“Why does the punishment for this old mistake never end?” Many Michiganders have asked this when a criminal record from a years-old offense shadows them through job and housing applications. Michigan’s new Clean Slate laws ensure that qualifying people can expunge old criminal records, positioning them to get good jobs and stable housing. By putting away past mistakes, everybody can contribute to our economy and society in the future.
LAWM has co-hosted four expungement fairs this year, including an August fair at the Center for Community Transformation in Grand Rapids. WZZM TV covered the fair and spoke with volunteer Chuck Burpee of Warner Norcross + Judd LLP, who extolled expungement’s value to clients and its importance in rewarding volunteerism.
We thank Chuck, our 34 other rockstar volunteers, and our all-star partners who made it happen. We’re not quite McDonald’s yet, but we can boast “288 customers served” at the one-day Grand Rapids fair, and dozens more through criminal record reviews.
