Free sessions aim to help eligible participants clear criminal records
The Coatesville Center for Community Life (CCCL) will hold a series of Expungement and Pardon Workshops this fall, presented by Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania (LASP).
The two-workshops, conducted by a LASP attorney, explain the process of clearing a person’s legal record, which is often a barrier to employment. Anyone with a criminal record is invited to attend this free workshop to learn the process of expungement or pardon, determine if he or she is eligible, and be advised on the next steps, a CCCL news release said.
Expungements remove any record of a criminal offense from a person’s record and can only be granted by a judge. Pardons “forgive” an offense and terminate ongoing punishments, probation and other restrictions and can be granted by a board of pardons or the governor, among others.
Not all criminal records can be expunged, but arrest records where there are no convictions, accelerated rehabilitative disposition programs, and most juvenile records are among those that can; summary offence convictions can be expunged five years after the arrest with no additional arrests.
In the expungement process, forms must be completed and submitted to the Clerk of Courts in the county where the specific arrest was made. Citizens who have a misdemeanor or felony conviction must go through the pardon process to clear their criminal record.
The workshops, held at the CCCL, will provide more detailed information about these processes and work with each person individually. The workshop requires advanced registration. Sessions will be held Sept. 24 at 4 p.m., Oct. 21 at 4 p.m., Nov. 13 at 3 p.m., and Dec. 10 at 3 p.m.
To register, send your name and phone number or email to kathryn@coastesvillecenter.org, the fax number 610-383-4613, or to CCCH Coordinator, 1001 E. Lincoln Highway, Coatesville, 19320. For more information, call 610-383-4612.
Anyone planning to attend the workshop should bring a copy of his or her criminal record.
