Minnesota Attorney General Launches Clinic to Clear Criminal Records

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison will be hosting a clinic in north Minneapolis this week to help eligible people get their criminal records wiped clean, Nafi Soumare reports for the Minnesota Reformer. The 11th state in the country to pass the Clean Slate Act during the 2023 legislative session, Minnesota’s law will automatically expunge records for non-violent, non-felony crimes starting on Jan. 1, 2025. The clinic will help the 5 percent of people eligible for expungement go through the process. To be eligible, people must remain crime free during a court-ordered “waiting period,” which can vary from zero to five years. Expungement is available for misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor charges, such as theft, forgery or drug possession or sale. $2.4 billion in cumulative wages are lost every year in Minnesota due to convictions that should be expunged.