By Lauren Gibbons: Complete Post through this link…
- In the first eight days of automatic expungement in Michigan, nearly 1.2 million convictions were set aside
- Automatic system will check daily for newly-eligible convictions to expunge
- 2020 law that created automatic expungement process also expanded eligibility for wiping criminal records
This month, Michigan became the latest state in the nation to automatically wipe past eligible criminal convictions from public records.
More than 1 million felonies and misdemeanors have been erased from residents’ records since the automatic program took effect on April 11, and state officials say the process is designed to run a daily check for newly-eligible convictions to expunge.
The automatic expungements are limited primarily to low-level, nonviolent crimes committed by residents who haven’t had another conviction in years. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said about 400,000 Michigan residents were “completely conviction free” once automatic expungement went into effect.
Certain crimes not included in the automatic expungement process, including first-time drunk driving offenses, can still be expunged after a certain period of time through the traditional process of petitioning a judge.
