– Photo by John Meiu
Lynda Krupp (third from right) of Legal Aid and Defender Association prepares pro bono attorneys to interview former offenders at expungement clinic including (left to right) Lina Germain, Jennifer Grove, Jordan Zuppke, James Derian, Rodney Johnson, and Dennis Kent.
Legal Aid and Defender Association Inc. (LAD) conducted a free clinic on expungement of criminal records for residents of Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland counties in partnership with OLHSA, A Community Action Agency, on March 20, at OLHSA’s central office in Pontiac.
Michigan allows for expungement, or removal from the public record, of records of many kinds of criminal convictions after a waiting period of five or more years, according to Lynda Krupp, managing attorney of LAD’s Private Attorney Involvement unit.
“Expungement allows people to move forward with their lives without the baggage of a prior conviction or having to disclose a criminal record,” Krupp said.
Eight attorneys volunteered their time to interview former offenders who attended the clinic including:
- James Derian of Delphi Automotive and former president of the Oakland County Bar Association.
- Stephanie Fakih, founder of Rights First Law.
- Jennifer Grove of Warren Distributors.
- Jordan Zuppke of Zuppke Law.
- Solo practitioners Lina Germain, Rodney Johnson, Dennis Kent, and Eric Polan.
“We are very grateful for the help of the pro bono attorneys and the OLHSA staff,” Krupp said. “They allowed us to assist so many people who need to clear their criminal records so they can get jobs and housing.”
Anyone seeking legal services can call LAD at 877-964-4700 or visit www.ladadetroit.org.
OLHSA is a Community Action Agency improving the quality of life for people facing crisis while strengthening families, communities, seniors and youth since 1964. More than 178,000 services were provided in 2014 in the pursuit of helping people and changing lives. For additional information, visit www.olhsa.org.
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