Free expungement clinics offer second chances to Chicago-area residents

CHICAGO - Chicago-area residents seeking a fresh start and a second chance will have the opportunity to participate in several community events hosting free expungement clinics.

The first clinic is scheduled for Saturday at Kennedy King College, running from 9 a.m. to noon. The expungement clinic focuses on Illinois offenses only and offers live scans to the first 300 pre-registrants.

According to state law, individuals can have records of arrests or criminal charges erased if there was no resulting conviction, with exceptions for serious felonies and domestic violence.

Residents in the suburbs are also not left out. Volunteer attorneys will be available from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Gail Borden Library in Elgin to discuss convictions in Kane County.

Moreover, the McHenry County Bar Association and Prairie State will host another clinic from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, September 29, at the Michael J. Sullivan Justice Center in Woodstock.