The Minnesota Legal Services Coalition (MLSC) announced today the availability of a new, interactive online resource to help pro bono attorneys pursue criminal expungement on behalf of indigent clients. The “Criminal Expungement Start-to-Finish” program provides a crash course on expungement statutes and case law. It uses HotDocs® software to draft and print a set of pleadings and letters tailored to suit each client’s criminal record.

Criminal records can exclude individuals from housing and employment opportunities for decades, long after the individual has completed criminal penalties. These disadvantages contribute to a cycle of powerlessness, poverty and often recidivism. Even if charges were dropped against a defendant, the record remains for any potential employer or landlord to see. Not only does this place a burden on the justice system and taxpayers, it can also weaken communities, neighborhoods and families.
 

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