With expanded eligibility, Md. expungement clinic draws scores of clients

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A.J.S, a client at Thursday’s expungement clinic hosted by Maryland Legal Aid and Baltimore Gas & Electric, has waited 30 years for the opportunity to expunge his records.

“For me, the biggest hurdle was the existence of residue from my past haunting me,” A.J.S. said. “What this does is it gives me an opportunity to be able to move forward with my future and not have to worry about the residue from my past hindering me from being able to grow.”

The clinic, with the help of 12 volunteer attorneys and about twice as many support staff from BGE, helped 80 clients file expungement petitions. Thursday’s clinic marks the first hosted by Maryland Legal Aid since the REDEEM Act, or SB 37, took effect, which shortened the waiting period for filing a petition to expunge certain conviction records. And those charged with possession of cannabis who have completed their sentence can request expungement with no additional waiting period under the state’s new law legalizing recreational marijuana use.

Ayana Johnson, executive administrative coordinator for the office of the CEO for Exelon, said she reached out to Maryland Legal Aid several years ago to partner on the clinic. Johnson said many people aren’t aware of legal services that are available, and the clinic helps to bring awareness to resources that can help individuals regarding employment and housing.

Johnson began to tear up as she recalled the turnout at one of the first expungement clinics hosted by the two organizations.

“I had to go sit in my car and just cry, because I know the impact that it has on people, so being able to be in this position to give back, it’s a blessing, it really is,” Johnson said.

Somil Trivedi, chief legal and advocacy director at Maryland Legal Aid, said while the organization already assists with a high volume of expungements, the nonprofit expects to see a high demand in the coming months from individuals wanting to expunge their records.

Maryland has one of the “more onerous” expungement statutes, Trivedi said, given there is no automatic expungement for records and a limited number of offenses are expungeable in Maryland.

“It’s really hard to understate the impact of somebody getting their criminal record expunged,” Trivedi said. “There are burdens to employment, to housing, to family, to benefits.”

Angus Derbyshire, pro bono director for Maryland Legal Aid, said partnering with BGE allowed the nonprofit to work at a much larger scale in providing legal services.

“Many of our clients haven’t been in trouble in 10, 15, 20 years and have old records sitting around preventing them from (obtaining job and housing) opportunities,” Derbyshire said. “It’s a chance to clear that … and make a path forward.”

For clients T.T. and S.M., the clinic has given them that path forward. T.T. said the clinic “has given me a second chance with my career and my life” and S.M. was able to have five records petitioned to be expunged that will now allow her to look for a job. Another client, D.P., said all but one of his records were filed to be expunged at the clinic.

A.J.S. said he’s glad that he now knows of programs that exist that can help his family and grandchildren overcome some hurdles they might encounter in their future.

A.J.S. noted the hospitality of the Maryland Legal Aid staff that helped him feel more comfortable.

“When I came into the atmosphere where there are people that are just like me, I didn’t have to feel nervous,” A.J.S. said. “I didn’t have to hold my eyes down like I did in the past. I couldn’t even look at the judge because I was frustrated with myself for doing what I did. But now I’m able to hold my head up, look forward, and I’ve got pride.”

Maryland Legal Aid will host its next expungement clinic on Sunday, Oct. 29 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Loyola Clinical location at Belvedere Square in Baltimore.