A fair in Hancock to help people expunge past convictions from their record Saturday is the latest in fairs held statewide. Standing from left are Darren Widder, policy and programs coordinator for U.P. Michigan Works!; Cameron Herrington of the Tri-County Public Defenders office; and Kamau Sandiford, Clean Slate program manager for Safe & Just Michigan. (Garrett Neese, Daily Mining Gazette)

HANCOCK — Some Copper Country residents began the process of a fresh start during an expungement fair Saturday at the Michigan Works! office in Hancock.

Saturday’s was the first such event in Houghton County. Michigan Works has been holding them since April 2021, following the 2020 passage of Michigan’s Clean Slate Law.

Michiganders can now seal public records up to three felonies and an unlimited number of misdemeanors from their records, up from one and two, respectively. The bill also shortens the period since the end of the sentence and the application from five years to three for misdemeanors, and allows people to apply to remove multiple felony counts after seven years.

The new law also broadens the type of convictions people can seek to have expunged. Traffic offenses, which constitute about half of criminal cases in the state, are now eligible, aside from driving while intoxicated or those causing injury or death. Old marijuana convictions for conduct that is now legal can also be set aside.

Starting in 2023, the state will allow for criminal records to be sealed after a certain amount of time even without an application, as long as the person isn’t convicted again. That period is seven years for misdemeanors and 10 years for felonies.

Clearing people’s public records can help boost the state’s workforce by helping people who might have been shut out of the job market, said Darren Widder, policy and programs coordinator for U.P. Michigan Works!

“Whether it’s a real or perceived barrier, sometimes it’s preventing them from moving on in their career, finding the type of employment that they want to, entering training or even accessing a community resource,” he said. “Sometimes certain felonies might keep them out of certain types of housing. So whether they’re eligible or not, we’re going to work with them to try to remove that barrier.”

At Saturday’s fair, people could meet with an attorney to see if they’re eligible. If they are, they can fill out an application, which is sent to the Michigan State Police and the state Attorney General’s office. If they approve the record for expungement, it is sent back to the local courts. People who came to Saturday’s fair also had their $50 application fee waived, Widder said.

Fingerprinting was available. Saturday’s fair also had a notary from the Tri-County Public Defenders office, making it the most comprehensive fair so far, Widder said.

The waiting period for applicants is about three or four months, down from six, Widder said.

“We’ll have our attorney then work with them throughout, make sure they’re prepped for a hearing, then attend the hearing with them to make sure everything goes smoothly from there,” he said.

Saturday’s event also included help from Safe & Just Michigan, a non-profit advocacy group for criminal justice reform which was a proponent of the current law.

More than 500 people have registered for the events, including 30 for Saturday’s. But more than half of the people who had showed up Saturday were walk-ins, Widder said.

Michigan Works! will still help people who didn’t come to Saturday’s event, though they will have to do more legwork on their own, such as getting fingerprints at the MSP post or finding a notary, Widder said. For more information, go to upmichiganworks.org/cleanslateup.