54B Court To Hold Conviction Expungement Clinic; Several Resources Offered to Formerly Incarcerated
The 54B District Court has partnered with Legal Services of South Central Michigan (LSSCM) to hold a virtual expungement clinic Saturday, June 19, at 9 a.m. via Zoom.
Expungement allows those convicted of crimes to remove the offense from their records, potentially benefiting convicted “community members by advancing their careers, furthering their education and stabilizing their housing,” according to a press release from the City of East Lansing.
At the June 19 Mid-Michigan Virtual Expungement Clinic, “Participants will be paired into virtual meeting rooms with volunteer attorneys, working pro bono [at no charge], to review the participant’s ICHAT records and explain the expungement process,” said the press release.
The Expungement Clinic can accommodate only 100 participants, but Capital Area Michigan Works will provide referrals to those who cannot attend due to capacity limits.
To sign up for the clinic or to receive a referral, contact Capital Area Michigan Works at (517) 492-5518 or by email to arichardson@camw.net.
The 54B District Court and LSSCM are currently recruiting volunteer attorneys for this clinic. Attorneys will receive training and support in advance. Attorneys who are interested in volunteering at the virtual event should contact Sarah Munro at LSSCM at smunro@lsscm.org.
Those who would like to pursue expungement also have other resources available.
Safe and Just Michigan and Michigan Legal Help will hold a public information seminar on Wed., June 2, at 6 p.m. to explain recent changes to expungement laws and the self-help resources available from Michigan Legal Help.
To facilitate the expungement process, district and circuit courts in Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton Counties are working with county clerks to waive fees for certified copies of convictions during the month of June. The Ingham County Sheriff and the East Lansing Police Department will also waive fees for ink fingerprinting for those applying for expungement.
The Lansing-based Northwest Initiative, Inc. has also partnered with Comerica Bank to host a series of financial literacy webinars via Zoom to assist those with criminal records. The program launched in April, but there will be three seminars in June:
- Thursday, June 10, at 6 p.m. on debt management
- Thursday, June 17, at 6 p.m. on identity theft
- Thursday, June 24, at 6 p.m. on considering homeownership
Those interested in attending can contact Peggy Vaugh-Payne of Northwest Initiative, Inc.: peggy@nwlansing.org.