Grand Rapids Reporter

The City of Grand Rapids Office of Oversight and Public Accountability (OPA) held a free expungement event on April 2 and had over 400 members of the community registered for the event.

Citizens were seeking to get their records expunged as the OPA sought the aid of lawyers throughout the state to help with the cause, according to a news release.

“Any amount of time that one can give to this effort would be greatly appreciated,” Brandon Davis, director of OPA, said prior to the event. “We thank those who have stepped up or are considering volunteering for helping us to change the lives of the members of our community.”

The event was held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation with OPA, the release stated. Volunteer lawyers helped anyone who arrived before 4 p.m. Those lawyers, regardless of practice, worked a morning shift, afternoon shift or all-day shift, according to the release.

“Do you have a criminal record? You may be eligible to have it removed through a process called expungement! The Office of Oversight and Public Accountability is excited to host Clean Slate GR: Expungement Fair to help people get started on their path to a clean slate,” the OPA stated in a Facebook post on March 7, which noted registration was required to “take individuals through the entire expungement process.”

According to OPA, they offered a one-hour virtual training session on Friday to provide volunteers with information that could be utilized to help people that showed up to the event.

The news release stated that attorneys examined both Certified Records of Conviction and Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) files while assisting participants at the event with completion of the State Court Administrative Office approved expungement forms and did not represent any individual in any endeavors outside of the event.