Bucks County Community College (BCCC) is hosting a free Criminal Expungement Clinic in April at the Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks in an effort to help people overcome past mistakes that may block future success.
The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26. Online registration for the free clinic runs from March 10 to April 4.
Paralegal students, under the supervision of attorneys from Legal Aid of Southeast Pennsylvania, will help people determine if they are eligible to have certain prior arrests or convictions expunged or sealed from their record.
Greg Luce, Dean of the School of Business, Innovation, and Legal Studies, said it’s the second year the College has hosted the free Criminal Expungement Clinic. After last year’s success at the Newtown Campus, the event is being offered at the College’s Bristol location this year.
“The Expungement Clinic is a powerful example of experiential learning,” noted Luce. “Our paralegal students are gaining invaluable practical experience while providing a potentially life-changing service to our community members. It’s a win-win for both our students and the residents of Bucks County.”
The clinic is for individuals who:
- have arrests without convictions; or
- have misdemeanor convictions, without new convictions, over 10 years old; or
- are over 70 years old, and their conviction is at least 10 years old; or
- passed away at least 3 years ago, and a posthumous expungement is sought.
Some convictions cannot be expunged, but may be sealed so that they are not of public record. Individuals must have paid all due fines and completed any probation to qualify for expungement. The clinic may need to refer some individuals to other legal organizations due to the location of their criminal records, such as Philadelphia or outside of Pennsylvania.
All information shared with attorneys and paralegals is confidential. Paralegals may not practice law or otherwise provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law.
The Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks is located at 1304 Veterans Highway, Bristol, where there is ample free parking. Advance registration is preferred. The registration deadline is April 4.
Click here to register for the clinic.
For more information, email Legal Studies or call 215-968-8227.
