April 22, 2021

Giving Thousands of People a Fresh Start

If you’re one of the thousands of people in Michigan who has multiple misdemeanor or felony convictions on your record, you may be eligible for expungement thanks to record-clearing legislation that was signed into law this past October 2020.

How a Felony Conviction Can Affect Your Life

If you’ve been convicted of a felony, you know that even after you’ve served your time in prison or jail, life doesn’t return to normal the moment you’re released. Having a felony conviction on your record can make it difficult to find employment and housing, and can even prevent you from voting.

What is Michigan’s New ‘Clean Slate’ Legislation?

Ultimately, the goal of this new bill is to significantly expand the number of residents eligible to have criminal offenses expunged from their record. The new law will give residents a chance to finally put their past mistakes behind them and start with a clean slate.

Some of the key aspects of the bill include:

• Expungement is no longer restricted to applicants with only one felony over a lifetime. In many cases, those with 2-3 felonies and a five year clean record are now eligible.
• Expungement is no longer limited to only misdemeanors over a lifetime.
• Expungement is now available for the first time for traffic offenses (other than DWI and traffic accidents involving death).

”Thousands of Detroiters have lived for too long with this obstacle to opportunity, and we don’t want them to have to wait a day longer than necessary to have that barrier removed,” said Mayor Duggan. ”If you start the process today, our team of lawyers will get right to work for you, so you can be ready to have your case heard as quickly as possible after April 11th and start again with a clean slate.”

If you’re interested in having your record expunged, begin the application process at detroitmi.gov/projectcleanslate.

In many cases, an expunged criminal record can be life-changing. If you’re interested in taking advantage of this new law and believe you qualify, reach out to the attorneys at Rodenhouse Law Group. We can help you navigate the complexities of the legal system while always fighting for your rights.