June 2, 2004Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority1 The Illinois Expungement/Sealing Statute Section 5 of the Criminal Identification Act, 20 ILCS 2630/5

June 2, 2004Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority2 Basic Readability Statistics 4,265 Words 70 Sentences 21 Paragraphs Average of 61 words per sentence Average of 3.3 sentences per paragraph

June 2, 2004Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority3 Top 5 Longest Sentences 1.) 242 words 2.) 209 words 3.) 195 words 4.) 182 words 5.) 181 words Runners-up: 1 st ) 174 words 2 d ) 159 (2) words 3 d ) 138 words * Gettysburg Address = 265 words

June 2, 2004Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority4 Use of Passive Voice Guidelines: Popular fiction is usually under 5%. Good Technical writing can be as high as 30%. Passive Sentences make up 55% of the statute.

June 2, 2004Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority5 Flesch Reading Ease (0 to 100) Guidelines: (100 = easiest to read) Based on the average number of syllables per word and the average number of words per sentence. Standard writing averages scores of 60 to 70. Effective January 1, 2005, Agricultural production contracts should have a score of greater or equal to 50. –Illinois Public Act (ironically the act itself only scores a 35.4)

June 2, 2004Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority6 Flesch Reading Ease (cont…) Document Score(s): Chicago Tribune & Sports Illustrated………………………60-70 Wall Street Journal ………………………43 20 ILCS 2630/5 ……………………… Home Equity Loan contract…………….12.7 Auto Insurance contract………………

June 2, 2004Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority7 Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Guidelines: (U.S. grade-school level) Based on the average number of syllables per word and the average number of words per sentence. A score of 12.0 means a high school senior would understand the document. Standard non-fiction writing = 7-8 grades. Most people are comfortable reading about two grades below the highest level of education they have completed.

June 2, 2004Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority8 Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Occupation est. Grade Level: Neurologist……………………………………24 Astrophysicist…………………………………21 Criminal Justice Ph.D.………………………...21 Attorney (with LL.M.)………………………...20 Illinois Expungement Statute Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 27.4

June 2, 2004Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority9 Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act to the contrary and cumulative with any rights to expungement of criminal records, whenever an adult or minor prosecuted as an adult charged with a violation of a municipal ordinance or a misdemeanor is acquitted or released without being convicted, or if the person is convicted but the conviction is reversed, or if the person has been placed on supervision for a misdemeanor and has not been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or placed on supervision for a misdemeanor within 3 years after the acquittal or release or reversal of conviction, or the completion of the terms and conditions of the supervision, if the acquittal, release, finding of not guilty, or reversal of conviction occurred on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, the Chief Judge of the circuit in which the charge was brought may have the official records of the arresting authority, the Department, and the clerk of the circuit court sealed 3 years after the dismissal of the charge, the finding of not guilty, the reversal of conviction, or the completion of the terms and conditions of the supervision, except those records are subject to inspection and use by the court for the purposes of subsequent sentencing for misdemeanor and felony violations and inspection and use by law enforcement agencies and State's Attorneys or other prosecutors in carrying out the duties of their offices ILCS 2630/5(h)(1)