Dear Friends and Neighbors,

To prepare for the upcoming expungement fair, my special guest state Rep. Sarah Anthony, Attorney General Dana Nessel and I will be hosting a virtual expungement town hall tonight from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Zoom and Facebook Live. The event can be accessed using this link. It will also be livestreamed and posted on Rep. Anthony’s and my Facebook pages.

During this event, Attorney General Dana Nessel and representatives from Capital Area Michigan Works! will explain the expungement process. They will also share what to expect at the upcoming expungement fair and take questions.

Expungement removes arrests and convictions from a person’s public criminal record. Under the new law, individuals with up to three expungement-eligible felonies and unlimited misdemeanors can have their records expunged. Certain traffic violations and first-time Operating While Intoxicated offenses can be expunged. Additionally, misdemeanor marijuana convictions that would not have been considered crimes after recreational marijuana was legalized in Michigan can be expunged. Criminal offenses that have been expunged are no longer accessible to employers or landlords.

Michigan law has always allowed for expungements, but the “Clean Slate” legislation enacted in 2020 made more individuals and offenses eligible for expungement. More information about Michigan’s new expungement laws can be found here.

Tonight’s town hall will help you and your loved ones prepare for the upcoming expungement fair on March 23, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at WMU Cooley Law School, 300 S. Capitol Ave. in Lansing. Ingham County residents who want to participate in this event must fill out a screening form here. This form will be available until 11:59 p.m. tomorrow, March 10. Individuals who are eligible for expungement will be contacted by my office between March 17 and March 22. Attorney General Dana Nessel, my special guest state Rep. Sarah Anthony and I will take part in this event, which is made possible by Michigan’s “Clean Slate” legislation and volunteer attorneys and law students.

If you or someone in your life has a criminal record keeping them from reaching their full potential, they could potentially benefit from this event. I encourage you to share this information widely with anyone you know in our community who can benefit from a second chance.

Sincerely,

Kara Hope

State Representative, 67th House District