SEMCA Michigan Works! Providing Free Legal Assistance to Have Offenses Expunged From Criminal Record

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SEMCA’s Clean Slate Program for Monroe and Wayne Counties (excluding the City of Detroit) offers residents a unique opportunity to have their past criminal convictions, which now includes first time driving/operating under the influence convictions, expunged from their criminal record. This recently expanded program provides people a wide range of new opportunities for employment, housing and education. SEMCA covers all the cost (except for fingerprinting) including providing an attorney for the applicant’s hearing.

On April 11, 2023, the automatic set aside process was implemented allowing certain convictions to be set aside without a hearing date. The auto expungement process allows up to two felonies and four misdemeanors, and the eligibility timeframe is longer: seven years for a misdemeanor and ten years for a felony. Convictions that are not eligible for the automatic process include but are not limited to crimes of dishonesty, assaultive or “serious” crimes, convictions that carry a max sentence of ten years or more, and OWI/DUIs. For these crimes, the traditional SEMCA Clean Slate process is an option. Furthermore, SEMCA’s Clean Slate Program can assist in navigating both processes to ensure an applicant is maximizing both options to obtain a clean slate. Amy Malara, Associate Project Manager for SEMCA’s Clean Slate Program, says, “The automatic set aside process complements the original Clean Slate legislation to assist eligible individuals efficiently and maximizing clean slate efforts for the state of Michigan and its talented workforce.”

SEMCA Michigan Works! will be holding a by invitation-only event, which will provide free counseling sessions with a program attorney. This event is scheduled for June 3, 2023, at the Wayne County Community College District – Downriver Campus in Taylor. After successfully submitting the Clean Slate Application, applicant eligibility for expungement will be determined following a criminal history review by Michigan’s iChat (Internet Criminal History Access Tool). Eligible registered applicants will be contacted by SEMCA Clean Slate staff to schedule an appointment. On the day of the event, invited applicants will be provided a copy of their criminal history along with a breakdown of the rest of the process. Participants will be introduced to and have access to a wide range of services that SEMCA Michigan Works! Agencies provide. According to Greg Pitoniak SEMCA CEO, “The Clean Slate program is yet another opportunity for SEMCA to fulfill its primary mission of helping individuals obtain a job and employers to find the talent they need.”

Since program inception in April 2021, SEMCA’s Clean Slate Program has had over 1,300 applicants. The program has successfully set aside over 570 convictions thus far with 150 upcoming court dates this summer.

If you are interested in attending the Clean Slate event June 3, 2023, at the Wayne County Community District – Downriver Campus, you must complete the Clean Slate Application and receive an official invitation to attend. Apply early as space is limited.

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