Nasir v. Gwinnett County State Court

Countless ordinary people enter misdemeanor nolo contendere pleas every day expecting to be able to move past their mistakes and be productive members of society. I, therefore, cannot agree that Nasir is prohibited from having his criminal records restricted under OCGA § 35-3-37. Nasir is precisely the type of person whom this statute is intended to protect, and I am deeply concerned about the message this case sends to the public. The majority’s narrow reading of the statute essentially eviscerates any benefit Nasir — or any defendant in this situation — can obtain from entering a nolo…