LANSING, Mich., March 9, 2022 — State Reps. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) and Kara Hope (D-Holt), Attorney General Dana Nessel, and Capital Area Michigan Works! held a virtual expungement town hall tonight. The purpose of the event was to help community members with criminal convictions prepare for the upcoming expungement fair, taking place March 23, from 4 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 close tomorrow, March 10, at 11:59 p.m.
“I enjoyed talking with our community members and helping them prepare to make the most of the upcoming expungement fair,” Hope said. “The expungement fair will help them access new employment and housing opportunities. I’m pleased to offer these individuals a fresh start.”
Expungement removes arrests and convictions from a person’s public criminal record. 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.
“Our legislative efforts to create a more rehabilitative, person-centered justice system don’t count for much if the community doesn’t know about the resources available to them,” Anthony said. “We need to make sure people understand how the law applies to them and that we are there to support them through the process. This town hall and our upcoming expungement fair are crucial pieces of that puzzle.”
Under the new law, individuals with up to three expungement-eligible felonies and any number of 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. More information about Michigan’s new expungement laws can be found here.
Volunteer attorneys and law students, along with Safe and Just Michigan, helped organize this event and the upcoming expungement fair.