Legal Aid and Defender to conduct expungement clinic at Focus: HOPE

Legal Aid and Defender Association Inc. (LAD) will conduct a free clinic on expungement of criminal records for residents of Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland counties on Saturday, March 29, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Focus: HOPE, 1400 Oakman Blvd. LAD's Private Attorney Involvement Unit will conduct the clinic with the help of volunteer attorneys. Michigan allows for expungement, or removal from the public record, of records of single criminal convictions after five years, according to LAD's legal rights handbook for former offenders. "Expungement, or setting aside a conviction, allows a person to move forward with [his or her] life without the baggage of a prior conviction or having to disclose a criminal record," the handbook says. Not all convictions can be expunged, however, including those for crimes that carry possible life sentences and traffic convictions such as drunk driving, or where there is lifetime probation. For additional information about the clinic, call 313-967-5625. Published: Wed, Mar 19, 2014