by Ben Horner
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in July announced changes to the Department of Attorney General expungement webpage to improve service due to a significant increase in the number of applications submitted to set aside a conviction.
The passage of Michigan’s Clean Slate Law in 2020 greatly expanded eligibility for those seeking to expunge their criminal record. Several cannabis companies and attorneys have set up workshops to aid individuals through the process. In the first year the new law was put into effect, applications to the AG’s office more than doubled from 3,325 in 2019 to 7,037 in 2021. So far this year, the department has reviewed 5,373 and is in the process of reviewing thousands more.
The Department of Attorney General’s expungement webpage has been updated to provide a description of the application review process, the approximate timeline for review, and a webform that applicants can use to seek more information on the status of their applications. Information regarding eligibility for expungement, as well as checklists and links to applications to set aside a conviction, is now available on the webpage.
“Increased demand is a good thing because it means more eligible Michiganders are taking advantage of our state’s expanded Clean Slate Law,” Nessel explained. “My expungement team is diligently working to review every application in a timely manner, and I am committed to maximizing department resources to streamline and expedite the process.”
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