Bill DentzerExpungement Day is here.
On Thursday, a coalition of state and Salt Lake County criminal justice and social service agencies, charity and advocacy groups, and legal organizations, including some 40 volunteer lawyers, are teaming up to help eligible people get their criminal records scrubbed. They are covering fees for those who qualify and providing free legal help.
And yes, they’re taking walk-ins.
The effort is an outgrowth of the Operation Rio Grande initiative to curb crime among the homeless and provide services to individuals and families.
Expunging old criminal convictions is available in Utah for certain categories of crimes. But legal costs and complications can discourage those with low incomes from pursuing it, and a criminal record can be a bar to employment and housing.
Expungements are handled by the state and have mandatory waiting periods and other limitations and requirements. The fee to apply is $50, and each cleared conviction costs $56. There are mandatory waiting periods and other limitations and requirements.
Salt Lake County began taking applications in February. So far, 32 of 52 people qualified and received certificates to have a total of 191 criminal convictions expunged. Eight of the applicants had 10 or more convictions cleared. Private donations are covering the program’s cost.
Few of those helped so far came through Rio Grande, but the program showed how other efforts to help the homeless can fall short if people can’t move past criminal histories, County Mayor Ben McAdams said in a statement.
The event is being held at St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall/Weigand Homeless Resource Center, 437 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Walk-ins will be accepted from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
Bill joined The Tribune in November 2017 from the Idaho Statesman in Boise, where he covered state government and politics. He earlier reported on city and state government and politics in New York for 13 years.