by Scott McClallen
More than 1 million Michiganders should receive automatic expungements today for their criminal records, thanks to Clean Slate legislation enacted in 2020 and effective Tuesday.
The Michigan State Police launched its new automatic program to search the state’s Criminal Historical Record database system daily for eligible convictions to expunge automatically.
Approximately 400,000 residents are expected to end the day completely conviction free, says Attorney General Dana Nessel. She added it’s anticipated approximately 1 million residents will have at least one conviction expunged on the program’s inaugural day.
“Expungements have been proven to help residents find better housing and employment, increase their income on average 22% within the first year, and contribute to a significantly reduced chance of reoffending,” Nessel said in a video.
Nessel said the new process will make it much easier to wipe a criminal record.
“My department has been traveling the state for years, hosting expungement fairs to help eligible residents clear their records in the hopes of improving employment and housing eligibility, as well as significantly reducing the chances of that resident winding up back in the court system. Today, that process becomes a whole lot easier,” Nessel said. “I am grateful to our partners in law enforcement and the legislature who have worked diligently alongside us to make expungements more accessible to the Michigan public. These efforts will undoubtedly lead to a stronger state.”
Eligible residents may have up to four misdemeanors punishable by 93 days or more automatically expunged once seven years have elapsed since the date of the imposition of a sentence. There is no limit on the number of misdemeanors punishable by fewer than 93 days that may be automatically erased following the same waiting period.
For felonies, up to two convictions may be automatically expunged 10 years after either the date of the imposition of the sentence or the completion of any term of imprisonment with the Michigan Department of Corrections – whichever occurs later.
Many crimes aren’t eligible for automatic expungements, including aggravated assault, driving under the influence charges, felony embezzlement, home invasion, or human trafficking.
Other eligibility requirements for automatic expungement include no pending criminal charges.
The Michigan State Police will pass on information about any convictions that have been automatically expunged to the court system daily.
Residents who believe they qualify for automatic expungement can check the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (IChat) webpage to view their public record. The check costs $10 payable by a valid debit or credit card.
Those residents with convictions that do not qualify for automatic expungement may still be able to go through the traditional expungement application process, provided that the requirements for that process are met.
Nessel’s office will continue to travel the state hosting expungement fairs to assist those residents applying for expungement by traditional means.
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Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.
Photo “Dana Nessel” by Dana Nessel. Background Photo “Michigan Capitol” by Subterranean. CC BY-SA 3.0.
