Bucks County Community College to host expungement clinic at Lower Bucks campus this month
Bucks County Community College is teaming up with Legal Aid of Southeastern PA to offer a free criminal expungement clinic later this month.
During the clinic, Bucks County Community College paralegal students, under the supervision of attorneys from Legal Aid of Southeastern PA, will assist people in determining if they are eligible to have prior arrests or convictions expunged from their records. All information shared with attorneys and paralegals is confidential.
The clinic will be held on Saturday, April 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the school’s Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks, 1304 Veterans Highway, Bristol.
What is expungement?
Expungement is the complete destruction of a criminal record, which can help in opening up more employment opportunities and increase access to education and housing.
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Chris Little Simcox, an attorney and professor in the college’s paralegal studies program, said there are several advantages to having a criminal record expunged.
"Having an arrest record or a conviction or a juvenile offense affects an individual's ability to obtain employment, volunteer at their child's school, take out a loan, apply for benefits, apply for a college education, obtain an occupational license and rent an apartment or property,” she said.
“Expungement gives a person the right to protect their privacy and remove from their record old convictions and arrest records to reap the benefits of having rehabilitated from mistakes of the past.”
Who should attend the expungement clinic?
The clinic is for individuals who:
Have arrests without convictions; or
Have misdemeanor convictions more than 10 years old without new convictions; or
Are over 70 years old and their conviction is at least 10 years old; or
Passed away three years ago and post-humous expungement is sought.
To qualify for expungement, individuals must have:
All related fines and costs paid; and
Successfully completed probation.
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What if a conviction cannot be expunged?
In such cases where convictions cannot be expunged, some can be sealed so they are not a part of public records.
Sealing, also known as limited access, means only courts, law enforcement, and a small number of employers are able to see your criminal record, according to Legal Aid of Southeastern PA. The general public, schools, landlords, and most employers do not have access to sealed records.
Sealing is available for many — mostly non-violent, non sex-related — misdemeanor convictions.
The clinic may need to refer some individuals to other legal organizations due to the location of the individuals’ criminal records, such as those coming out of Philadelphia or outside of Pennsylvania.
How to register for the expungement clinic?
Register for the clinic through April 21 by emailing legalstudies@bucks.edu or leaving a message at 215-968-8247. While advance registration is preferred, the clinic will try to accommodate walk-ins.
More information:
For additional information about expungement and other record clearing options, go to lasp.org/expungements.
To learn more about Bucks’ paralegal studies program, visit bucks.edu/business.
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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Free expungement clinic to be held at Bucks' Bristol campus
