—
Detroit Michigan Criminal Defense law firm, the Law Office of Kevin Bessant & Associates, PLLC announce the passage of Michigan House Bill 4186, signed into law on January 12, 2015 that greatly reduces the former restrictions placed on persons seeking a criminal expungement in Michigan. Under House Bill 4186, a person who has no more than one (1) felony conviction and no more than two (2) misdemeanor convictions, or 2 misdemeanor convictions, can petition their sentencing court to have the felony conviction or 2 misdemeanor convictions expunged from their record. Prior to the enactment of House Bill 4186, persons with multiple convictions were not allowed to petition the court for a record expugungement.A criminal expungement is the legal process that allows a Michigan resident to file an application to set aside his or her conviction(s) with the court and request that their criminal record be permanently removed and deleted from public access. House Bill 4186 effectively allows for thousands of applicants who were denied the ability to seek a criminal expungement to now have access to greater opportunities and career advancement without the burden of a criminal record. Key legislative highlights of House Bill 4186 include:
- A single felony conviction can be expunged if the applicant has no more than two misdemeanor convictions in addition to the felony.
- A person with no more than two (2) misdemeanor convictions can petition the court to set aside one or both misdemeanor convictions.
- Elimination of previous provision allowing a felony or misdemeanor conviction to be expunged only if “misdemeanor offenses were minor offenses and committed by someone 21 years of age or younger”
- Victims of human trafficking can apply to have expunged certain prohibited convictions that are related to their status as victims of human trafficking.
Attorney Kevin Bessant explained, “A criminal record can create lifelong consequences and roadblocks in a person’s efforts to improve their education, career and lifestyle. The passage of House Bill 4186 will create a positive multitude of persons who can now move past the previous restrictions of Michigan’s expungement law and seek an expungement without the worry of their application being denied by the court due to legislative restrictions. For most people, a criminal record expungement is their only available option to have a fresh start in life and free themselves of their criminal past”.
To qualify for a criminal expungement in Michigan, a person must successfully submit an ‘Application to Set Aside Conviction’ to the Michigan State Police, Michigan Attorney General Office, and the local prosecuting authority. A criminal background check will be performed by the Michigan State Police to verify the applicant’s criminal record and to confirm that the applicant has no pending criminal warrants or criminal court matters. Once the applicant’s background check has been completed, a hearing date will be scheduled before the sentencing court in which the sentencing Judge will consider all mitigating factors to determine if the applicant has met the legal standard to set aside or expunge his or her criminal record. The Law Office of Kevin Bessant & Associates has helped hundreds of clients set aside and remove their criminal records by successfully filing the required application materials and legal motions required by the court to expunge criminal convictions. This process can also be performed online to help expedite and streamline the expungement process.
About Law Office of Kevin Bessant & Associates PLLC:
At the Law Office of Kevin Bessant & Associates, PLLC, “Guarding Reputations, Restoring Lives, and Protecting Freedom’s” has continued to be their primary objective by providing superior client services, aggressive legal representation, and winning results. Attorney Kevin Bessant specializes in Criminal Defense Litigation for persons charged with drunk driving, criminal expungements, domestic violence, weapon and gun offenses, drug charges, felony and misdemeanor offenses, and Federal crimes.
Release ID: 74002
Google
RSS