Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said that an Expungement Fair will be held 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 2 outside the Genesee County Jail in downtown Flint. The event is open to the public and will assist
eligible individuals in obtaining expungements for misdemeanor marijuana convictions and will further provide information on Michigan’s new expungement laws that went into effect in April.
Many individuals convicted of misdemeanor marijuana charges in Genesee County have already been identified and registered for immediate expungement at the fair, according to Leyton. For those who did not meet the pre-event registration deadline, information on how to petition for expungement later will be provided at
the fair.
At the end of 2020, a package of legislative bills known as The Clean Slate Initiative were signed into law that expands the number of convictions an individual can have expunged, provides for unlimited expungement of non-violent misdemeanors, an ability to expunge most traffic offenses and provides for automatic expungement of up to two low-level felonies and four misdemeanors punishable by 93 days or more.
Specifically excluded from the new expungement law are convictions for crimes that carry a possible sentence of up to life in prison or the attempt to commit such crimes; felony domestic violence if the offender has a prior domestic violence conviction, child abuse offenses, most criminal sexual conduct offenses and traffic
offenses causing injury or death.
Leyton said criminal convictions are serious business and can have an impact on a person’s ability to obtain employment and pursue certain career paths, especially in the healthcare field, or even enter into the military, among other things.
“These new expungement laws are a reflection of the fact that criminal convictions can carry a lifetime of punishment for offenders,” Leyton said. “Criminal convictions, whether they’re minor or more serious offenses, cast a shadow over a person’s reputation in the community and can have a negative impact on one’s own self-esteem, which can impeded their ability to move forward in life and be the most productive members of society they can be.”
“Look, these new laws do not eliminate accountability in the justice system for one’s criminal actions,” Leyton added. “Offenders convicted of a crime will still be sentenced by a judge, they will still be ordered to pay restitution and court fees and fines, perform community service in some instances, be placed on probation and perhaps even do jail or prison time. But to place a stigma on a person for the rest of their life is an added unwritten punishment and does not serve them or our community well.”
Leyton emphasized “the new expungement laws have a long list of crimes that do not qualify for expungement in order to protect society from the most serious criminals and threats to society.” But he went on to say that “people can and do make mistakes and some of them make repeated mistakes, but it doesn’t mean they can’t learn from their mistakes and it doesn’t mean they can’t change their behavior and be law abiding citizens
and productive members of society for the benefit of everyone.”
“That’s really what these new expungement laws recognize.”
