Sweeping Expungement Bill Passed By Michigan Senate

The Michigan Senate has approved legislation that would automatically expunge thousands of criminal records for low-level crimes and even some felonies.

Michigan’s Senate has passed legislation that would allow thousands of state residents to expunge criminal records for low-level criminal offenses and some felonies, MLive reports. Current state law allows for expungement; however, according to the Alliance for Safety and Justice, just 6.5 percent of people eligible for expungements actually get their records cleared.

The measure would automate the expungement process for many criminal offenses. The bill includes language allowing a court could reinstate a conviction if the record was expunged in error or if the person didn’t meet court-mandated requirements, the report says.