Mar 19, 2019 3 min read

The Legal Clinic at the City Mission in Washington, as well as Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services and the Washington County Bar Association, are coming together March 29 to host a free criminal expungement clinic for residents of the City Mission homeless shelter and income-eligible members of the public.

The “Expungement Day” program will take place at the City Mission, 84 W. Wheeling St., from 9 a.m. to noon. City Mission residents will have an opportunity to meet with the volunteering attorneys beginning at 9 a.m., and eligible members of the public will be able to receive expungement assistance beginning at 10 a.m. Preregistration is requested, but walk-ins will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

An expungement is a legal court order that destroys a criminal record and removes it from public view. The court will also consider requests to shield from public view nonviolent misdemeanor convictions and non-convictions, so long as the person making the request has received no additional convictions for the past 10 years.

“Often, even lower-level misdemeanor criminal offenses committed years ago can become a major barrier to getting a job and attaining adequate housing. Our goal is to help them navigate the expungement process and free themselves from these burdens,” said attorney Mary Bates, who founded The Legal Clinic at the City Mission more than 10 years ago.

Brian Gorman, executive director of Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Aid, explained that all criminal and summary cases filed with a court in Pennsylvania, including those cases that do not result in convictions, are posted online, making them accessible to the public. These cases also may be reported publicly by consumer reporting agencies.

“Almost one in three adult Americans has been charged with a misdemeanor or felony in his or her life,” Gorman said. “Not nearly that number of our fellow Americans, however, should be treated as criminals. Expungement Day is designed to help our families, friends and neighbors get back on their feet, particularly with housing and jobs.”

Bates’ Legal Clinic hosted its first Expungement Day in 2017, attracting more than 300 area residents to the event. More than 200 people were granted expungement by the court.

For information and to preregister for the March 29 Expungement Day program, contact SW PA Legal Aid at 724-225-6170 or visit 10 W. Cherry Ave., Washington. Also, the Washington County Bar Association has made available a brochure, “Understanding Expungement and Limited Access to Criminal Records.”

Contact the Bar Association at 724-225-6710 or by email at wcba@washcobar.org.

Information on removing criminal records also is available at www.spla.org or by contacting Southwestern PA Legal Aid by email at legalservices@splas.org.