any weight as to their admissibility at trial with respect to the Alabama Rules of Evidence. This section is to be applied retroactively.
Last modified: May 3, 2021